What oil does the 3rd-gen Toyota Tacoma take?

Both engines take 0W-20 full synthetic, every year 2016–2023. Capacity with a filter change: 6.2 quarts (5.9 L) for the 2.7L four-cylinder, and 6.1 quarts (5.8 L) for the 3.5L V6 — 6.2 with the factory tow package. The manual allows 5W-20 only if 0W-20 isn't available, and says to return to 0W-20 at the next change.

Why does the four-cylinder take more oil than the V6?

Strange but printed in black and white: the 2.7L holds 6.2 quarts to the V6's 6.1. The same inversion existed on the previous generation (the old 4.0L V6 held just 5.5 quarts). The 2GR-FKS simply runs a relatively small sump, so don't pour 'V6 means seven quarts' logic into it — and note the 2022 manual prints an even lower single figure of 5.9 quarts for the V6, so finish the fill against the dipstick.

What's the lug nut torque on a Tacoma?

83 lb-ft (113 N·m) on every wheel — steel or aluminum, all three manuals agree. Don't borrow the 4Runner's split (76 lb-ft alloys / 83 steel); the Tacoma books print one flat number.

Did any specs change between 2016 and 2023?

Tiny print changes only. The ATF WS totals went up a tenth of a quart between the 2016 and 2019 manuals (9.1→9.2 qt four-cylinder, 10.5→10.6 qt V6), the 2022 book dropped the separate towing-package rows, the oil-grade label moved from ILSAC GF-5 to GF-6A (same 0W-20 you'd buy anyway), and the 2022 manual prints the V6 oil capacity as a single 5.9-quart figure. Viscosity, coolant, plugs, gear oils, tire pressures, and the 83 lb-ft lug torque never changed.

Is the 2016–2017 transmission 'hunting' fixable?

Usually, yes — with software, not parts. Toyota's TSB T-SB-0077-16 ('Shift Feeling Enhancements') recalibrated the ECM to fix delayed P-to-D engagement, the harsh 1–2 shift, and highway gear hunting on early V6 automatics, and it was covered under the 8-year/80,000-mile emissions warranty. A dealer can tell from the VIN whether the updated calibration is on the truck.

How often should the automatic transmission fluid be changed?

Toyota calls ATF WS 'lifetime' under normal use and prints only totals (9.2 qt four-cylinder, about 10.6 qt V6). A pan drain-and-refill swaps roughly a third, so a drain-and-fill every 60k miles — especially if you tow — is the cheap insurance most Toyota techs recommend. Use only ATF WS; the manual warns substitutes can damage the AC60.

2016–2023 Toyota Tacoma Oil Capacity & Fluid Specs

Quick answer

The 2016–2023 Tacoma's 2.7L four-cylinder takes 6.2 quarts (5.9 L) of 0W-20 with a filter change; the 3.5L V6 takes slightly less — 6.1 quarts (5.8 L), or 6.2 with the factory tow package. Yes, the four needs more oil than the V6. Lug nuts are 83 lb-ft on every wheel, and the 6-speed automatic holds 9.2 qt (2.7L) or about 10.6 qt (V6) of ATF WS total.

Specs compiled from the official Toyota owner's manuals for the 2016, 2019, and 2022 Tacoma — the 3rd generation (2016–2023), with the 2.7L 2TR-FE four-cylinder and the 3.5L 2GR-FKS V6 with D-4S injection. (Looking for the 2005–2015 truck? That's our separate 2015 Tacoma page.) The good news: almost nothing changed on paper in eight years. Oil viscosity stayed 0W-20 for both engines, the plugs, coolant type, diffs, and the flat 83 lb-ft lug torque are identical in all three manuals, and the steering stayed hydraulic (ATF DEXRON II/III) to the very end. The fine print that did move: the printed ATF WS totals crept up a tenth of a quart (9.1→9.2 qt four-cylinder, 10.5→10.6 qt V6) between the 2016 and 2019 manuals, the towing-package sub-rows disappeared from the 2022 book, the oil-grade label went ILSAC GF-5 → GF-6A, and the 2022 manual prints a single 5.9 qt oil figure for the V6 where earlier books printed 6.1–6.2 qt with a filter. The real variation is by configuration — towing package, rear e-locker, manual vs. automatic — and the tables below are split exactly that way.

Want the full owner’s manual? It’s free — we link you to your make’s official download →

2.7L 4-cylinder (2TR-FE) — 2016–2023, base SR and SR5

Specification	Capacity / type
Engine oil — with filter	6.2 qt (5.9 L)
Engine oil — without filter	5.8 qt (5.5 L)
Oil viscosity	0W-20 (5W-20 only if 0W-20 is unavailable — return to 0W-20 at the next change)
Oil filter	Toyota 90915-YZZN1 (spin-on) — not named in the manual; verify
Automatic, 6-speed (AC60E) — total	9.1–9.2 qt (8.6–8.7 L) total — the 2016 manual prints 9.1, the 2019 and 2022 manuals 9.2; a pan drain-and-refill takes roughly a third of the total — Toyota ATF WS
Manual, 5-speed (early 4-cyl 4x4 only)	2.3 qt (2.2 L) — printed in the 2016 manual; the 4-cylinder stick disappeared from later manuals, which list only the V6's 2.6 qt — Toyota Manual Transmission Gear Oil GL-3 (GL-4), SAE 75W-90
Coolant (engine)	9.1 qt (8.6 L) automatic · 9.2 qt (8.7 L) manual — Toyota Super Long Life (pink), sold 50/50 pre-mixed in the U.S.
Transfer case (4WD models)	1.1 qt (1.0 L) — Toyota Transfer Gear Oil LF, SAE 75W
Front differential (4WD models)	1.6 qt (1.5 L) — Toyota Differential Gear Oil LT 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent
Rear differential — automatic, no rear locker	3.1 qt (2.9 L) — 3.22 qt (3.05 L) on a handful of long-bed model codes; the manual keys it to the code on your door-jamb certification label — Toyota Differential Gear Oil LT 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent

3.5L V6 (2GR-FKS, D-4S injection) — 2016–2023

Specification	Capacity / type
Engine oil — with filter	6.1 qt (5.8 L) — 6.2 qt (5.9 L) with the factory towing package (2016–2019 manuals; the 2022 manual prints a single 5.9 qt / 5.6 L figure — fill about 6 quarts and confirm on the dipstick)
Engine oil — without filter	5.9 qt (5.6 L)
Oil viscosity	0W-20 (5W-20 only if 0W-20 is unavailable — return to 0W-20 at the next change)
Oil filter	Toyota 04152-YZZA1 (cartridge) — not named in the manual; verify
Automatic, 6-speed (AC60F) — total	10.5–10.6 qt (9.9–10.0 L) total without towing package · 10.7–10.8 qt (10.1–10.2 L) with — the manual prints the total only; a pan drain-and-refill takes roughly a third of that — Toyota ATF WS
Manual, 6-speed	2.6 qt (2.5 L) — Toyota Manual Transmission Gear Oil GL-3 (GL-4), SAE 75W-90
Coolant (engine)	Automatic: 10.5 qt (9.9 L), or 11.1 qt (10.5 L) with towing package · Manual: 10.1 qt (9.6 L), or 10.8 qt (10.2 L) with towing package — the 2022 manual prints only the larger figures. Toyota Super Long Life (pink)
Transfer case (4WD models)	1.1 qt (1.0 L) — Toyota Transfer Gear Oil LF, SAE 75W
Front differential (4WD models)	1.6 qt (1.5 L) — Toyota Differential Gear Oil LT 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent
Rear differential — automatic, no rear locker	3.1 qt (2.9 L) — 3.22 qt (3.05 L) on a handful of long-bed model codes — Toyota Differential Gear Oil LT 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent
Rear differential — automatic with e-locker (TRD Off-Road / TRD Pro)	4.0 qt (3.8 L) — 4.2 qt (4.0 L) on certain model codes; the locker housing holds nearly a quart more than people expect — Toyota Differential Gear Oil LT 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent
Rear differential — manual transmission	4.0 qt (3.8 L) — Toyota Differential Gear Oil LT 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent

Oil drain plug torque: 30 lb-ft (41 N·m) — commonly cited factory service spec for both engines, not printed in the owner's manual; verify

Capacities compiled from the owner’s manual. Always confirm with your own manual before servicing.

Quick reference

Factory tire sizes	P245/75R16 109S (SR) · 265/70R16 112T (TRD Off-Road) · P265/65R17 110S / P265/60R18 109H (SR5, TRD Sport, Limited)
Tire pressure (cold, all four)	32 psi on the 16" SR size · 30 psi on the 265/70R16 · 29 psi on 17"/18" — three different numbers, check your door-jamb sticker
Lug nut torque	83 lb-ft (113 N·m) — all wheels, steel or alloy; the Tacoma does NOT use the 4Runner's 76 lb-ft alloy figure
Spark plugs / gap	2.7L: Denso FK20HR-A8 · V6: Denso FK20HBR8 — iridium, gap 0.031" (0.8 mm), never re-gap
Power steering fluid	ATF DEXRON II or III — yes, the 3rd gen kept old-school hydraulic steering through 2023
Fuel tank	21.1 gal (80 L), regular unleaded; low-fuel light at roughly 3.2 gal
Battery group size	Group 24F — not printed in the manual; verify

Maintenance schedule highlights

Item	Interval
Engine oil & filter	10,000 mi / 12 months with 0W-20, normal driving; 5,000 mi if you tow, go off-road, or do mostly short trips
Tire rotation	Every 5,000 mi — re-torque to 83 lb-ft, not the shop gun's guess
Engine air filter	Every 30,000 mi — sooner if you drive dusty roads
Cabin air filter	Every 30,000 mi
Spark plugs	120,000 mi (factory iridium)
Engine coolant	First at 100,000 mi, then every 50,000 mi
Transfer case & differential oils	Replace every 30,000 mi under Toyota's severe schedule (towing/off-road); inspect at every rotation otherwise — doubly worth doing on 2016–2017 trucks given the rear-diff leak recall history

Exact products for this vehicle

Disclosure: some links are affiliate links (including the Amazon Associates program). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

DIY oil change — quick steps

1 Warm up and get under it

Run the engine 2–3 minutes so the oil drains freely, then park level. The Tacoma sits high enough to work without ramps on most trims. TRD Off-Road and Pro trucks have skid plates with access cutouts; if yours doesn't line up, the front plate comes off with four bolts.
2 Drain the old oil

Back the drain plug out with a 14mm socket and let it drain at least 5 minutes — both engines hold around 6 quarts. Replace the crush washer every time; it's a one-use part and the reason reused plugs seep.
3 Replace the filter — different job per engine

The 2.7L uses a classic spin-on filter: wipe the base, oil the new gasket, hand-tighten 3/4 turn past contact. The V6 uses a cartridge in a plastic housing under the engine: you need a 64mm cap wrench, and you replace the paper element and both O-rings that come in the box — don't crank the cap, it's plastic.
4 Refill with 0W-20

Reinstall the plug snug (30 lb-ft is the accepted spec), then pour in about 5.5 quarts, start with that and work up. The 2.7L spec is 6.2 quarts with filter; the V6 is 6.1–6.2 in the 2016–2019 manuals but the 2022 book prints 5.9 — so on the V6 especially, add the last half quart in stages against the dipstick instead of dumping a number in.
5 Check for leaks and reset

Start the engine, idle a minute, check the plug and filter for seepage. Shut off, wait five minutes, recheck the level, and reset the maintenance reminder with the procedure below.

How to reset the oil maintenance light

1 Show Trip A on the display

Turn the ignition ON (don't start the engine) and press the trip/display button until the meter shows TRIP A. Then turn the ignition off. This is the step people skip — the reset only takes from the trip display.
2 Hold the button and switch back on

Press and hold the trip/reset button, and while holding it, turn the ignition back ON (push-start trucks: press the start button twice without touching the brake). Keep holding while the dash lights cycle.
3 Wait for zeros

After several seconds the display shows zeros and the MAINT REQD / maintenance message clears. Release and switch off. If it didn't take, repeat — on some years the plain ODO display works where TRIP A doesn't.

Common problems on this vehicle

Rear differential oil leak recall (2016–2017)

Toyota recalled roughly 228,000 2016–2017 Tacomas (NHTSA 17V-285, Toyota campaign H0G) because the rear differential can leak oil at the carrier gasket; run dry, it can be damaged or even seize. The fix was an inspection — re-torque the fasteners if dry, new gasket and fasteners if leaking. Most are done, but if you're buying a 2016–2017 used, run the VIN in our recall tool and glance at the back of the axle housing for wet gear oil either way.

V6 transmission 'hunting' and harsh shifts (2016–2017)

The signature early-truck complaint: the AC60F 6-speed hunts between gears on the highway, engages D harshly from P or R, and clunks on the 1–2 shift. Toyota's answer was an ECM recalibration — TSB T-SB-0077-16, 'Shift Feeling Enhancements,' first issued July 2016 with later revisions covering 2017 — applied free under the 8-year/80,000-mile federal emissions warranty. If an early truck still drives like this, ask the dealer to check whether the updated calibration was ever flashed before throwing parts at it.

Denso fuel pump recall (2018–2019)

2018–2019 Tacomas are covered by the Denso low-pressure fuel pump recalls (NHTSA 20V-012, expanded by 20V-682 — Toyota added certain Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia trucks in a late-2020 supplement): the pump impeller can swell and stop the pump, causing rough running, stalling, or a no-start, sometimes at speed. The improved pump assembly is free at any Toyota dealer if the recall is open on your VIN.

EVAP codes and the charcoal canister

Like every Toyota truck of its era, the 3rd-gen loves P0441, P0455, and P0446. Check the gas cap first — click it tight, clear the code, drive a week. If it returns, the usual culprit is the charcoal canister assembly near the fuel tank; it's a bolt-on part, just not a cheap one.

Related code: P0455

Leaf-spring squeaks and rear-end clunks — no recall

To be clear: the famous Tacoma leaf-spring recall was the 2005–2011 second generation. The 3rd gen has no leaf-spring campaign — what owners report instead is squeaking and clunking from the rear packs as the trucks age, usually the leaves dry-rubbing or an isolator clip working loose. Dealers and spring shops fix it with anti-friction pads or clip replacement; it's annoying, not dangerous. If the rear end is loud, get it looked at and don't accept 'they all do that' without an inspection.

Codes this vehicle is known for

Recall results below are shown for 2023 models — check your exact year with the free VIN tool.

Open recalls

Checking NHTSA for open recalls…

Service bulletins (TSBs)

Manufacturer communications and technical service bulletins for this vehicle are available on NHTSA’s site:

View TSBs on NHTSA.gov ↗

Frequently asked questions

What oil does the 3rd-gen Toyota Tacoma take?: Both engines take 0W-20 full synthetic, every year 2016–2023. Capacity with a filter change: 6.2 quarts (5.9 L) for the 2.7L four-cylinder, and 6.1 quarts (5.8 L) for the 3.5L V6 — 6.2 with the factory tow package. The manual allows 5W-20 only if 0W-20 isn't available, and says to return to 0W-20 at the next change.
Why does the four-cylinder take more oil than the V6?: Strange but printed in black and white: the 2.7L holds 6.2 quarts to the V6's 6.1. The same inversion existed on the previous generation (the old 4.0L V6 held just 5.5 quarts). The 2GR-FKS simply runs a relatively small sump, so don't pour 'V6 means seven quarts' logic into it — and note the 2022 manual prints an even lower single figure of 5.9 quarts for the V6, so finish the fill against the dipstick.
What's the lug nut torque on a Tacoma?: 83 lb-ft (113 N·m) on every wheel — steel or aluminum, all three manuals agree. Don't borrow the 4Runner's split (76 lb-ft alloys / 83 steel); the Tacoma books print one flat number.
Did any specs change between 2016 and 2023?: Tiny print changes only. The ATF WS totals went up a tenth of a quart between the 2016 and 2019 manuals (9.1→9.2 qt four-cylinder, 10.5→10.6 qt V6), the 2022 book dropped the separate towing-package rows, the oil-grade label moved from ILSAC GF-5 to GF-6A (same 0W-20 you'd buy anyway), and the 2022 manual prints the V6 oil capacity as a single 5.9-quart figure. Viscosity, coolant, plugs, gear oils, tire pressures, and the 83 lb-ft lug torque never changed.
Is the 2016–2017 transmission 'hunting' fixable?: Usually, yes — with software, not parts. Toyota's TSB T-SB-0077-16 ('Shift Feeling Enhancements') recalibrated the ECM to fix delayed P-to-D engagement, the harsh 1–2 shift, and highway gear hunting on early V6 automatics, and it was covered under the 8-year/80,000-mile emissions warranty. A dealer can tell from the VIN whether the updated calibration is on the truck.
How often should the automatic transmission fluid be changed?: Toyota calls ATF WS 'lifetime' under normal use and prints only totals (9.2 qt four-cylinder, about 10.6 qt V6). A pan drain-and-refill swaps roughly a third, so a drain-and-fill every 60k miles — especially if you tow — is the cheap insurance most Toyota techs recommend. Use only ATF WS; the manual warns substitutes can damage the AC60.