Fix it
- Check the fuel tank and cap
Toyota's own first checks: fill an empty tank, tighten a loose cap. The light should go off after several driving trips.
- Read the code and write it down
Note any other light or message on the dash as well, such as TRAC OFF. Record it all before anyone clears it.
- Match the code to your model year
Toyota bulletins name P0136 and P0770 on 2002 trucks, P0420 on the 2010 2.7-liter, P2440/P2442 on 2012 trucks and P011B on 2015 trucks.
- Run the VIN
At nhtsa.gov/recalls for recalls, and with a Toyota dealer for campaigns such as F0U, 20TC01 and 24TC06.
- Don't clear it right before a smog test
The 2008 and 2016 Tacoma manuals say the stored code isn't cleared until about 40 trips. Fix the cause well ahead of the test.
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On a Tacoma, the check engine light is what Toyota’s manuals call the malfunction indicator lamp. The 2016 Tacoma owner’s manual (page 510) names four systems behind it: the emission control system, electronic engine control, electronic throttle control and the electronic automatic transmission control system. Its instruction is blunt: “Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.”
Two checks come first, on page 516 of the same manual. If the fuel tank is empty, fill it. If the cap is loose, tighten it securely. “The light will go off after several driving trips.” If it stays on after several trips, contact a Toyota dealer as soon as possible. The 2008 manual (pages 150 and 158) gives the same two checks and calls both cases temporary malfunctions.
Neither manual mentions a flashing light. If yours blinks, start with the flashing check engine light page.
Beyond those checks, the model year matters most: Toyota’s bulletins, campaigns and recalls tie certain codes to certain Tacoma years. With TRAC OFF lit too, see TRAC OFF and the check engine light on a Tacoma.
What owners have reported to NHTSA
NHTSA holds 8,451 owner complaints about 1995–2025 Tacomas, and 226 of them mention the check engine light.
| Model years | Mention the light | All complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–2004 (1st gen) | 35 | 2,827 |
| 2005–2011 (2nd gen) | 17 | 3,476 |
| 2012 (2nd gen) | 96 | 295 |
| 2013–2015 (2nd gen) | 12 | 319 |
| 2016–2023 (3rd gen) | 57 | 1,277 |
| 2024–2025 (4th gen) | 9 | 257 |
Two cautions. These are owner reports that NHTSA hasn’t verified, and a count is not a failure rate: generations that sold more, or have been on the road longer, collect more complaints. Still, 2012 stands out, with 96 of the 226 from a single model year. Scaled by sales, our check engine light by model study puts the Tacoma third of nine Toyota models; its method differs, so its figures won’t match this table.
1995–2004: a thin record for first-generation trucks
Of 2,827 complaints for these years, 35 mention the light. The 2002 model year has 334 complaints and one mention, from an owner whose light came on at highway speed “AND SHORTLY AFTER VEHICLE SHUT DOWN” (ODI 10026564). Toyota Canada’s online library starts its Tacoma manuals with 2008, so none is quoted for these trucks.
Toyota did file bulletins that name the light; NHTSA keeps one-line summaries, not the documents.
| Bulletin | Model years | What NHTSA’s summary describes |
|---|---|---|
| 970506 (May 6, 1997) | 1997 | The light on with P0116 |
| 02302 (Dec 23, 2002) | 2002 | The light on with P0136, an oxygen sensor circuit code |
| 02502 (Dec 24, 2002) | 2002 | The light on with P0770, a shift solenoid code |
| 04805 (Nov 8, 2005) | 2004–2005 | The light on with P2742 |
For a 2002, that is most of the record: the two December 2002 bulletins, the fuel checks, and the frame check below. If the stored code is P0136 or P0770, take the bulletin number to the shop.
2003–2004: a throttle fault the light can miss. Fourteen complaints (five on 2003 trucks, nine on 2004s) describe a truck that stopped answering the gas pedal or lost power, traced by a mechanic or the owner to the electronic throttle body or the accelerator pedal position sensor. In seven the light came on. One owner reports code P0120 (ODI 11061554); another writes “THREE TIMES IT HAS RESULTED IN A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WITH A TPS FAULT RECORDED” (ODI 10297830). The other half say the light never came on or no code was stored. A 2004 owner: “NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON” (ODI 10146657). A 2003 owner: “THE SYSTEM DOES NOT THROW A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE WHEN THIS HAPPENS.” (ODI 10734645). Three of those seven use word-for-word identical text. We found no Toyota bulletin, program or recall for this in NHTSA’s file. On an early truck that hesitates on the pedal, a clean scan doesn’t rule out the throttle.
Frame rust found along the way. Some owners learned of rust when the truck went in for the light; a 2003 owner went in because “THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR WAS ON, AND HE DISCOVERED THAT OUR FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH” (ODI 11132360). NHTSA’s file holds three Toyota frame programs: POL08-03 (2008), a warranty coverage extension for frame rust perforation on certain 1995 through 2000 Tacomas; LSC-90-D (2011), a frame corrosion campaign for cold areas where roads are salted, on file for 1995–2004 trucks; and ZTH (2018), a frame inspection for rust perforation on 2001–2004 trucks. None is about the light, but if a shop finds rust while chasing it, ask a Toyota dealer about them by VIN.
2005–2015: second generation
The 2005–2011 file is quiet: 17 light complaints out of 3,476, with no repeated pattern. Bulletin 05905 (Nov 16, 2005) covers 2005–2006 trucks with the light on and P0171, P0174, P2195 or P2197, which are lean and air-fuel sensor codes.
2010 with the 2.7-liter: P0420 and a rattle. Bulletin T-58-0161-13 (Oct 31, 2013) covers some 2010 Tacomas with the 2TR-FE engine that show a “front exhaust pipe catalyst rattle noise”, the light with P0420 (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold), or both. The repair is a new front exhaust pipe under Toyota’s Federal Emission Warranty of “96 months or 80,000 miles”. NHTSA lists this bulletin only under the 2010 cab names (Regular, Access and Crew Cab), so a search for a plain 2010 Tacoma misses it.
Campaign F0U, 2010–2014 with the 2.7-liter. Special Service Campaign F0U (November and December 2015) covers about 170,200 trucks with that engine. Toyota’s letter says the front catalytic converter’s internal parts may become “deteriorated and begin to rattle … could become dislodged and restrict the exhaust flow”. Ask a dealer to check your VIN. A 2009 owner with P0420 and a rattle asked to be added (ODI 11292428), but F0U covers 2010–2014 only.
2012: secondary air injection. Of 295 complaints for 2012, 96 mention the light, and at least 54 of those name the secondary air injection system, by code (P2440–P2445, P2433–P2438, P0412) or by part (the air pump or switching valves). Toyota’s bulletin T-SB-0333-17 (Dec 12, 2017) covers some 2012 trucks with the 1GR-FE engine and the light with P2440/P2442 (switching valve stuck open, Bank 1/Bank 2). Program ZHA followed in 2018, then Special Service Campaign 20TC01 (May 28, 2020): moisture can degrade a filter in the emissions system, damage other emission parts and turn on the light, and the repair is free of charge. The letter gives no end date, yet one owner was told in August 2022 that the campaign had expired (ODI 11482001). Ask by VIN and get the answer in writing. The full story is on the Tacoma TRAC OFF page.
2013–2014: recall 13V-557. It covers certain 2013–2014 Tacomas built from July 1, 2013, through October 11, 2013. “The engines of the affected vehicles contain valve springs that may break over time.” If one does, the recall says, the engine could fail and stall. Dealers replace the springs free. The recall doesn’t say the light comes on, but it belongs on a VIN check for any 2013–2014 with engine trouble.
2013–2015 complaints. Twelve of 319 mention the light. Air injection shows up again on a 2014 (ODI 11732492) and on a 2015 with P0418 (ODI 11515122). A 2014 owner reports rodent-chewed knock sensor wiring, with P0333 (ODI 10821880).
2015 with the 1GR-FE. T-SB-0055-15 (Aug 11, 2015) covers the light with any of P219A through P219F, P21A0 or P21A1, and its parts list includes cylinder heads. T-SB-0110-15 (Nov 13, 2015) covers P011B (coolant and intake air temperature correlation) setting when no part is faulty; the fix is an ECM recalibration under the Federal Emission Warranty.
2016–2023: third generation
These trucks account for 57 light complaints out of 1,277.
Recalls for stalls. Three recalls cover engine stalls, each with a free repair. Recall 17V-356 (Toyota H0H) is for certain 2016–2017 Tacomas with the six-cylinder engine, which have “a crank position sensor that may malfunction, potentially resulting in an engine stall.” Dealers install an improved sensor. Recalls 20V-012 (certain 2018–2019 Tacomas) and 20V-682 (certain 2017–2020 Tacomas) replace the low-pressure fuel pump in the tank, which may fail: “If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving”. A 2019 owner cites 20V-012 (ODI 11331809).
The VIN decides, not the year. A 2016 owner had the check engine and TRAC OFF lights, then a stall, and the VIN wasn’t in 17V-356 (ODI 11321537); a 2020 owner with a fuel pump problem found the recall listed for the model but not for that truck (ODI 11631869).
Toyota bulletins that name the light.
| Bulletin | Tacomas covered | Codes with the light, and the fix |
|---|---|---|
| T-SB-0094-19 Rev1 (Aug 2, 2019) | 2016–2019, 2GR-FKS | P013A00/P013C00 (O2 Slow Response) from an incomplete weld around the front exhaust pipe |
| T-SB-0013-19 Rev1 | 2016–2018, with other Toyotas | P261093 (ECM/PCM engine off timer performance); ECM logic modified |
| T-SB-0043-20 Rev1 | 2016–2020, 2GR-FKS, manual transmission | P211904 (Throttle Body Range/Performance) with limp mode; ECM reprogram |
| TSB000923 / T-SB-0009-23 (Feb 9, 2023) | 2017–2020 in NHTSA’s file | Hard start and/or P0171/P0174 (System Too Lean) and P0087 (low fuel rail pressure); new fuel pump |
What owners describe without a bulletin. Misfires traced to low compression, valves, injectors or the cylinder head come up, sometimes with P11EC or P11ED. One 2018 report reads “P11EC, Cylinder 1 Air-Fuel Ratio Imbalance (Port). Cylinder 1 failed compression.” (ODI 11769379), and a 2019 owner says the number 1 cylinder had “little to no compression due to damaged valves” (ODI 11572698). Others report fuel pump failures with stalls, rodent-chewed wiring (2016, ODI 11079194, a camshaft sensor harness; 2020, ODI 11404754), and a dash message saying a malfunction in the electronic control of the “engine, throttle or automatic transmission has been detected” (2021, ODI 11733332; 2022, ODI 11630721). We found no Toyota bulletin about compression or valve loss on these engines in NHTSA’s Tacoma file, so that theme rests on owner accounts alone.
2024 and newer: fourth generation
Nine of 257 complaints mention the light, and five of those involve the transmission: shifting to neutral, or no gears.
Bulletin T-SB-0094-24 Rev1 (Oct 14, 2024) covers some 2024 Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid trucks with the light and any of P07407F (Torque Converter Clutch Actuator Stuck Off), P074571 (Pressure Control Solenoid ‘A’ Actuator Stuck), P079571, P08BA71, P271371, P280771 or P281671. Toyota’s conclusion: the automatic “transmission assembly and torque converter need to be replaced”.
Special Service Campaign 24TC06 (Nov 14, 2024) covers certain 2024 Tacomas where an incorrectly sized seal can let water or moisture into a connector on the Active Grille Shutter. “This can cause the engine warning light to illuminate”, or stop the shutter opening and closing as designed. The dealer inspects and replaces the harness or the shutter free of charge.
On a 2024–2025 4WD truck with flashing 4WD lights and the check engine light, ask about bulletin T-SB-0093-25 (Dec 17, 2025), covered on the TRAC OFF page linked above.
Reading the code, and when to clear it
An OBD2 scan tool reads the stored code. Write down every code, and anything else lit on the dash, before anything is cleared, then check it against your model year above and our Toyota code list. If you need a tool, see OBD2 scanners for Toyotas.
The light and the code don’t leave together. From the 2008 manual (page 360): “The malfunction indicator lamp will go off after taking several driving trips”, but the error code “will not be cleared unless about 40 trips or more are taken.” The 2016 manual (page 445) says the same about a loose fuel cap: the code stays until the truck has been driven 40 or more times. Both passages sit in the manuals’ emissions inspection (I/M) sections. So don’t clear the code right before a smog test; fix the cause and drive normally first. The reset guide covers the methods.
Is it safe to drive?
Toyota’s answer is to have it inspected immediately, or, after a fuel tank or cap fix, to contact a dealer as soon as possible if the light stays on. The records add reasons not to wait: the stall recalls above, the 2003–2004 throttle complaints, 2024 transmissions dropping into neutral, and limp mode on some 2016–2020 manual-transmission trucks (T-SB-0043-20).
Run your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a Toyota dealer to check it against the campaigns and programs named here. Only that lookup shows whether your truck is covered.
How we counted
Complaints come from NHTSA’s public API (complaintsByVehicle), pulled October 16 and 17, 2026, for 1995–2025 Tacomas. NHTSA files some years under more than one name (2010 sits under Regular Cab, Access Cab and Crew Cab), so we pulled every listed name, removed duplicates by ODI number and took model and year from each complaint’s own vehicle record. A complaint counts as mentioning the light if the narrative says check engine, engine light, CEL, malfunction indicator or MIL light. That rule also catches owners who write that the light did not come on, so we read the matches.
Toyota’s bulletins, campaigns and program letters come from NHTSA’s manufacturer communications file; for the 1997–2005 bulletins it holds summaries only. Not measured: whether any campaign or program is still open for a given VIN, and what the 1995–2004 owner’s manuals say.