The Toyota Tacoma is a pickup truck manufactured by Toyota from 1995 until the present. A popular car model that has been produced for over three generations, this car has been popular on the market since its inception. However, the high Toyota Tacoma engine replacement cost deters car owners from purchasing this vehicle – the replacement can cost upwards of $4,000!
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Let’s talk about the most common Tacoma engine types, the worst model years of the Toyota Tacoma, the other engine repair costs associated with the Tacoma, and recalls associated with this model of car.
Toyota Tacoma Engine Types
First Generation
The different engines in the first generation of Tacoma are the 2.4-liter 2RZ-FE, 2.7-liter 3RZ-FE, and the 3.4-liter 5VZ-FE. The 2.4-liter can reach 142 horsepower and 160 pounds per foot of torque, while the 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine can produce 150 horsepower and 177 pounds per foot of torque. Lastly, the final type of engine, the 3.4-liter V6 engine, can produce 190 horsepower and 220 pounds per foot of torque.
Second Generation
The second generation of Tacoma offered the 2.7-liter 2TR-FE and the 4.0-liter 1GR-FE engine that can produce 159 horsepower and 236 horsepower.
Third Generation
The third generation of Tacoma uses the 2.7-liter 2TR-FE and the 3.5-liter 2GR-FE engine types, producing 161 horsepower and 278 horsepower. Replacing a smaller Toyota engine costs around $3,000, while the Toyota Tacoma engine replacement cost can reach $4,000 for a higher-powered choice.
Worst Model Years of The Toyota Tacoma
The worst model year of Tacoma is the 2017 model due to the most severe issues and the onset of the problems, while 2016 has the most -reported issues. The worst overall issue is in the 2017 Toyota Tacoma and deals with not shifting properly.
The worst model years are the 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011-2012, and 2016 model years. Let’s see why some of these models have a high Toyota Tacoma engine replacement cost.
2006 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems
The main concerns in the 2006 Tacoma involve the sudden unintended acceleration, engine racing between 4th and 5yh gears, engine turning over and not starting, the engine making loud noises, and oil leaking.
Engine Turning Over But Not Starting
When your engine cranks but the car does not start or run, it could mean that your engine has trouble turning on the spark, getting adequate fuel, or creating a compression. The majority of the problems focus on the ignition or the fuel system, dealing with a bad ignition coil or clogged fuel filter.
- Fix: Replace Ignition Coil
- The average cost to fix the ignition coil is between $264 and $376, with the price of the labor is between $80 and $100 per hour and the cost of hte parts being between $160 and $186.
2007 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems
The main concerns in the 2007 Tacoma is the engine surging in high gears, throttle control failure, valve rattle with low octane fuel, poor gas mileage, and excessive oil usage. All of these issues could lead to an expensive Toyota tacoTacomaine replacement cost.
Throttle Control Failure
- Fix: Replace Electronic Throttle Control
- The price of replacing the electronic throttle control repair cost is between $100 and $200, with prices increasing for more specialty replacements.
2009 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems
The most severe engine concerns in the 2009 Tacoma focus on the ticking and chattering noise at idle, hard starting when cold, preignition noises, serpentine belt noises, and the car stalling intermittently driving.
Serpentine Belt Noise
- Fix: Replace a Serpentine Belt
- It is very inexpensive to replace a serpentine belt, which keeps the overall Toyota Tacomaengine replacement cost as low as possible in the 2009 model year. The replacement price is between $100 and $200 in most cases, with the belt itself costing between $2 and $80, and the cost of the labor between $75 and $120 total.
2011 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems
The main engine concerns in the 2011 Tacoma is the ticking noise at acceleration, excessive oil consumption, and oil leak from the engine.
Oil Leaking
- Fix: Repair the Oil Leak
- Depending on the kind of vehicle you have, the repair price can range from as little as $150 to as much as $1200 for the total Toyota tacoma engine replacement cost. Usually for most cars, you have a relatively easy fix for an oil leak, keeping the overall price as low as possible.
2012 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems
The main engine concerns in the 2012 Tacoma is the check engine light coming on, the air injection valve and pump assembly failure, engine pinging noises, and the engine running rough.
Air Injection Valve Failure
- Fix: Repair Secondary Air Injection System
- All cars need a secondary air injection system to help combust harmful gases and clean the emissions in the air.
- Replacing or repairing the injection system typically ranges between $270 and $390 for most cars, with the labor being between $80 and $100 and the cost of the parts around $250.
2016 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems
The main engine problems in the Tacoma focus on the vibration in the floor, excessive engine noise, engine light on, stalling while driving, engine running rough, power surging at idle, and oil leaks.
Engine Stalling
- Fix: Depends on the Cause of the Issue
- To fix the engine stalling, it depends on the root cause of the issue and what is causing the engine to have performance issues.
- In some cases, you may spend $500 to replace an alternator, $200 to repair a computer, and $30 to fix overheating and parts that succumb to excess friction.
- In some cases, the total Toyota Tacoma engine replacement cost can reach $2,000 depending on the cause of hte engine stalling.
Toyota Tacoma Engine Replacement Cost
The average replacement price of the Tacoma engine costs between $3,000 and $4,000 total. For a short block engine replacement, the price ranges between $1550 and $2500, while replacing a long block engine is between $600 and $1,000.
Some factors that go into the Toyota Tacoma engine replacement cost is whether you want a short or long engine block. Secondly, you need to know what type of make and engine you are dealing with when purchasing a replacement part. A new engine that comes from a dealership or warehouse is more costly than if you purchase a used or remanufactured one.
In addition, you have to think about the age of the engine or the car. Normally, engine replacements for domestic cars become more expensive over time, since a newer engine will become more expensive due to the high-powered qualities. Lastly, you need to think about the location where you will have it replaced and the professionalism of the mechanic.
Toyota Tacoma Engine Mount Replacement Cost
In addition to the Toyota Tacoma engine replacement cost, you also need to add the engine mount replacement price for most model years. Since the engine mount keeps the engine in place within the vehicle, the total price of the replacement includes the engine mount repair or replacement.
The average cost for a Tacoma engine mount replacement is between $472 and $558, with the labor between $327 and $413, while the cost of hte parts is around $145.
2016 Toyota Tacoma Recall
In the middle of 2017, Toyota recalled certain 2016-2017 vehicles equipped with the six-cylinder engine. The affected vehicles hav a concern with the crank position sensor that could stop working properly, resulting in the engine stalling during use. If this occurs, the engine stalling can lead to an increased risk of crash.
If this happens in your car, Toyota had to notify owners and dealers to replace the crankshaft position sensor free of charge. For this fix, the total Toyota tacoma engine replacement cost is quite low, since it is covered in the recall.
2020 Toyota Tacoma Engine Recall
In 2020, Toyota recalled certain lexus and Toyota cars that were manufactured and produced between July of 2017 and December of 2019 due to fuel pump issues. The recall included nearly 1.5 million Toyota vehicles to the original safety recall, increasing the total number of vehicles involved in the safety recall to around 3.4 million cars.
The models included in the recall are the 2017-2020 Toyota Tacoma model years, with the subject vehicles containing a fuel pump that could stop operating during use. If this happens while you are operating the vehicle, you may see numerous dashboard lights on the panel that can cause the engine to turn rough.
If the engine runs rough, it can lead to the car having a rough idle and stalling while running. If the car stalls and is unable to be restarted, this could lead to inability to accelerate and stay up to speed with cars driving highway speeds.
The Bottom Line
If you are experiencing performance and safety issues with your Toyota Tacoma, you can expect to pay between $3,000 and $4,000 for the total engine replacement price. By realizing the worst model years of the Tacoma and the recalls associated with the engine, you can try and keep the Toyota Tacoma engine replacement cost as low as possible.