Toyota Tacoma Maintenance Schedule

Here's a maintenance schedule for The Toyota Tacoma (all generations and models) based off of the Haynes repair maunual, a very in-depth and helpful manual I picked up at autozone that everyone who likes working on their car should have. Just something to help the fellow DIY'ers out with preventative maintenance and keeping things up to par on their Tacoma

Every 250 miles (400 kilometers) or 1 week:
•Check engine oil level
•Check engine coolant level
•Check windsheild washer fluid level
•Check brake fluid level
•Check tired and tire pressure

Every 3000 miles 4,800 kilometers) or 3 Months:
All items listed above, plus...
•Check Athomatic Transmission Fluid level (ATF)
•Change the engine oil and oil filter

Every 7500 miles (12,000 kilometers) or 6 months:
•Check and service the battery
•Check and replace, if needed, all underhood hoses
•Check and replace, if needed, the wiper blades
•Rotate the tires
•Inspect suspension and steering components
•Lubricate driveshaft and body components*
•Inspect exhaust system
•Check the transfer case lubricant level (4WD models)
•Check the Manual Transmission Fluid (MTF) level
•Check the seat belts
•Re-torque driveshaft bolts*
•Re-torque front drive shaft bolts and driveaxel/hub nut (4WD models)*

Every 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers) or 12 months:
•Check driveaxel boots
•Replace engine air filter*
•Check engine drive belts
•Inspect fluid system
•Check the brakes*

Every 30,000 miles (48,000 kilometers) or 24 months:
All listed above, plus...
•Replace spark plugs (non-platinum or iridium type)
•Service the cooling system (drain, flush, and refill)
•Change the Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) and filter**
•Change the cabin air filter
•Change the transfer case lubricant (4WD models)
•Change the differential lubricant*
•Change the manual transmission fluid (MTF)*
•Change the brake fluid

Every 60,000 miles (96,000 kilometers) or 48 months:
•Check and adjust, if neccesary, the valve clearance (V6 models)
•Inspect evaporative emmisions control system
•Re-torque driveshaft bolts
•Re-torque front driveshaft bolts and axel shaft nut (4WD models)

Every 90,000 miles (145,000 kilometers)
•Replace spark plugs (platinum or iridium type)

*Perform all maintenance marked with an asterisk (*) at every 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) or 4 months if you mainly operate the vehicle:
•In dusty areas
•Towing a trailer
•Idling for long periods of time or driving at low speeds when outside temperatures are below freezing and most trips are less than 4 miles long

**Change the ATF every 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers) if you operate the vehicle in one or more of the following conditions:
• In heavy city traffic where temperatures regularly reach 90°F or higher
• In hilly or mountainous areas
• Frequently pulling a trailer

 

I created this Doc with the maintenance schedule for 2018 TOYOTA TACOMA V6 3.5L RWD Automatic

 

Thank you!

 

I use to do all the maintenance on my vehicles myself. After many years of doing it myself it got to be a drag. I no longer have the time to do it and there are a million other things I’d rather be doing rather than working on a vehicle (like hunting,fishing, drinking beer, boating, watching paint dry...). I have the money to have someone else do the work while I play. If you have the time and enjoy doing that then go for it.

 

Who said that it had to be enjoyable? Well - I do enjoy the money that I've saved over the years. Can you imagine? After 40 years of doing my own service. Not just oil changes. - Brake Jobs, water pumps, tune-up's, ect, ect.

 

Subed

 

Anyone doing the water pump and thermostat? Every 100k or 150k I'm at 150k and considering doing it

 

So, new Gen 3 Tacoma owner here (2021 DCLB TRD Off Road 4x4). In fact this is my first car that I have bought myself - still a lot to learn. I just bought the car a couple months ago at 27K miles already on it. I brought it into my local Toyota dealership this week for the 30K service. They performed pretty much everything listed here as needed at 30K, but they did not change the transfer case fluid, the front differential fluid, nor did they lubricate the propeller shaft or torque the propeller shaft bolt (two things I have seen listed elsewhere for 30K service). The service advisor said they didn't recommend this until $60K miles, unless I'veAuffs on the headlights, etc.

The service advisor quoted me on $650 for transmission fluid, rear diff, front diff, and transfer case if I want to add those services. Any advice?

 

I’ll just say this, any fluid change on your Tacoma is like an investment, it may pay off, and it might be wasted money. You might never know if it was a good time to do the work, but following the recommendation service intervals is a safe bet that you are doing the minimum necessary to get a good life out of the truck.

more frequent maintenance will not hurt anything, and might be a good idea if you are driving off-road.

I do recommend learning how to do your own maintenance, there is tons of information here to help you out.

congrats on the truck, good choice!

 

Yeah, I think I am interested in learning this. But I did not grow up in a family where any of us learned how to work on our own cars. That is something I can overcome, of course, but I feel there is a steep learning curve, and I feel a little overwhelmed. I suppose the best way to start is to take it one step at a time at each maintenance interval? Figure it out what is needed at each 5,000 mile mark?

 

If you have little or no knowledge working on and maintaining vehicles don’t start doing it on your own. Find a friend or family member or maybe someone on TW to show/teach you and walk you thru each step. Otherwise you are likely at some point to screw something up and the screw up could be expensive.

 

I started doing my own oil changes a few years ago. I bought the Chilton book for my model year and referenced it every time for the first few. (Horror stories about guys who drained their transmission by mistake made me extra diligent in the beginning).
Over time I started watching more car maintenance videos on YouTube. I've learned a lot and still learning all the time. My daughter and I recently changed spark plugs on our prius for the first time.
I agree that having some friends or family to talk to about truck things is nice. But I've gotten by with a lot of learning online and when I can't handle a task, I'll take it in

 

To keep warranty intact you almost have to take it in for service.

 

I'm coming up on 30K with my truck. Going to change my diff fluids soon.
There are lots of good videos on you tube. Book mark the ones you like and watch several times.
You will need a torque wrench, as the fill and drain plugs need to be torqued to specifications. It's not that hard. Take your time.