TOYOTA TACOMA 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4717-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
The following may indicate a problem with your transmission. Contact
your Toyota dealer or commercial towing service before towing.
● The engine is running but t he vehicle does not move.
● The vehicle makes an abnormal sound.
WARNING
■While towing
● When towing using cables or chains, avoid sudden starts, etc., which
place excessive stress on the towing eyelets, cables or chains. The towing
eyelets, cables or chains may become damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious damage.
● Do not turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position (vehicles without a
smart key system) or off (vehicles with a smart key system).
There is a possibility that the steering wheel is locked and ca nnot be oper-
ated.
NOTICE
■ To prevent damage to the vehicle when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
● Vehicles without a smart key system:
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear when the engine switch is in the
“LOCK” position or the key is removed.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
● Vehicles with a smart key system:
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear when the engine switch is off.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
● When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent damage to the vehicle when towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or re ar.
■ To prevent damage to the vehic le during emergency towing
Do not secure cables or chains to the suspension components.
Situations when it is necessary to contact dealers before towing

4727-2. Steps to take in an emergency
From the front
Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels. Release the parking
brake.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the front
wheels.
When using a flat-bed truck to tr ansport the vehicle, use tire strapping
belts. Refer to the owner’s manual of the flat-bed truck for th e tire
strapping method.
In order to suppress vehicle movement during transportation, se t the
parking brake and turn th e engine switch to OFF.
Towing with a wheel-lift type truck
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck
Using a flatbed truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck to pre-
vent body damage.

4737-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
If a tow truck is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using cables or chains secured to the emergen cy
towing hook(s). This should only be attempted on hard surfaced roads
for at most 50 miles (80 km) at under 18 mph (30 km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes . The
vehicle’s wheels, drivetrain, axles, steering and brakes must b e in
good condition.
Securely attach a cables or chains to the towing hook(s).
Take care not to damage the vehicle body.
Vehicles without a smart key system:
Enter the vehicle being towed and start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine switch to the “ON ” position.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Enter the vehicle being towed and start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine switch to IGNITIO N ON mode.
4WD models: Put the front-wheel drive control switch in “2WD”.
Shift the shift lever to N and release the parking brake.
Vehicles with an automatic trans mission: When the shift lever can-
not be shifted. ( P. 213)
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes a nd steering will
not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
Emergency towing
Emergency towing procedure
1
Ty p e AType B
2
3
4

4747-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If you think something is wrong
●Fluid leaks un der the vehicle.
(Water dripping from the air conditioning a fter use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● Engine coolant temperature gauge needle continually points high er
than normal.
● Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the engine
● Engine misses, stumbli ng or running roughly
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one s ide when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling, pedal almost touch es
the floor
If you notice any of the followi ng symptoms, your vehicle proba -
bly needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms

475
7
When trouble arises
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Fuel pump shut off system
Follow the procedure below to restart the engine after the system is
activated.
Vehicles without a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch to ACCESSORY or turn it off.
Restart the engine.
To minimize the risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls or
when an airbag inflates upon collision, the fuel pump shut off
system stops supply of fuel to the engine.
NOTICE
■Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked onto the ground, the fuel system has been
damaged and is in need of repair. Do not restart the engine.
1
2

4767-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a warning light turns on or a war ning
buzzer sounds
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning ligh ts
comes on or flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, but then
goes off, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunction in the
system. However, if this continues to occur, have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer.
Warning light and w arning buzzer list
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Brake system warning light • Low brake fluid
• Malfunction in the brake system
*1
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Malfunction indicator lamp Indicates a malfunction in:
• The emission control system;
• The electronic engine control system;
• The electronic throttle control system; or
• The electronic automatic transmission control system.
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
SRS warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The front passenger occupant classification system; or
• The seat belt pretensioner system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
ABS warning light Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS; or
• The brake assist system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.

4777-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
Slip indicator lightIndicates a malfunction in:
• The VSC system;
• Trailer Sway Control system (if equipped);
• The TRAC system;
• The hill-start assist control system (if equipped);
• The active traction control system (if equipped);
• The AUTO LSD system; or
• The Crawl Control system (if equipped)
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
(Flashes rapidly)
Rear differential lock indicator light*2
Indicates a malfunction in the rear differential lock system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
(Flashes)
Low speed four-wheel drive indicator light*2
Indicates a malfunction in the four-wheel drive system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Low fuel level warning light
Indicates remaining fuel is approximately 3.2 gal. (12.0 L,
2.6 Imp.gal.) or less
 Refuel the vehicle.
Seat belt reminder light (warning buzzer)*3
Warns the driver and/or front passenger to fasten their
seat belts
 Fasten the seat belt.
If the front passenger’s seat is occupied, the front
passenger’s seat belt also needs to be fastened to
make the warning light (warning buzzer) turn off.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)Parking brake indicator (warning buzzer)*4
Warns the driver to release parking brake.
 Release the parking brake.
Master warning light (warning buzzer)
A buzzer sounds and the warning light comes on and
flashes to indicate that the master warning system has
detected a malfunction.
 P. 483
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions

4787-2. Steps to take in an emergency
*1: The buzzer sounds when Multi-terrain Select or active traction control is
equipped.
*2: 4WD models only
Tire pressure warning light*5
When the light comes on:
Low tire inflation pressure such as • Natural causes ( P. 4 8 0 )
• Flat tire ( P. 505)
 Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified
level.
The light will turn off after a few minutes. In case
the light does not turn off even if the tire inflation
pressure is adjusted, have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
When the light comes on af ter blinking for 1 minute:
Malfunction in the tire p ressure warning system.
 Have the system checked by your Toyota dealer.
(Flashes or illumi-
nates)
PCS warning light*5
When a buzzer sounds simultaneously:
Indicates a malfunction has occurred in the PCS (Pre-Col-
lision System).
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
When a buzzer does not sound:
The PCS (Pre-Collision System) has become temporarily
unavailable, corrective action may be necessary.
 Follow the instructions displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. (
P. 242, 483)
If the PCS (Pre-Collision System) or VSC (Vehicle Stability
Control) system is disabled, the PCS warning light will illu-
minate.
 P. 256
(Yellow)
LDA (Lane Departur e Alert) indicator*5
The indicator comes on and a warning message is dis-
played to indicate that the LDA (Lane Departure Alert)
system is not available temporarily or has detected a mal-
function.
 P. 493, 494, 495
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions

4797-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
*3: Driver’s seat belt buzzer:The driver’s seat belt warning buzzer sounds to alert the drive r that his or
her seat belt is not fastened. Once the engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position (vehicles without smart entry & start system) or IGNIT ION ON
mode (vehicles with smart entry & start system), the buzzer sou nds. If the
seat belt is still unfastened, the buzzer sounds intermittently for a certain
period of time after the vehicle reaches a certain speed.
Front passenger’s seat belt buzzer:
The front passenger's seat belt warning buzzer sounds to alert the front
passenger that his or her seat belt is not fastened. If the sea t belt is unfas-
tened, the buzzer sounds intermittently for a certain period of time after the
vehicle reaches a certain speed.
*4: Parking brake engaged warning buzzer:
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is driven at a speed of approximately
3 mph (5 km/h) or more.
*5: If equipped
■ SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assembly, front impact
sensors, side impact sensors (front), side impact sensors (rear ), driver’s seat
position sensor, driver’s seat belt buckle switch, front passen ger occupant
classification system (ECU and sensors), “AIR BAG ON” indicator light, “AIR
BAG OFF” indicator light, front passenger’s seat belt buckle switch, seat belt
pretensioners assemblies, airbags, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. ( P. 38)
■ Front passenger detection sensor, seat belt reminder and warnin g
buzzer
● If luggage is placed on the front passenger seat, the front pas senger detec-
tion sensor may cause the warning light to flash and the warnin g buzzer to
sound even if a passenger is not sitting in the seat.
● If a cushion is placed on the seat, the sensor may not detect a passenger,
and the warning light may not operate properly.

4807-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■If the malfunction indicator lamp comes on while driving
First check the following:
●Is the fuel tank empty?
If it is, fill the fuel tank immediately.
● Is the fuel tank cap loose?
If it is, tighten it securely.
The light will go off after several driving trips.
If the light does not go off even after several trips, contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible.
■
When the tire pressure warning light comes on (if equipped)
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level. Push-
ing the tire pressur e warning reset switch will not turn off the tire pressure
warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural caus es
(if equipped)
The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural caus es such
as natural air leaks and tire inflation pressure changes caused by tem-
perature. In this case, adjusting the tire inflation pressure w ill turn off the
warning light (after several minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a spare tire (vehicles with the ti re pres-
sure warning system)
The temporary spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure w arning
valve and transmitter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure w arning light will
not turn off even though the flat tire has been replaced with t he temporary
spare tire. Replace the temporary spare tire with the repaired tire and
adjust the tire inflation pressu re. The tire pressure warning l ight will go off
after several minutes.
■Conditions that the tire pressure warning system may not functi on
properly (if equipped)
 P. 4 3 0
■If the tire pressure warning light frequently comes on after bl inking
for 1 minute (if equipped)
If the tire pressure warning light frequently comes on after bl inking for 1
minute when the engine switch is turned to “ON” position (vehic les with-
out a smart key system) or IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with a sm art
key system), have it checked by your Toyota dealer.
■Warning buzzer
In some cases, the buzzer may not be heard because of noisy pla ce or an
audio sound.