2016-2023 Tacoma Oil Capacity (2.7L and 3.5L, 6.2 qt) and Oil and Filter Change
Quick safety check before you begin. Required: safety glasses, gloves, and the truck level on a lift or on jack stands with the wheels chocked. Recommended: a drain pan and a torque wrench. Toyota's own caution on this job: used engine oil removes the natural oils from skin and contains contaminants, so wear gloves that oil cannot penetrate and wash with soap and water, never solvents.
What you need
Parts
Tools
- 2.7L: oil filter wrench (Toyota SST 09228-07501) and a torque wrench
- 3.5L: oil filter cap wrench (Toyota SST 09228-06501) and a torque wrench for 40, 25 and 13 N·m
- 3.5L: a hose with a 15 mm (0.591 in.) inside diameter for the filter housing drain
- Drain pan, lift or jack stands and wheel chocks; the truck must be level
- Safety glasses and gloves
The numbers
| Oil grade | SAE 0W-20. Toyota's quick-lookup table also allows SAE 5W-20 if 0W-20 is not available, but says it must be replaced with 0W-20 at the next change. |
|---|---|
| 2.7L capacity, with filter | 6.2 US qt (5.9 L); 5.8 qt (5.5 L) without a filter change; 6.8 qt (6.4 L) dry fill |
| 3.5L capacity, with filter | 6.2 US qt (5.9 L) with an oil cooler, 6.1 qt (5.8 L) without; 5.9 qt (5.6 L) on a drain-only change |
| Oil pan drain plug, 2.7L | 38 N·m (28 ft-lb), new gasket |
| Oil pan drain plug, 3.5L | 40 N·m (30 ft-lb), new gasket |
| 2.7L spin-on filter | 13 ft-lb (17 N·m) with a torque wrench; otherwise hand-tight until the gasket touches, then 3/4 turn |
| 3.5L filter cap | 25 N·m (18 ft-lb), SST 09228-06501 |
| 3.5L cap drain plug | 13 N·m (10 ft-lb) |
| No. 1 engine under cover, 2.7L | 30 N·m (22 ft-lb) |
| Level check | Warm the engine, stop it, wait a few minutes, then read the dipstick between the low and full marks |
Step by step
Get the truck level and open the underside
Park level, on a lift or on jack stands with the wheels chocked. Remove the No. 1 engine under cover. Trucks with the off-road package also have a No. 2 under cover that comes off first.
Drain the pan
Remove the oil filler cap first so the pan drains freely. Remove the oil pan drain plug and drain the oil. Install a NEW gasket and torque the plug: 38 N·m (28 ft-lb) on the 2.7L, 40 N·m (30 ft-lb) on the 3.5L.
2.7L: change the spin-on filter
Use SST 09228-07501 to remove the filter. Clean the sealing face, wet the new filter's gasket with oil, and screw it on by hand until the gasket touches. Then tighten 3/4 of a turn, or to 13 ft-lb (17 N·m) if a torque wrench fits.
3.5L: drain the filter housing first
The cartridge housing holds oil of its own. Connect a hose with a 15 mm inside diameter to the pipe, remove the filter drain plug and let the housing empty before you touch the cap. Skip this and fresh oil goes in on top of oil that never came out.
3.5L: change the element
Use SST 09228-06501 to remove the cap. Do not remove the bracket clip. Take the element out, remove the cap O-ring by hand and not with a tool, and clean the cap and its groove. Oil a new O-ring, fit the new element, start the cap by hand and torque it to 25 N·m (18 ft-lb). Fit a new O-ring on the drain plug and torque it to 13 N·m (10 ft-lb). Keep oil off the belt tensioner.
Fill short, then set the level
Add about 5.5 quarts rather than the full 6.2, then check. Start the engine, look for leaks at the plug and the filter, stop it, wait a few minutes and read the dipstick. The level belongs between the low and full marks. Top up in small amounts. Do not go above full.
Close up
Refit the under cover or covers (30 N·m, 22 ft-lb on the 2.7L) and reset the maintenance reminder if the truck has one.
Rather we did it?
We do fluid and filter service at scheduled events across Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, and we stock the oil and the filter. If you would rather hand it to someone, book a slot.
Find your exact tune →Questions owners ask
About 6.2 US quarts (5.9 L) with the filter on both the 2.7L and the 3.5L with an oil cooler. A 3.5L without an oil cooler takes 6.1 qt. Order 7 quarts for a filter change.
SAE 0W-20. Toyota's quick-lookup table says SAE 5W-20 is acceptable if 0W-20 is not available, but it must be replaced with 0W-20 at the next change.
No. The 2.7L four-cylinder uses a spin-on filter. The 3.5L V6 uses a cartridge element in a cap, and the cap has its own drain plug.
38 N·m (28 ft-lb) on the 2.7L and 40 N·m (30 ft-lb) on the 3.5L, with a new gasket each time.
Barely. Both come to about 6.2 quarts with a filter. The difference is the filter and the procedure, not the capacity.
More for the 2016–2023 Tacoma
Grade, capacities, torques and procedure are quoted from the 2016 Toyota Tacoma repair manual for the 2.7L (2TR-FE) and 3.5L (2GR-FKS); the manual's build band is open-ended, but model years 2017-2023 were not separately checked. Capacities differ slightly by trim and oil cooler, so confirm on the dipstick. Filter fitment is AMSOIL's published claim. Tuned Yota is an independent AMSOIL dealer; parts links are our store.