Toyota Tacoma Towing Capacity by Year and Configuration

How much can my Tacoma tow? Year by year

Find your model year below. Through 2023 the top figure is for a V6 Access Cab 4x2; from 2024 it is for an XtraCab with the non-hybrid engine. The 2016 to 2023 four-cylinder was rated 3,500 lb in every cab and drive.

For the full detail, Toyota's 2023 Tacoma Product Information lists every cab, bed and drive combination for the last V6 year, and each year's sheet does the same for that year. From 2019 to 2023 the V6 Access Cab 4x2 came only with the automatic, so the 6,800 lb truck in those years is an automatic.

Can a Tacoma pull a camper?

A modest one, and payload runs out before the tow rating does. Toyota's own description of what 6,400 lb buys, writing about the 2022 Trail Edition, was "enough to pull a boat larger than a kayak or modest-sized travel trailers."

Toyota also says the most you can tow drops as you add cargo, passengers and accessories, and that you should never tow beyond the published rating. If your trailer weighs more than 6,500 lb, you need a bigger truck, such as Toyota's Tundra.

Payload is usually the real limit

Payload is the weight of people and cargo the truck can carry, and the trailer's tongue weight counts against it. On a midsize truck it usually runs out before the tow rating.

On the 2026 trucks rated 6,500 lb, a trailer at the 650 lb maximum tongue weight leaves only 580 to 810 lb (calculated) for people, gear and accessories. Your own truck's payload is on the placard on the driver's side B-pillar. The trailer that fits in practice is lighter than the 6,500 lb rating suggests.

Which 2026 Tacoma tows 6,500 lb?

Only the XtraCab with the non-hybrid i-FORCE engine, in SR5 or TRD PreRunner trim. The XtraCab seats two and has a 6-ft. bed; Double Cabs seat five, with a 5-ft. or 6-ft. bed.

The table gives each trim's best towing figure and the most payload Toyota lists for it. The two often come from different builds, so you cannot count on both at once.

Toyota's 2026 Tacoma full specifications list every grade, cab, bed and drive combination. Toyota's 2026 Tacoma Product Information sheet differs slightly in places; where they differ, the labels on your truck govern.

Apart from the automatic SR, Double Cabs are rated 5,950 to 6,400 lb, with the hybrids at the bottom of that range; Toyota's full specifications give the figure for each build. On the SR, only the Double Cab 4WD with the 6-speed manual reaches 6,400 lb.

Did the old V6 Tacoma tow more?

Yes. The last V6 trucks, through 2023, topped out at 6,800 lb with the tow package, and the new generation's best figure is 300 lb lower.

With the non-hybrid engine, the gap is only on two-wheel-drive trucks. A 2023 V6 two-wheel-drive Double Cab was rated up to 6,700 lb, against 6,400 lb today. Four-wheel-drive trucks are rated the same in both years. Both years are measured to the SAE J2807 towing standard.

For 2024 the 3.5L V6 gave way to the 2.4L turbo i-FORCE and the i-FORCE MAX hybrid. The hybrid has far more torque than the V6, 465 lb-ft against the V6's 265 lb-ft, yet it has the lowest tow rating in the line apart from the automatic SR. Toyota gave no V6 figures by grade, so a 2020 TRD Off-Road and a 2020 SR5, both 4x4 Double Cabs, are rated the same.

Does a used V6 Tacoma have the tow package?

It matters, because the 6,800 lb figure only ever applied to a V6 with the tow equipment. The package adds a Class IV receiver hitch, an ATF cooler (not on the manual), engine oil and power steering coolers, a 130-amp alternator, a 4 and 7-pin connector and Trailer-Sway Control.

The package was optional on every grade in 2016 and on all but the TRD Pro in 2017. From 2019 through 2023 it was standard on every V6. Toyota's 2018 documents contradict each other, so check a 2018 truck's equipment in person.

Hitch, brakes and tongue weight

The most weight a trailer may put on a 2026 Tacoma's hitch, its tongue weight, is 640 to 650 lb, depending on the cab. On a hybrid, go by 595 to 600 lb, the lower figure in Toyota's 2026 Product Information sheet.

Finding the figures for your own truck

The labels on your truck tell you how much weight it can carry; its tow rating comes from matching its build to Toyota's figures for its year.

The certification label on the driver's door pillar gives the truck's maximum loaded weight (GVWR) and each axle's rating, as required by 49 CFR 567.4. The Tire and Loading Information placard on the driver's side B-pillar gives the weight of people and cargo your truck can carry. Go by the lower of what the labels and Toyota's figures allow. The towing capacity lookup page has the full method, including scale weights, and NHTSA's towing guidance covers loading.

Tacoma or another midsize truck?

Within the midsize class, the direct comparison is the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, whose makers publish their own figures. Compare payload and tongue weight, not just the headline tow rating.

Common questions