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Toyota Tacoma misfire problems

39 of the 8,489 owner complaints about the Toyota Tacoma describe misfire or rough idle, most of them for the 2018 model year.

owner complaints
39
worst model year
2018
typical repair cost reported
$4,500
typical mileage
26,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2022
    1
  • 2021
    3
  • 2020
    2
  • 2019
    6
  • 2018
    10
  • 2017
    4
  • 2016
    3
  • 2013
    1
  • 2008
    1
  • 2006
    1
  • 2005
    1
  • 2004
    2
  • 2003
    2
  • 1996
    1
  • 1995
    1

Often reported together

Stalling 18Check engine light 13Fuel pump 10Loss of power 5Knocking 3Won't shift 2Jerking 2Hesitation 2

Trouble codes mentioned

P0304 1P0301 1P0171 1C1422 1C1241 1

What owners say

Filed Jun 4, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · CA

Truck has 116k miles, started losing power and acceleration diminished. CEL and Trac Off light came on. Pulled over twice after experiencing same issue. Took to mechanic and diagnostic code P0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). Replaced 6 spark plugs to be safe, and replaced broken coil in cylinder 1. Drove less than a mile and CEL came back on. Brought to dealership this time and they found a leak in the head gasket and noticed warping in cylinder 1, along with code P0301 still present. They reported back to me stating it needed a machinist to resurface the the cylinder head, that the repair is mechanical. Even outside of warranty this fix should not be costing $13,000. The truck has been properly maintained for the past 9 years, all oil services and replacing any wear and tear items. Mechanical (warping) is manufacturing issues.

Filed Apr 23, 2026 · Fuel system · FL

After I purchased my 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport with 4 miles on it and at 1,332 miles on 11/26/21, the Check Engine light with Traction Control Off light came on while I was driving. I immediately pulled over and on the truck media screen it read this: "A malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle or automatic transmission has been detected. Contact your Toyota dealer and have your vehicle inspected." The truck was rough idling and had no acceleration. I had the truck towed to dealership where it was purchased and upon diagnostic, it was determined that #3-cylinder injector was reading "Open Circuit" with code P020313. Being under warranty the dealership repaired the bad injector. No further issues until 4/22/26. On 4/22/26 with mileage at 48,361, I started my truck in my driveway and immediately recognized that the truck was rough idling and the Check Engine Light along with the Traction Control Light Off being on. The exact same message displayed on the screen as above, "A malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle or automatic transmission has been detected. Contact your Toyota dealer and have your vehicle inspected.". The truck was towed back to the same dealership and upon diagnostic the same issue of #3-cylinder injector "open circuit" with code P020313 was revealed. It was recommended to replace the bad #3-cylinder injector and also recommended to go ahead and replace all of the spark plugs. The total repair bill we be ~$2600 when I go to pick it up in 3 days. This is not just a coincidence that the exact same #3-cylinder injector has gone bad at 1,332 miles and then again at 48,361 miles. Seems to be a connection between the injector going bad and the issues that they have had with the High Pressure Fuel Pumps. Toyota needs to acknowledge this problem.

Filed Feb 9, 2026 · Engine · 89,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clattering sound coming from the engine, with a misfire coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to several mechanics, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injector in cylinder #3 had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

Filed Feb 4, 2026 · Engine · KY

Have had engine issues such as stalling, rattling, limp mode, rough idling and engine missing. Have had repairs done but continues to have major issues where it is not functioning properly.

Filed Apr 18, 2025 · Engine · 26,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and driving up a steep incline, there was an engine misfire and the vehicle almost stalled. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that it was like a clanging metal-on-metal sound. The contact stated that no warning was illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was idling roughly and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

Filed Nov 25, 2024 · Engine · 160,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved a DTC code for a cylinder #3 misfire. The contact swapped the spark plugs and the code indicated misfires in four cylinders. The contact stated while inspecting around the top intake manifold, the contact noticed that the flap used to regulate the air to the engine had detached. The contact was afraid of driving the vehicle and was concerned that the unknown plastic piece could cause engine failure, was also detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact research the instructions. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Filed Aug 30, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · AR

This vehicle stalled while driving. It would totally shut off. Once at 75 mph no warning just shut off. Had a cylinder misfire according to dealership. On 2 other occasions it shut off while driving. On those occasions I was backing up out of a driveway and driving slow on a drive. So very slow speeds. On those 2 occasions it had engine stall codes according to dealership. I filed a lemon law claim and because it didn’t stall in the 58 miles the tech drove it Tamara Clear from gulf states determined there’s no evidence it stalls despite the local Toyota dealership having stall codes in their notes. Tamara clear also didn’t comply with Arkansas lemon law and respond within 40 days. She took longer because she’s overwhelmed with cases according to her. Each time the vehicle totally shut off while driving it had master warning lights, charging system lights, oil fluid temp lights, all of it. I took pics but Toyota didn’t care about that either Potentially fatal. And they expected me to drive around with a 6 year old in it

Filed Mar 23, 2023 · Driver assistance, Engine · AZ

My vehicle stalls (won't accelerate and rough idle) forcing you to roll off the highway without warning. This has happened multiple times while in cruise control going up steep hills. It shows engine misfire and check engine. I took it to the dealer multiple times and it was determined to be bad gas. I and my insurance company paid for this dealer (Hatch Toyota Show Low AZ) for complete clean and replacement of the entire fuel system. Now 5 months later it is doing it again. The safety issue is the stalling in the middle of the highway where there is no way to get out of the way of traffic. I made sure I bought good gas by paying extra money at a new Chevron gas station with new in ground tanks. But dealer claims bad gas again. That is a separate issue.

Filed Dec 5, 2022 · Engine, Fuel system · MD

When accelerating on highway check engine light started flashing and engine running rough. Pulled over and stopped vehicle turned off ignition. Restarted vehicle and light was out no longer running rough. Toyota dealer checked computer, cylinder #2 misfired 47 times & cylinder #3 misfired 3 times. They said they could not find what had created this problem and still charged me for engine diagnostics.

Filed Aug 1, 2022 · Fuel system · TX

Fuel pump failure at 63k miles. Check Engine light came on. P0171 code thrown. Truck began hard starting, and rough idling. Stalled on freeway, stuck at 4k RPM and would not drop. Had to pull off and restart. Checked entire system with certified independent service/AAA mechanic and fuel pump was diagnosed. Fuel pump whines in tank, and fuel trim levels are way off... maxing out in output (39), and falling into the negatives in short term trim levels. All other components testing ok/within ranges. Massive recall on fuel pump for my exact same year/make/model/engine, but my VIN does not show as affected... clearly it has the same issue. I need this pump fixed ASAP, as does everyone else affected that did not get to be apart of the recall.

Related recalls

EngineReported June 1, 2017 · 31,824 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tacoma vehicles equipped with a six-cylinder engine. The affected vehicles have a crank position sensor that may malfunction, potentially resulting in an engine stall.
Risk
An engine stall may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crank position sensor with an improved design, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0H.

Recall number 17V356000 · Recall details

EngineReported November 7, 2013 · 3,795 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Tacoma vehicles manufactured July 1, 2013, through October 11, 2013. The engines of the affected vehicles contain valve springs that may break over time.
Risk
If the valve springs break, the engine could fail and stall while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began on November 27, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.

Recall number 13V557000 · Recall details

Questions about the Toyota Tacoma misfire

Which Toyota Tacoma years have misfire or rough idle problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2018 (10 complaints), 2019 (6 complaints) and 2017 (4 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix misfire or rough idle on the Toyota Tacoma?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,500 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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