2019 Toyota Tacoma: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
217 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2016, 2017 and 2019 Tacoma (323, 239 and 217 complaints, scores of 55, 61 and 54) and the 2024 and 2025 fourth-generation trucks, which score 38 each at 72.5 and 86.0 complaints per year on the road, the highest rates on record. Buy a 2013 to 2015, scoring 85, 90 and 89 on 124, 93 and 101 complaints, or a 2020 to 2023, all at 76 or better on 87 complaints or fewer. Read the full note on the model page. 2019 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 217 complaints on record, verdict CAUTION.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Tacoma: the years to avoid and the years to buy, including 2019 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 217 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 31.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My car had a lamp seal replaced (00948-CHMSL Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp Seal) in 01/2020. When it rains, water is getting into my car. I can't determine if the same seal or a new seal is failing to keep the water out. This is creating a higher probability of generating a mold issue in my car.
Brake Master cylinder. The brakes lose all pressure and do not stop the truck all of a sudden. This is an open recall on many of these trucks but apparently my specific truck isn’t included in this. Because it just happened we are looking for the parts to fix this. Although it’s to the tune of over $1,000. There are no warnings, no lights nothing. Just went to pull out of my driveway and have no brakes. Although …
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the A/C, and the cool air setting was inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. A vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer stated that there was UV dye at the evaporator core and that refrigerant was le…
Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 20V682000 | 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… |
| 20V012000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020,… |
| 18V888000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tacoma vehicles. Improper machining of the brake master cylinder may result in internal damage of one of the seals, affecting brake performance. |
| 19V244000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a pickup of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Service Brakes56 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Fuel/Propulsion System55 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Power Train40 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine28 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other25 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System21 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
Other Toyota Tacoma years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Toyota Tacoma?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (56 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Toyota Tacoma a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 54/100, computed from 217 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Toyota Tacoma's most common problem?
56 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 Toyota Tacoma sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2019 Toyota Tacoma cost to run per year?
About $5,189 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,945 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2019 Toyota Tacoma have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Toyota Tacoma, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/11/2020. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other pickups of about the same age.
What will a 2019 Toyota Tacoma really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 217 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 217 NHTSA complaints on record (31.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (16.7/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems