A second-year third-gen Tacoma that carries the same early-year homework as the 2016 plus a brake-booster recall — durable underneath, but verify the crank-sensor and brake recalls before you buy.

Carryover from 2016 and the other real safety item on a V6 truck: the crank position sensor can malfunction and stall the engine while driving. It covers 2016–2017 Tacomas with the six-cylinder engine (Toyota code H0H); the remedy is a free improved sensor. Confirm it shows completed before buying a V6.

The early-year mechanical cluster carries into 2017. The six-speed automatic can shift roughly and surge at low speed; a Toyota master tech says the surging (2016–2019) is resolved by an ECM — the engine control module, the powertrain computer — software update rather than a gearbox repair, and that a torque-converter shudder on light acceleration is a transmission-fluid condition (fresh fluid every 60k/6yr). Behind the V6, the plastic coolant-bypass pipe is notorious to crack — check the passenger side and top of the transmission for a coolant trail. Both the coolant leak and a companion timing-cover oil leak are covered under the powertrain warranty while in term.

On four-wheel-drive trucks, a front-differential groan heard only in two-wheel drive (and gone in four-wheel drive) affected mainly the 2016–2017 years; there's an updated front differential. Recall 17V285 addresses a rear-differential carrier oil leak that, if run low, can let the diff seize — free inspection and re-torque (Toyota code H0G). Mechanics also flag front-diff and transfer-case actuators that can seize, the transfer-case one being labor-heavy out of warranty. Exercise all the four-wheel-drive modes on the test drive.

Odds and ends. Trucks with 040 Super White paint peel at the door frames, inner fenders, and A-pillars — covered by Toyota's Customer Support Program 23TE08 (a quiet, extended coverage program) for 2016–2022; there is a separate program (20TE02) for 2017 Blazing Blue clear-coat flaking. The third brake light can leak water into the cab (updated seal, covered under warranty). Two of the 2017 recalls are just label paperwork — 17V831 and the Gulf States 19V244-style load-capacity labels. And the frame rusts in the salt belt; coat the frame, not just the body, and inspect a northern truck from underneath.