We all know that buying a pickup is like a raffle. You either will get a winner or you get stuck with problems. Issues can happen with any truck or car out there. But, occasionally, a model gets several complaints from many drivers. When that happens, you need to sit up and take notice. Because you might just be buying a truck that could come down with the very same issues others have had.

While some problems might be minor and easy to deal with, others could cost you tons of money to fix. Here, we look at CarComplaints.com and see what major issues, if any, the Toyota Tacoma collected from its drivers.

Toyota Tacoma’s transmission problems

The CarComplaints.com website contains 66 transmission complaints for the 2016-2017 model years of the Toyota Tacoma. A common thread among the 2017 truck owners is a slipping of gears while they’re driving.

Some complained that the automatic transmission would shift to any gear as if it didn’t really know where it needed to be. Others heard a clunking noise coming from the rear of the pickup when they came to a stop.

The 2016 model year saw many complaints of transmission hesitation and slow at responding. Other drivers complained of surges and jolting when downshifting. There were also several people unhappy that it would shift hard, especially when cold. Most of these truck owners had less than 10,000 miles on their pickups.

Toyota Tacoma’s engine problems

The 2016 model year of the Tacoma has two common complaints. The first one deals with an annoying vibration that can be felt in the steering wheel, brake pedal, and the floorboards. One driver feels that the problem is with the rubber mounts used for the engine.

He claims that Toyota installed an engine from the Lexus, that normally takes electric and hydraulic mounts, but the Tacomas have a rubber mount instead, which does nothing to ease vibration. The other issue is a ticking noise, which most drivers describe as a bad diesel motor.

On the 2017 Tacoma, they reported fewer problems. The ones that were included a surging within the motor and a whirring noise in the engine. In both model years, dealers reportedly claimed that it was either typical for these models or it was a known problem with no known issue.

On one occasion, however, they told one driver to use premium fuel. It turned out to be a temporary fix as the issue came back later on.

Has Toyota answered the problems?

At this time, Toyota has done nothing to handle the problems plaguing these Tacomas. In most cases, dealers will try to resolve the issues with computer software updates. Sometimes that helps lessen the problem, but in most cases, the issues continue to happen.

Often, the drivers get responses that say Toyota knows of the problem, but there is no known fix. Other times they’re told it’s just typical, and they would need no fixing.

The only recall for the Tacoma that concerns the engine was for the 2017 model. It deals with the crank position sensor that could cause the engine to stall, which can cause an accident. There were a couple of other recalls, but they don’t address the engine or transmission complaints.

The 2016 and 2017 model years of the Toyota Tacoma appear to be the worst this pickup has seen, at least in the last five years. There are many other complaints, but the engine and the automatic transmission are the most serious grievances reported on the car complaints website.

Until a more reliable solution comes out, these models probably should be avoided, if you’re interested in purchasing a Tacoma.