What are the most common 2020 Tacoma problems?

Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (5%), the engine (15%) and the fuel or propulsion system (22%). A complaint can name more than one area.

Has the 2020 Toyota Tacoma been recalled?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Toyota Tacoma, the most recent in November 2020 (fuel system, gasoline). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

2020 Toyota Tacoma: Best bet

Owners filed 59 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota Tacoma in its first five years on the road, about 25 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Tacoma year. That's among the fewest of any Tacoma year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the air bags (5% of complaints).

Complaint index: 0.5×; per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Tacoma year
Rank: 1st of 14; 1st = fewest complaints
Complaints: 59; first five years; 25 per 100,000 sold
Recalls: 1; campaign

3rd generation, 2016–2023 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate

Photo: 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport Double Cab · Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles

Air bags5% · 3 complaints
Engine15% · 9 complaints · median 3,000 miles
Fuel and propulsion22% · 13 complaints · median 4,000 miles
Brakes19% · 11 complaints · median 4,000 miles
Driver assistance14% · 8 complaints
Powertrain14% · 8 complaints · median 6,000 miles
Body and structure3% · 2 complaints
Suspension2% · 1 complaints
Speed control12% · 7 complaints · median 13,000 miles
Electrical8% · 5 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Engine

Owners of this Tacoma describe intermittent stalling, hesitation, and in some cases major engine failure or oil leaks requiring extensive repair. Many say dealers struggled to duplicate or fix the issue, leaving them uncertain about reliability.

Warning signs:: Owners report rough or delayed starts, gasoline smell, warning lights, tachometer dips, shaking or shuddering, RPM surges without acceleration, and unusual noises before failures.
What shops did:: Dealers sometimes could not duplicate or diagnose the problem, occasionally found no issues, and in a few cases replaced the engine or recommended costly repairs.
Mileage:: most between 0 and 5,000 miles, among 9 complaints that give it

“Truck cranks over fine but drags for an extended period of time before firing. There is a noticeable smell of gasoline when this happens.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11375605 · View complaints on NHTSA

Fuel and propulsion

Owners describe their Tacoma stalling, losing power, or struggling to start, often tied to fuel pump problems. Many say the failure happened without warning while driving, and several report their truck was not covered under Toyota's recall despite matching symptoms.

Warning signs:: Many report jerking, jumping, hesitation, rough idling, dashboard warning lights, gasoline smell, or difficulty restarting before the truck stalled or died.
What shops did:: Dealers often replaced the fuel pump, though many owners say their VIN was excluded from the recall and some report the shop could not duplicate the problem.
Mileage:: most between 0 and 5,000 miles, among 12 complaints that give it

“vehicle fuel pump went out without any notice and fuel gauge and cluster not showing any data on the instrument cluster.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11631021 · View complaints on NHTSA

“The truck suddenly stopped Took it to a mechanic and had to replace the fuel pump.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11654190 · View complaints on NHTSA

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›

NHTSA 20V682000November 20201,525,742 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Toyota sent NHTSA 198 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2020 Tacoma. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

23TE08 · September 2024 · Warranty extensionToyota has received some reports of paint peeling along the exterior door window frames and front inner fenders under the hood on certain Tacoma vehicles with 040 Super White paint color.
T-SB-0103-20 Rev1 · June 2024This Service Bulletin provides updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for some 2008 – 2025 model year Toyota vehicles.
T-PANT-2024-004- · March 2024This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life Coolant, effective March 1, 2024.
TSB002620 · November 2023TSB: All 2020 ?
TSB003220 · August 2023TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ?
23TE01 Dealer Pa · April 2023DP: Although the high-pressure fuel pump is covered by Toyota?s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers?
23TE04 · February 2023DL: On December 20, 2022, a settlement of claims for certain low pressure fuel pumps was approved by the federal court.
23TE05 · February 2023DL: On December 20, 2022, a settlement of claims for certain low pressure fuel pumps was approved by the federal court.

All 2020 Tacoma bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2020 Toyota Tacoma reliable?: Owners filed 59 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota Tacoma in its first five years on the road, about 25 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Tacoma year. That's among the fewest of any Tacoma year. Ratings compare Tacoma years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2020 Tacoma problems?: Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (5%), the engine (15%) and the fuel or propulsion system (22%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2020 Toyota Tacoma been recalled?: Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Toyota Tacoma, the most recent in November 2020 (fuel system, gasoline). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Toyota. The 2020 Toyota Tacoma on NHTSA.gov · How we rate