Toyota Truck Towing Capacities

Towing capacity refers to the maximum weight your Toyota pickup can legally and safely tow. It’s important to note that a vehicle’s towing capacity isn’t the maximum weight that your pickup can physically move but rather the maximum weight that your Tacoma or Tundra can pull while accelerating, stopping, and maneuvering in a controlled fashion. After all, even a Toyota Corolla could hypothetically move 10,000 pounds on flat ground–though that weight would drop the car on its bump stops and push right through the dinky factory brakes.  

Knowing your pickup’s towing capacity is vital for several reasons, namely, to ensure your pickup can legally and safely tow a particular trailer. Not only is overloading your Tacoma or Tundra illegal, but also a significant risk to its mechanical components, your safety, and the safety of your passengers and other drivers on the road. 

For example, if your pickup’s rear suspension lacks the stability to tow a heavy load, the trailer is more likely to fishtail at highway speeds. If your brakes are insufficient, you’ve essentially created a multi-thousand-pound battering ram on wheels!  

What Variables Determine a Vehicle’s Towing Capacity?

Your Tundra and Tacoma’s towing capacities are defined by the engineers at Toyota, taking into consideration several specifications and variables. These include your vehicle’s: 

• Engine configuration

• Power output

• Axle gear ratio

• Cab configuration (regular, double, crew)

• Bed configuration (short box or long box)

• Drive configuration (2WD or 4WD)

• Transmission type (automatic or manual)

• Hitch class

Toyota Tundra Towing Capacities

Now that we’ve thoroughly defined towing capacity let’s get into some numbers. In the following section, we outline Toyota Tundra towing capacities, utilizing a separate chart for each of the model’s generations, including facelifts.

1st Generation / XK30 (2000–2002)

In the following section, we outline Toyota Tacoma towing capacities, utilizing a separate chart for each of the model’s generation, including facelifts.