Congratulations on deciding to buy a used Toyota Tacoma. We’re sure that you and your new to you ride will be very happy together. However, you may want to consider waiting a little while to pull the trigger. It’s not the best time to buy a used Toyota Tacoma. 

Consider waiting for buying your used Toyota Tacoma 

As a result of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, used vehicle prices have recently skyrocketed. This is especially true for used vehicles with high-reliability ratings, such as the Toyota Tacoma. 

There were some great deals at the beginning of the Spring and Summer, but car buyers were afraid to make a move. Now people are ready to buy, but we’re facing a truck shortage, and the demand for a used Toyota Tacoma has increased. 

According to an iSeeCars study about the price increase month over month for the most popular vehicles, used Toyota Tacoma prices have increased by 5.6% from July to August. This comes out to about $1,673 more. 

iSeeCars analyzed about 1 million used vehicle sales in July and August to determine that used vehicle prices are up nearly 4.1% or $941 in August. Also, this trend may continue for a while. 

However, this is only bad news if you’re trying to buy a used truck or SUV. If you have a popular model to sell, you may walk away with some extra cash. We can also help by explaining which used Toyota Tacoma models to avoid. 

The worst used Toyota Tacoma models 

By using CarComplaints, we can see the Toyota Tacoma models with the most issues. The complaints are entered by actual truck owners who ran into problems. Plus, some issues are added by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), meaning they could be dangerous. 

The 2016 Toyota Tacoma 

The 2016 Toyota Tacoma has racked up more complaints than any other recent model year. One of the most popular issues includes transmission problems. Some drivers reported that their Toyota Tacoma had trouble shifting at highway speeds. 

There seemed to be a delay when trying to get up to highway speeds around 68 mph. Other drivers experienced very hard shifts with a hard throttle when trying to accelerate. Plus, the transmission seemed to surge and erratically jolt. 

Engine problems have been reported for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma too. The problems include power surges while idle, vibration in the floor and steering column, excessive engine noise, stalling while driving, etc. 

The 2012 Toyota Tacoma 

The 2012 Toyota Tacoma is another model year that racked up tons of complaints, including 141 reports of engine problems from the NHTSA. One driver was going on the freeway at 65 mph when their truck lost power and suddenly wouldn’t go over 25 mph. 

Another driver realized that the 2012 Toyota Tacoma was prone to secondary fuel pump air injection problems. The valves could get stuck open, which causes the truck to go into a limp mode until the valve or air injection pump is replaced for about $500. 

Other problems with the 2012 Toyota Tacoma include a vibration while driving, excessive frame rust, a whistling noise while driving, the AC failing, radio problems, having a weak suspension, and more.