Can Toyota Tacoma Tow? [Key Factors]

The Tacoma, despite it being a mid-size truck and it’s smaller appearance, can tow quite a bit. It of course depends on what engine you have and weather you have the towing package installed.

The Toyota Tacoma can tow a maximum of 6,400 lbs. when it has the V6 engine and the towing package installed. If you have the 4-cylinder Tacoma without the towing package, then it can only tow 3,500 lbs.

So really when it comes down to it, what makes the decision on the maximum towing capacity is the towing package. It upgrades some of the components in the truck to allow for more load, as well as adds the capability to attach the trailer to the truck.

How Much Can A Toyota Tacoma Tow [Each Year]

The Toyota Tacoma changed a few things since it came out and the towing capacity is one of those things. There are blocks of years that have the same capacity that change with each generation of the truck. I wrote an article that goes deeper into each year of the truck that you can read by clicking the link for each year of the truck below, but here is the quick reference if you’re in a hurry.

2001 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 5,000 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2002 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 5,000 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2003 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 5,000 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2004 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2005 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2006 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs

2007 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2008 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2009 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2010 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2011 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2012 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2013 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2014 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,400 lbs.

2015 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,500 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,400 lbs.

2016 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2017 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2018 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2019 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2020 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2021 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2022 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

2023 Toyota Tacoma Towing capacity is 6,800 lbs when the truck has the V6 engine and the towing package is installed. The 4-cylinder engine has the towing capacity of 3,500 lbs.

Toyota Tacoma Engine Options

The Toyota Tacoma comes with an option of a 2.7L inline-four engine that puts out 159 horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque. Not bad for a little 4-cylinder. The second option that you can upgrade to is the 3.5L V6 engine that puts out 278 Horsepower and 265 lb.-ft. of torque.

The smaller of the two engines, the 4-cylinder one may seem like a small engine, but it is enough for this truck if you are not planning to do a lot of towing. It’s great to run to the store, or bring some plants from HomeDepot. It can also tow some light stuff. I’ll list some things it can tow later in this article.

With the V6, you are getting a lot more power. Power to carry more things in the truck or to tow behind.

What Determines How Much The Toyota Tacoma Can Tow?

With the older 2008-2015 Tacomas towing capacity, it was pretty straight forward, the towing capacity was just 3,500 lbs. if there is no towing package installed and 6,500 lbs. if there is. But with the newer 2016-2023 Tacomas towing capacity, there is more details that determine the maximum capacity.

In the newer Tacomas, the determining factor is the V6 engine, which gives you 6,400 lbs. of towing capacity. But that is just the beginning. If you are messing with the configuration and making the truck heavier, your original 6,400 lbs can get down to 5,800 lbs.

One of the big factors that affect the towing capacity is the weight of the truck. The size of the cab, the bed, and then weather it has a 4WD system or not. All these things add weight to the truck so the more weight is added the less capacity for towing.

The Toyota Tacoma Towing Package

The towing package is an optional upgrade that can be added to the truck. This is not just a fun little upgrade, this actually makes your truck more capable. It is worth the few hundred dollars. The 2023 Tacomas don’t even offer a towing package anymore, because it comes standard on a V6 version of the truck and the 6,400 lbs. towing capacity come standard on the V6 trucks.

Here are some other things that are included in the package:

• Class IV Towing Hitch Receiver to attach the trailer to
• 4-pin and 7-pin connector with converter to power the trailer and make the lights work
• Engine oil cooler to keep the engine cooler while it is working hard towing things
• Trailer-Sway Control applies brake pressure at individual wheels to help control the trailer in a wind gust or a load shift
• Transmission cooler to keep the transmission cooler while towing heavy things
• Heavy-duty Battery to help power extra things that are added to the truck while towing things

What the Toyota Tacoma with 3,500 lbs. of Towing Capacity Can Tow

If your 2010 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity is 3,400 lbs., you will be able to tow the following:

• Small to Medium-sized Trailers: This could include utility trailers, small travel trailers, or small boat trailers.
• Recreational Vehicles: This could include jet skis, ATVs, or small motorcycles.
• Small Boats: Depending on the size and the weight of the boat and trailer combined, you could tow small boats such as a fishing boat or a small sailboat.
• Small Camper Trailers: You could tow small camper trailers, like teardrop trailers or some pop-up campers. However, you’d need to consider the weight of your gear and any other items you add to the trailer.
• Equipment and Material: If you’re using the Tacoma for work purposes, you can also tow various pieces of equipment, such as lawn care equipment, small generators, or other types of machinery.

What the Toyota Tacoma with 6,400 lbs. of Towing Capacity Can Tow

With 6,400 lbs. of towing capacity, you can pull the following:

• Medium to Large-sized Trailers: This includes larger utility trailers, travel trailers, or horse trailers. Remember to consider the weight of any gear or animals you might have in the trailer.
• Boats: Medium-sized boats, such as a fishing boat or a pontoon boat, fall within this weight range.
• Recreational Vehicles: Larger items like a couple of snowmobiles, several jet skis, or even a small car on a car dolly could be towed.
• Medium-sized Camper Trailers: Depending on the specific weight, some larger camper trailers could be towed.
• Equipment and Material: For work purposes, you could tow larger pieces of equipment or heavier loads of material.

The Conclusion

At the end of the day, the Toyota Tacoma can definitely tow. It can tow a minimum of 3,500 lbs, and a maximum of 6,500 lbs. The determining factor of which one is yours is, on the older trucks, it is having the towing package, and on the newer trucks is having the V6 engine.

Either way, you are ready to tow something, if you need to.