I’m looking at getting a 2025 Tacoma, but I’m really confused by the poor Consumer Reports ratings and NHTSA scores.
CR ranked it lower than other midsize trucks, even the Jeep. It got a 2/5 predicted reliability score, and they said the engine sounds rough and handles poorly in corners.
NHTSA’s ratings aren’t great either, but somehow it still made the list of 5-star rated vehicles for 2025?
I’ve heard a lot of good things about this truck, but now I’m not so sure. What’s the deal?
The Tacoma got an IIHS Top Safety Pick, and their tests tend to be more detailed than NHTSA’s.
Reliability is tricky to judge since 2024 was the first year of the redesign, so there’s only about a year’s worth of real-world data.
I have one open recall, but it’s for a rare issue with mud buildup in the rear brakes. I’m not worried about it and can wait until March when they’ll have a fix. Just passed 1,200 miles with no problems. My last truck, a Ram, was a disaster—had three recalls and an issue the dealership couldn’t even fix, and that was at just 7,000 miles.
Following this because I’m thinking about buying one too and I’m a little concerned.
Same here.
Second year of the 4th gen redesign. Some engine recalls hurt the reliability ratings.
Also, the big price increase probably played a role in CR’s rating too.
Chancey said:
Second year of the 4th gen redesign. Some engine recalls hurt the reliability ratings.
Also, the big price increase probably played a role in CR’s rating too.
Wait, a $20k price increase? That can’t be right!
@Haru
Yeah, for the higher trims.
The Pro and Trailhunter are going for $50k to $60k+.
The lower trims didn’t jump as much, but they still went up.
@Haru
It’s close. My 2022 was $42k, and the same trim for 2025 is now $58k.
Rowan said:
@Haru
It’s close. My 2022 was $42k, and the same trim for 2025 is now $58k.
That’s over three years though, and we had the chip shortage and inflation. The whole car market changed in that time. This is happening across all brands.
@Haru
Not exactly. The internet loves to exaggerate this stuff.
People compare the cheapest 2023 model to the most expensive 2024 model and act like that’s the standard price increase.
I bought a 2023 TRD Off-Road Premium for my brother as a wedding gift. A few months later, I got myself a 2024 TRD Off-Road Premium from the same dealership, and the difference in MSRP was only $3,222.
For reference:
That’s not a $20k jump. And with all the new features, the price increase isn’t unreasonable.
Of course, I’ll get downvoted for posting actual numbers.
I was worried about all the mixed reviews too, but I ended up buying a 2024 Tacoma and so did a friend.
I actually like the ride and handling, and I don’t think the engine sounds that bad under normal driving. It does get rougher when you push it hard, but that’s expected. I don’t drive aggressively, so it doesn’t bother me.
As for reliability, time will tell. My work trucks are all full-size Chevys and Fords, and they’ve had plenty of issues. If my Tacoma holds up better than those, I’ll be happy.
I have a manual, and yeah, the engine sounds really rough. I think part of that is because Toyota made the cabin extra quiet. An aftermarket exhaust and intake might help.
Also, it only revs up to 5,400 RPM.
As for the crash ratings, I have no idea why they’re low. That part actually worries me.