The 2012 Toyota Tacoma maximum towing capacity is between 3,400 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 2012 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 2012 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.
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 2012 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 following are included in the tow package:
- Class IV Towing Hitch Receiver
- 7-pin connector with converter
- Trailer-Sway Control
- Transmission cooler
- Heavy-duty Battery
The towing package increases the GCWR of a Tacoma to 11,100 or 11,200 lbs.
Towing Capacity by Cab Size
In 2012, there were no trims available for the Tacoma except the Prerunner. 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.
2012 Towing Capacity Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab
The 2012 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity is 3,500 lbs for trucks with the regular cab.
| Drive | Engine | Tow Package | Towing Capacity |
| 4×2 | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×4 | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,500 lbs |
2012 Towing Capacity Toyota Tacoma Access Cab
The 2012 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity is between 3,500 and 6,500 lbs for trucks with the access cab.
| Drive | Engine | Tow Package | Towing Capacity |
| 4×2 | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×4/Prerunner | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×4/Prerunner | 4.0 L | x | 6,500 lbs |
| X-Runner | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,300 lbs |
2012 Towing Capacity Toyota Tacoma Double Cab
The 2012 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity is between 3,400 and 6,500 lbs for trucks with the double cab.
| Drive | Engine | Tow Package | Towing Capacity |
| 4×2 | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,400 lbs | |
| 4×4/Prerunner (short bed) | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×4/Prerunner (long bed) | 2.7 L/4.0 L | 3,500 lbs | |
| 4×4/Prerunner (short bed) | 4.0 L | x | 6,500 lbs |
| 4×4/Prerunner (long bed) | 4.0 L | x | 6,400 lbs |
Towing Capacity Chart from Manual
The owner’s manual has a listing of the GCWR and trailer weights for each model. Listed on pages 228 through 231 will find charts (shown below) that will give you the exact GCWR of your Tacoma.
You can find your code on your certification label on the inside of the driver’s side door as seen in the photo below. You will also have the engine type as well. I do know that the 2TR-FE engine is the 2.7 L and the 1GR-FE is the 4.0 L engine.
2012 Tacoma Towing Capacity Chart – Regular Cab
2012 Tacoma Towing Capacity Chart – Access Cab
2012 Tacoma Towing Capacity Chart – Double Cab
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 2012 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
2012 Tacoma Payload Capacity
The 2012 Tacoma has a single GVWR between 4,650 and 5,500 lbs depending on the customizations.. 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 2012 Toyota Tacoma with a 2.7 L engine is between 1,195 – 1,400 lbs.
| Drive | Transmission | Cab | Payload Capacity |
| 4×2 | Manual | Regular | 1,335 lbs |
| 4×4 | Manual | Regular | 1,400 lbs |
| 4×2 | Automatic | Regular | 1,315 lbs |
| 4×4 | Automatic | Regular | 1,345 lbs |
| 4×2 | Manual | Access | 1,295 lbs |
| 4×4 | Manual | Access | 1,275 lbs |
| 4×2 | Automatic | Access | 1,275 lbs |
| Prerunner | Automatic | Access | 1,385 lbs |
| 4×4 | Automatic | Access | 1,250 lbs |
| 4×2 | Automatic | Double | 1,195 lbs |
| Prerunner (short bed) | Automatic | Double | 1,385 lbs |
Payload Capacity 4.0 L V6
The payload capacity for the 2012 Toyota Tacoma with a 4.0 L engine is between 865 – 1,535 lbs.
| Drive | Transmission | Cab | Payload Capacity |
| 4×4 | Manual | Access | 1,425 lbs |
| Prerunner | Automatic | Access | 1,535 lbs |
| 4×4 | Automatic | Access | 1,400 lbs |
| X-Runner | Manual | Access | 865 lbs |
| 4×4 (short bed) | Manual | Double | 1,340 lbs |
| Prerunner (short bed) | Automatic | Double | 1,450 lbs |
| 4×4 (short bed) | Automatic | Double | 1,315 lbs |
| Prerunner (long bed) | Automatic | Double | 1,395 lbs |
| 4×4 (long bed) | Automatic | Double | 1,280 lbs |
How to determine how much your Tacoma can actually tow
Toyota states that under the right conditions and properly equipped the 2012 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 7,150-11,200 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
