2020 Toyota Tacoma Problems and Recalls (85 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2020 Toyota Tacoma is Fuel system (20% of 85 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 85 complaints · 1 recalls

What problems show up on the 2020 Toyota Tacoma?

17 of 85 filings named Fuel system (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (11 reports).

There are 1 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2019 has 215 reports on file; this year has 85. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2020 Toyota Tacoma

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 1 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Fuel system 17 complaints · 20.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 7
  • Deaths 0
All Toyota Tacoma years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 17 of 85 owner complaints (20.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 17 complaints, 20.0% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 17 · 20.0% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 11 complaints, 12.9% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 11 · 12.9% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 11 complaints, 12.9% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 · 12.9% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 6 complaints, 7.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 6 · 7.1% Engine (ENGINE): 6 complaints, 7.1% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 6 · 7.1% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 5 complaints, 5.9% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 2 crash reports 5 · 5.9% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 3 complaints, 3.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 crash reports 3 · 3.5% Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION): 3 complaints, 3.5% of reports Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 3 · 3.5% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 3 complaints, 3.5% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 3 · 3.5% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 21 complaints, 24.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 21 · 24.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 17 20.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 11 12.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 12.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 6 7.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 6 7.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 5 5.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 3.5% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 3 3.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 3 3.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 21 24.7% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2019; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2020. 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2020-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2021-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2021-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Jul 2019 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 20V682000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V682000
  • Campaign 20V682000 was reported 467 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 3
2020-Q2 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 6
2020-Q4 Owner reports 8
2021-Q1 Owner reports 14
2021-Q2 Owner reports 4
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 3
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2023-Q4 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 2
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 5
2025-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q2 Owner reports 4
2025-Q3 Owner reports 4
2025-Q4 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 7
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 20V682000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (1)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 20V682000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 7 of 85 complaints · page 1 of 4
2026-08-18VISIBILITY
NHTSA ODI 11757586
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The wiper motor does not move fast enough to keep the windshield clear in heavy rain. Yes it is available to be inspected. Unable to see while driving even after slowing down. Only when encountering heavy rain. No No
2026-08-04Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11754665
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The Clutch in the Manual Transmission makes a "creaking" noise, and you can feel it when driving too, when depressing the clutch pedal... The creaking noise is annoying, but the feel of the creaking is very distracting when driving the manual transmission, depressing the creaky clutch can distract you from the road because you can feel it; and it only get's worse when left alone. This is a recurring issue on my 2020 Tacoma. It was "fixed" by the dealer in 2022, I think, and now it's happening again... same "creaking" issue that starts out small and gets louder and more violent (you can feel the "creaking" in the pedal more) with time. This really seems like a parts failure and not a lube job. There is a TSB out for this issue (T-SB-0112-19), but this really should be upgraded to a recall.
2026-04-10Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11730338
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Fluid weeping/leaking/staining on differential housing
2026-03-17Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11725081
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On Sunday, March 15,2026, I was driving from Houston, TX to Pharr, TX at the speed of 75mph on the left lane to pass an 18 wheeler, with another 18 wheeler behind me, and my truck started idling erratically. I lost speed and my service engine light came on. My truck slowed down and I almost got in a car accident with the 18 wheelers because the truck did this. The truck behind me slowed down on time and it went immediately to the right lane to avoid hitting my truck. I feared for my life. All the vehicles behind me and the 18 wheelers also went to the right lane to avoid me. By this time, the TRAC light had already come on also. I managed a space of no vehicles and steered towards the right safety lane. I pulled over at the local truck stop and stoped my truck to rest. After about 5 minutes I tried starting my truck and it wasn’t starting. I am a little mechanically inclined, so I started troubleshooting the truck. My code reader gave these codes: P1605-00, P0300-27, P0300-85, and P0302-00. Unscathed to start the truck after a while and got back on the road. The drive was brutal, as the truck kept burping erratically, but I made it home safely. I took my truck to the mechanic and he did some repairs and told me the issue is the fuel pump. I have checked the recalls for my truck but it shows zero recalls for my truck. Luckily I am alive to report this life threatening safety issue that Toyota has on this model. How do I get Toyota responsible to make the repairs on my truck? The part alone is over $1200 at O’Reily auto parts.
2026-03-10STEERING
NHTSA ODI 11723258
CrashFireInjuryDeath
This is a safety issue and a known issue. Toyota is reporting that it is wear and tear and denying my goodwill repair but it is a technical service bulletin TSB #0082-21 - so it is a safety issue. I emailed and called and have case number with Toyota - 260225002292
2026-02-06Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11716242
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I am having same issue as the incident i found here 12/06/2025, LISTED UNDER COMPLAINTS-I live in Rio Rancho NM- Concern it involves the automatic transmission torque converter specifically torque-converter lock-up behavior, The issue presents as a vibration/shudder during steady -speed driving , we are driving around 30-40 miles per hour when it happens, The vehicle remains in my possession and is available for inspection upon request. The vibration/shudder occurs during steady cruising at moderate speeds which affects vehicle smoothness and driver confidence, while no accident has occurred yet, the behavior is unexpected and distracting and could impact safe vehicle operation, particularly during highway driving or when maintaining steady speed in traffic, I Took it to my Toyota dealer a few months ago they said they could not find any issues, I am taking it again tomorrow and now I CAN SHOW THEM THAT I FOUND THE SAME ISSUE UNDER COMPLAINTS, I NEED TO TOYOTA TO FIX MY ISSUE ASAP,
2026-01-22Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11712671
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Toyota has a manufacturing defect going on with their v6 in Gen 3Tacoma's. I have a 2020 Limited with 48,200 miles that needs a new cylinder head. It threw a check engine light on me, and luckily enough I took it to the dealership within about 30 miles, otherwise my engine could have exploded. I have videos from the dealership inspection that I cannot attach here. I have since found via the error code a history of these issues on newer trucks. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] I believe that this issue could pose serious safety issues for someone who is not as immediate on stopping driving, as it was just a check engine light. If you were to drive on this light down the highway, and have catastrophic failure, the Tacoma becomes a completely unpowered hazard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Toyota Tacoma Complaints and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2020 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 17 of 85 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2020 Toyota Tacoma?

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2020 Toyota Tacoma?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources