The 2008 Toyota Tacoma maximum towing capacity is between 3,500 lbs and 6,500 lbs depending on the truck specifications.
Any trailer exceeding 1000 lbs must have its own brake system when using the Tacoma and should not exert a tongue weight over 10% of the total trailer weight.
You should always check your manual and weight ratings (on the inside of the driver’s door) for the most accurate information before towing and make sure you are properly equipped.
This article will help you identify the towing capacity and GCWR of your Tacoma based on your engine, cab size, bed size and trim.
The information taken from this article was compiled using 2008 the ebrochure.
Though I tried to make this information as accurate as possible, you should always check your manual or contact your local dealer to determine the appropriate towing capacity of your vehicle and necessary equipment.
Towing Capacity by Engine
There are two main types of engines in the 2008 Toyota Tacoma. There is a less powerful, 2.7 L 4-Cylinder and a 4.0 L V6 engine.
2.7-L 4-Cylinder Engine
One of the engine options in the Toyota Tacoma is the 2.7L 4-Cylinder engine. This engine is the standard in SR and SR5 trims.
It is a less powerful engine at 159 hp @5,200 and 180 lb.-ft. @3,800.
In all of these models, the maximum towing capacity is 3,500 lbs.
This engine comes standard on most 2008 Tacomas, but is not available on the X-Runner.
4.0 L V6 Engine
The V6 engine is the more powerful option of engine offered in the Tacoma. It can deliver up to 236 hp @ 5,200 rpm and 266 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm.
This engine can tow up to 6,500 lbs with the tow package.
Towing Package for Toyota Tacoma
Any truck with a 4.0 L V6 engine and 4×4 drivetrain is eligible to upgrade with the tow package.
The towing package for the 2008 Tacoma includes:
- Class-4 towing hitch
- Transmission oil cooler (automatic transmission models)
- Supplemental engine oil cooler
- Heavy-duty battery
- 130-amp alternator
- 7-pin connector with converter
The towing package increases the GCWR of a Tacoma to 11,100 lbs.
Towing Capacity by Cab Size
In 2008, there were no trims available for the Tacoma except the Prerunner and X-Runner. Instead, the SR5, TRD Off-Road, and TRD Sport were the names of packages available on the Tacoma, rather than trims. This means that Toyota did not distinguish the towing capacity by trim, but rather by cab.
These values are also only listed for conventional towing with a hitch. 5th wheel and gooseneck towing is not an option on the standard Tacoma.
2008 Towing Capacity Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity is 3,500 lbs for trucks with the regular cab.
| Drive | Transmission | Engine | Tow Package | Towing Capacity |
| 4×2 | Manual | 2.7 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×2 | Automatic | 2.7 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×4 | Manual | 2.7 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Manual | 2.7 L | 3,500 lbs |
2008 Towing Capacity Toyota Tacoma Access Cab
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity is between 3,500 and 6,500 lbs for trucks with the access cab.
| Drive | Transmission | Engine | Tow Package | Towing Capacity |
| 4×2 | Manual | 2.7 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×4 | Manual | 2.7 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×4 | Manual | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×4 | Automatic | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×2 | Automatic | 2.7 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Manual | 2.7 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Manual | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Automatic | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| X-Runner | Manual | 4.0 L | 3,500 lbs |
2008 Towing Capacity Toyota Tacoma Double Cab
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity is between 3,500 and 6,500 lbs for trucks with the double cab.
| Drive | Transmission | Engine | Tow Package | Towing Capacity |
| 4×4 | Manual | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×4 (Short Bed) | Automatic | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×4 (Long Bed) | Automatic | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner (short bed) | Automatic | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner (long bed) | Automatic | 4.0 L | – x | 3,500 lbs 6,500 lbs |
What is the max tongue load of a Tacoma?
The tongue load is the amount of weight that can be exerted on a trailer hitch.
For most trailers, this value is 10-15% of the total trailer weight.
Toyota specifies that for all of their engines a tongue weight of 10% should not be exceeded. That means that a max towing capacity of 6500 lbs can only have a tongue weight of 650 lbs.
In addition, you should not tow above 1000 lbs on any 2008 Tacoma without a trailer with a braking system.
How can you make sure you don’t exceed this value?
You can make sure of this by weighing the tongue weight of your trailer. There are multiple ways to do this, which I outlined in the article: What is trailer tongue weight? & How to Measure It
2008 Tacoma Payload Capacity
The 2008 Tacoma can carry up to 1,620 lbs in payload. Don’t know what I’m referring to? Check out: What Does GVWR Mean? GVWR Explained for Trucks and Trailers
Payload Capacity 2.7 L 4 cylinder
The payload capacity for the 2008 Toyota Tacoma with a 2.7 L engine is between 1,340 – 1,620 lbs.
| Drive | Transmission | Cab | Payload Capacity |
| 4×2 | Manual | Regular | 1,350 lbs |
| 4×4 | Manual | Regular | 1,485 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Manual | Regular | 1,620 lbs |
| 4×2 | Automatic | Regular | 1,380 lbs |
| 4×2 | Manual | Access | 1,360 lbs |
| 4×4 | Manual | Access | 1,445 lbs |
| 4×2 | Automatic | Access | 1,340 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Manual | Access | 1,580 lbs |
Payload Capacity 4.0 L V6
The payload capacity for the 2008 Toyota Tacoma with a 4.0 L engine is between 865 – 1,580 lbs.
| Drive | Transmission | Cab | Payload Capacity |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Automatic | Access | 1,495 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Manual | Access | 1,520 lbs |
| 4×4 | Manual | Access | 1,385 lbs |
| 4×4 | Automatic | Access | 1,360 lbs |
| X-Runner | Manual | Access | 865 lbs |
| 4×4 | Manual | Double | 1,385 lbs |
| 4×4 | Automatic | Double | 1,360 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner (long bed) | Automatic | Double | 1,440 lbs |
| 4×2 Prerunner | Automatic | Double | 1,495 lbs |
| 4×4 (long bed) | Automatic | Double | 1,305 lbs |
How to determine how much your Tacoma can actually tow
Toyota states that under the right conditions and properly equipped the 2008 Tacoma can tow between 3500 and 6500 lbs. However, the exact amount that you can tow at any given point in time is slightly different.
Max towing capacity is calculated by subtracting the curb weight from the GCWR, which is essentially what is reported by Toyota, however, there may be other factors that will limit your capacity even more.
This means that the total weight of a truck plus a trailer at any point cannot exceed the GCWR (found in owner’s manual). The ebrochure lists that the GCWR is between 7,500 – 11,100 lbs for all trim levels, but the manual shows the varying ratings.
If you add any passenger weight or cargo weight, you will need to subtract this from the towing capacity to determine the actual towing load allowed.
Don’t forget that you will need to consider whether or not your truck has exceeded its payload capacity with this load.
Does this confuse you? I run through an explicit example of how you need to know both the payload and towing capacity to determine if you have safe driving conditions in the following article: How to Calculate Towing Capacity
