Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2018 Toyota Tacoma
NHTSA data on file today
The 2018 Toyota Tacoma has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 209 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars, averaged across 2 NHTSA-tested trims.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #20V682000 Fuel Pump May Fail NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V012000 Fuel Pump May Fail NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V888000 Brake Master Cylinder Seal may be Damaged NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Service Brakes 44 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System 42 complaints
- Power Train 29 complaints
- Unknown or Other 27 complaints
- Engine 26 complaints
- Fuel System, Gasoline 24 complaints
Of the 209 complaints on file, 7 report a crash; across all 209 complaints, owners report 2 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$12,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2018 Toyota Tacoma has a moderate number of owner complaints and three significant NHTSA recalls, indicating average reliability. The recalls, especially related to the fuel pump system and brake master cylinder, suggest areas of concern but are not overwhelmingly frequent. The complaint data suggests that some components might have occasional failures, but additional data could improve assessment accuracy.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 40,000–70,000 miles | $300–$800 | common |
| Fuel pump | 40,000–80,000 miles | $400–$1,000 | occasional |
| Power train | 50,000–90,000 miles | $1,000–$3,000 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil changes every 5,000 miles
- Brake fluid replacement biennially
- Transmission fluid change at 60,000 miles
- Coolant system flush every 50,000 miles
- Tire rotation every 10,000 miles
- Spark plug replacement at 120,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Brake pedal feels soft
- Engine stalls unexpectedly
- Delayed gear shifts
- Reduced engine power unexpectedly
- Fuel pump noise increases
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2018 Toyota Tacoma at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.