P0301 on a Toyota Tacoma
P0301 means cylinder 1 Misfire Detected. On the Tacoma, a few causes come up far more than others.
What P0301 usually means on a Tacoma
P0301 pins the misfire to cylinder 1 on a Tacoma, which usually makes it a targeted fix on that cylinder's coil, plug, or injector. On the four-cylinder 2TR-FE it's easy to reach; on the V6s, cylinder 1's location determines how much work it is. A single-cylinder miss feels like a light shake at idle and can flash the light under load.
Most common causes on the Tacoma
- Failed coil on cylinder 1
Swap the No.1 coil with a neighbor; if the misfire moves, the coil is bad.
- Worn or fouled plug
A single overdue or fouled plug on cylinder 1 is a cheap, common cause.
- Injector fault
A partially blocked or leaking injector starves or over-fuels that single cylinder.
- Low compression on cylinder 1
A worn valve or ring on a high-mileage engine shows as a persistent single miss.
What P0301 costs to fix on a Tacoma
On the four-cylinder Tacoma this is an inexpensive coil-and-plug job. On the V6, cost depends on whether cylinder 1 falls on the accessible front bank or requires intake removal. A low compression reading is the only thing that turns it into major engine work.
Year, engine and mileage change the answer. Start a case and Redline weighs these causes against what your car shows, then names the check that would settle it.
Other codes on the Toyota Tacoma
Related symptoms
Toyota Tacoma problems & recalls by year
Based on widely reported patterns for this model; individual causes vary by year, engine and history. Generic P0301 behavior is covered on the main P0301 page. Confirm with a scan tool before buying parts.
P0301 on your Tacoma?
Every problem becomes a Case. Tell Redline what your Tacoma is doing: it shows what the evidence supports, what’s still missing, and what to check next, before you approve a repair.
“Inner pad ~1 mm. Outer pad 3 mm.”
Next: check the slide pins move freely before buying parts.