Used 2021 Toyota Tacoma Consumer Reviews
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Taco's transmission may downshift abruptly
Taco Owner, 04/17/2021
2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road 4dr Double Cab 5.0 ft. SB (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
The truck is only a few months old. Recently it started to downshift abruptly on two occasions at the crest of a hill or just on the down hill side. It's at least a two gear shift - RPM's increase significantly. If anything the vehicle should have downshifted up the hill and then upshifted as the vehicle passed over the crest of the hill as it headed back down the down hill side. The first time it happened I was alarmed and immediately thought the gear shifter had been thrown into neutral. It had not. I looked frantically for any other warning light etc but there were none. I took my foot off the accelerator and hovered it over the brake just in case I had to take evasive action or slow the vehicle down. I had no control over the transmissions actions. After 2 or 3 second delay and high engine revs the transmission corrected itself and selected the appropriate gear for the vehicle's speed and resistance requirements. The uphill speed was approximately 70km/hr or 45 mph on both occasions. The second incident was similar in the circumstance that it occurred but it was not as intense. And once you experience it you know what it is. That said, this is unacceptable and Toyota must remedy the problem. Reprogramming may be the answer.
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1st Truck Ever
David D, 11/19/2020
2021 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4dr Double Cab 5.0 ft. SB (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
66 of 74 people found this review helpful
I have had a car my whole driving career, but getting older, and being more of an outdoor person, I wanted something higher up, off road type and not family SUV like. Compared the Ford Ranger and Tacoma, and obviously went with Tacoma. The Truck rides excellent, comfortable, enough power, tech is good, bed is just enough, does need more storage I think in the cab. The complaints about the transmission is true, it is uncoordinated but manageable. I don’t expect engine or transmission problems with Toyota’s mechanical reliability. And there has been no complaints of transmission replacement of the 2020s. I don’t like the use of a key, as I’m use to push button start, seems so 90s. Higher up trims give you a push start but even the FOB looks early 2000s. Just put 1000 miles on it and still breaking it in. I feel that this truck will last a while but understand why Toyota doesn’t put all the fancy features in it right away, to reduce problems before they really had time to test them and make sure they are good so they provide a reliable vehicle.
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2021 Toyota Tacoma for sale near you
3 of 142 listings
- SR5 Double CabMSRP: $29,39923 mi away
- SR5 Double CabMSRP: $28,25913 mi away
- SR Double CabMSRP: $33,77518 mi away
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Transmission is subpar
Sam, 11/06/2020
updated 11/18/2024
2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4dr Double Cab 5.0 ft. SB (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
68 of 77 people found this review helpful
This 2021 Tacoma is an ok truck but very unrefined. It has been sold.
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My first Taco (1 Year Later)
Connor McCollum, 10/24/2020
updated 11/01/2021
2021 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4dr Double Cab 4WD 5.0 ft. SB (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
61 of 72 people found this review helpful
It's been officially 1 year since I leased my 2021 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Double Cab in Magnetic Grey Metallic. It should come as no surprise that I haven't had any issues with it. It's typical Toyota reliable. It's had two routine services done so far and no open recalls. That's probably because it's a carry-over model with no changes to the engine and transmission. It's the equivalent of driving a '16 or '17 model year but with some updated infotainment and creature comforts. Speaking of infotainment, as nice as it is to have an 8" touchscreen, it is quite laggy when it comes to responsiveness. Certain inputs require a few seconds to load and it can freeze every so often. I'm sure they'll address this for the new 2023 model. Fuel economy has been up and down. One week, I'll only average 17-18 mpg and then the next week I'm averaging 23-24 mpg. I guess it depends on how much city and highway driving I do. However, I'm pretty consistent when it comes to driving behavior so the fuel economy should follow suit. I feel like it jumps all over the place for no apparent reason. The highest I've ever seen it was at 27 mpg on the way to get my first service done which was fantastic. If only it could be like that all the time! The paint has held up phenomenally. It still looks brand new with the exception of some of the plastic trim getting discolored from the sun. It helps that I wax my vehicles every three months and I'm a cautious driver. As much as I hated this color for the last several years, it's grown on me. It does look fantastic when the sun hits it just right and makes it sparkle. It's gotten its fair share of typical truck duties. I've used it to haul lots of yard waste, teak wood furniture sets, detail equipment, countless boxes and other recyclables, donations, and even bulk piles of log from our old oak tree that was chopped down earlier this year. It's so nice to have the flexibility of a truck in order to accomplish these tasks. I'm happy that Toyota still uses composite beds because it's held up very well. As much as I enjoy my Tacoma, I'm not going to be keeping it for much longer. I've put in an order for the new Ford Maverick since I'm very enticed with what it has to offer. I'm looking for something with better fuel economy, more power, more standard equipment, more safety features, and smaller size for ease of driving. Since my family and I plan to move to Connecticut in the near future, I wanted a vehicle with AWD that still comes with a bed. I would've gotten another Tacoma with 4WD instead but with the current market and the lack of new vehicles from the chip shortage, it's virtually impossible to find the right vehicle for the right price. I'd be paying an arm and a leg to get one, especially on the best-selling mid-size pickup and with the nation-wide dealer markups thanks to the lack of inventory. With the Maverick, I ordered it straight from Ford and will be paying only MSRP and I'm getting a fully-loaded one for just a thousand more than my current Tacoma that's only an SR5. I can't wait to get it. I will miss my Tacoma since it's been a great truck. However, in my book, it's time for some better features, more power, and more importantly, a more refined transmission. That 6-speed is absolutely atrocious with the constant gear hunting, clunky up and downshifts, and subpar fuel economy. I understand that people will compromise this for reliability but I'm willing to take a chance on a vehicle with an updated transmission for a more refined ride and seamless shifts. Plus, god for bid if anything happens, it will be covered under warranty. So I'm not worried.
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Smooth driving Pickup truck
Edjersey , 12/01/2020
updated 06/08/2021
2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4dr Double Cab 5.0 ft. SB (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
26 of 30 people found this review helpful
I purchased this 2021 Tacoma double cab TRD Sport weeks ago! The good part! Drives smooth transmission shift smooth but when slowing down you can feel it downshifting. Some drivers complained about vibration @25mph car is engine braking then downshift! Fuel economy is good engine and transmission are responsive Trucks is nice to drive on long drive I’m 5 11” I feel like the steering should be able to adjust more! Exhaust sounds good! The hood is 50lbs my wife can’t open the hood it’s too heavy they should’ve added a lift! No light on dash(speedo/tachometer) when driving in the morning! Gas cap anybody can just open it. it would be nice if there’s a switch to press inside the cabin to open the filler door. No pockets behind the seats. Most of the dash is made of plastics but no rattles yet, we will see in a year or so? No roof handles like the 4runners so when you’re making sharp turns the passenger can grab on the roof handles. Owned 3 4Runners and this is my 1st Tacoma Update after owning it for 7 months. The only thing that I didn’t like is the Dynamic Cruise control. They should program it to give it gas smoothly not rev it to 4k plus to keep up with traffic that’s the only thing. Other than that the trucks drives nice plenty of power. My truck is stock just upgraded tires to 265/70/17
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