Fuel Tank capacity, MPG, Total Distance

So this is my 3rd tank of gas on my 2025 tacoma hybrid. When I go to fill up I am almost empty. It is only putting in 15ish gallons of gas. Where is my other 3 gallons lol. I am not even close to making it to 350 miles on a tank of gas averaging 21 mpg. Why is my truck saying I need gas?

 

I normally refuel at a quarter tank left every time. Today at quarter tank mentions 60 miles to empty at 18.9 mpg reading and the refuel to full was 14 gallons. So if 4 gallons left in my tank is worth 60 mile then that means I’m really getting 15 mpg. I really think Toyotas mpg and mte is all screwy and not as accurate as it should be. I’m at 2700 miles on my odo so maybe it will get better after thousands of more miles?

 

1. Only your 3rd tank of gas. MPG will improve over the next couple thousand miles.
2. "I go to fill up I am almost empty" DTE is at 0 or light is on? I will go until the light comes on and the DTE is in the single digits. Then add 15.3 - 15.5 gallons, which leaves 2.7-2.9 gallons. My 2g Tacoma and 5g 4R left about the same amount in reserve.
3. My last tank was 349 miles, light on, 7 DTE, 22.7mpg, added 15.3 gallons, 22.8 calculated mpg.

 

The gauge is all wonky on these IMO. I fill up once a week which is about 1/2 a tank. It can range from 10-13 gallons despite showing 1/2

 

Yeah, I have to drive quite awhile after the light comes on on my 2nd gen to even get 18 gallons in the 21 gallon tank. Seems this 3 gallons is a common "reserve."

My new motorcycle has a 4.5 gallon tank. the most I've put in is 3.5, and it's gauge is empty and flashing and giving me a reserve count like I'm going to run out any second. They really don't want folks running outta gas, lol.

 

I’ve been keeping my Costco receipts lately to check the mpg. It is lower than the 17.3 mpg the truck is showing. Under 17 for sure each time. Nearly 5,000 miles in. I was hoping for a bit better than my 2005 TRD OR at 15.9. And I got just a bit.

2025 TRD OR Premium iForceMax. Stock for now, except a AluCab canopy.

 

Well.... 21x18.2 = 380 miles.

It's just math.

 

It's nonsensical issues like a fuel gauge that does not gauge fuel very well that's going to put the Tacoma at the top of the list with the Tundra on CR least reliable truck list. Got that from Pickip truck + SUV talk along with Toyota raising prices although minimally, but if you are already discounting trucks and offering low financing rates on the Tundra should Toyota be raising prices to begin with? Only customers can rate trucks on CR so it's not like Ram fans are scoring the Tundra. I'm sure the big three raise prices on their least reliable trucks all the time, but the fuel gauges probably work.
https://www.reuters.com/business/au...n-200-july-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-06-21/

 

OP said he fills up when he's "almost empty" and only gets 15 gallons in the tank in his 18 gallon tank. Every vehicle I have owned has had a 3 gallon reserve. Doesn't seem nonsensical to me. If he wants to put more than 15 gallons in, he has to go from "almost empty" to "empty".

And if his computer is saying he has a range of 350 and is getting 21mpg that would be 16.7 gallons, still leaving a 1.5 gallon reserve. Nothing to see here, keep moving.

 

I said I am not getting close to 350 miles. So no that is not my range. 18 gallon tank at 22 mpg =396miles. So my reserve gets me 90 miles? That’s insane. We need a gauge fix.

 

Not the first complaint I've heard about fuel gauge distance to empty and complaints about fuel tank capacity. It's Consumer Reports the complaints don't really need to be based in facts, and I'm not dismissing any real complaints people may have. There are also complaints almost constantly about the infotainment system on these trucks. Get enough complaints and Toyota ends up with a score they would rather not receive, when that eventually catches up Toyota will lose truck sales. If Toyota loses its QDR reputation people will stop buying their vehicles.

 

And some damn gauges with real needles on them it's a truck not an arcade game.

 

The real complaint is I get 300 miles on a tank of gas. That is horrible range haha. I’m not riding around on E just to get 400 miles to the gallon.

 

I doubt if anyone is getting 400 miles to the gallon. I wonder what the SR avarages being detuned if it's the same milage or worse than the rest of the trucks what would be the point of detuning it if you don't get more MPG. What is the 4Runner getting? I'm also wondering if the hybrid gets a worse average? They are a little heavier, and if people get in to the throttle more because of the hybrid assist torque they aren't going to let off once the electric wares off.

 

Protecting you from running your fuel pump dry when on an incline.

Long flat tank with 3 gallons only has like an inch or so left when level.

It’d be nice if they kept the 21 gal tank from the 3rd gen, but they didn’t for whatever reason. Would make for a good change for 2026MY

 

After reading the complaints about how many gallons are left in the tank when the light turns on, I was comfortable driving for a little bit before filling up. I just learned that when my light turns on I have 60 miles left(which tells me to get gas within the next 20 miles).

Here's my data (using this mentality) from my stock '25 TRD OR non-hybrid.

My very first fill up:
337 miles, used 16.3 gal, averaged 20.3 mpg (computer calculated 19.6 mpg)

My second tank:
353 miles, used 16.3 gal, averaged 21.7 mpg (computer calculated 21.8 mpg)

I'm actually pretty happy with this when compared to my '23 TRD OR which averaged 19 mpg on the same drives.

 

I am getting 25.9 according to the truck but I hand calculated it’s more like 24.5 and gages say I can go 356 miles at fill up but it’s never close to that when light goes on!

 

People be like: why does the warning lights come on when I still have 3 gallons left?

Umm, would you rather it came on when you have zero gallons left?

Gas gauge accuracy, distance to empty is not an exact science. You've got fuel sloshing around in the tank. One minute you're hustling along in traffic, then later you're idling in the drive-thru. It was never meant to be accurate down the last half gallon.

There's a reason every single owner's manual says to fill up at 1/4 tank.

At a certain point complaining about accuracy just becomes another first-world problem. Its a machine, if you don't like it take the bus or walk

 

I guess my biggest complaint is the size of the gas tank lol

 

. I’ve heard it is due to the coil over rear suspension change which limited space for the tank.