Toyota is one of the best-selling automakers in the world. The Tacoma is one of Toyota’s most well-known models, and it’s one of the best-selling midsize pickup trucks on the market. That being said, despite its popularity, the Toyota Tacoma had a shaky start to the year in terms of sales, but fortunately for Toyota, its sales have recovered. 

The Toyota Tacoma was selling slower than usual in early 2022

The Tacoma has always been a popular truck, but according to GoodCarBadCar, its sales were slumping at the start of the year. This is actually a continuation of a trend that started in 2021, and it may reflect the supply chain issues that Toyota and other automakers are facing.

Toyota, like many other automakers, was forced to slash production and halt some production lines temporarily, simply because the supply chain couldn’t keep up.

That has led to lower inventories at dealerships, and likely lower sales as well. In January 2022, Toyota only reported selling 15,285 units of the Tacoma, and this was the lowest amount of Tacomas that the Japanese automaker has sold in January since 2017. Toyota only sold 12,509 units of the midsize truck in January 2017.

Sales picked up month-to-month, but Toyota was still selling fewer Tacos than it was selling in 2021. For example, in February 2022, Toyota sold 16,185 units of the Tacoma, significantly fewer trucks than the 20,578 units that Toyota sold in February 2021. The overall picture had a similar look.

Toyota Tacoma sales started to rebound by the middle of the year

In the first six months of 2022, Toyota sold 108,648 units of the truck in total. In comparison, in the first six months of 2021, the Japanese automaker sold a total of 139,296 units. That’s a year-over-year decline of over 30,000 units, which is equal to a drop in sales of about 22%. That being said, since this steep decline in sales can likely be blamed on the supply chain crisis, sales eventually recovered.

By July 2022, sales rebounded, and in fact, July 2022 was the best July for Tacoma sales ever. Toyota sold 23,917 units of the Tacoma in July 2022, which is a few hundred units more than what the Japanese auto giant sold in July 2021. The Tacoma’s 2022 sales also surpassed its 2021 sales in the months of August, October, and November. Data isn’t currently available for September 2022.

All said and done, Toyota has so far sold a total of 194,998 units of the Tacoma in 2022, and this is not including September sales or any sales that happened in December.

2021 was the Taco’s best-selling year, as Toyota moved 252,490 units of the truck. If the September and December sales data are good for the Tacoma, then it’s possible that even despite the slow start, 2022 may be the Taco’s best year. 

There are a lot of reasons why the Toyota Tacoma has continued to be popular

Those great sales numbers shouldn’t be surprising, as the Tacoma has been the best-selling small truck for almost two decades. There are three big reasons why that’s been the case. The first is capability, as the Taco can tow up to 6,800 pounds when it’s properly equipped. That’s enough towing capacity for a lot of drivers.

The second is reliability. Toyota is famous for being reliable, and the Tacoma is well-known for being a capable workhorse that can last for a long time.

Lastly, there’s price. The Tacoma starts at about $27,000, which makes it relatively affordable for a pickup truck in today’s market.

RELATED: Toyota Tacoma Pros and Cons You Must Know Before Making Your Next Purchase