First generation

2002 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity

Max towing, 20026,000 lb

Maker2,722 kg

The 2002 Toyota Tacoma tows up to 6,000 lb (PreRunner XtraCab 3.4L V6 4-speed ECT automatic 4x2 with the Tow Package, per the 2002 Toyota Tacoma Owner's Manual).

The lowest rating is 3,500 lb, for the Base XtraCab 2.7L 4-cylinder 5-speed manual 4x4.

2002 Toyota Tacoma Owner's Manual (OM35786U)

Configurations: 17
Payload: 1,375–2,005 lb
GCWR: 6,700–10,000 lb
Tongue: 350–500 lb

Regular Cab 4x4 2.7L 5MT, drawn to scale from its published dimensions.

01 / Ratings

Every 2002 Tacoma configuration

17 configurations Toyota sells, each with the ratings Toyota publishes for it. A package that changes a rating gets its own row.

Engine

Cab

Drive

Showing 26 of 26 rows

2002 Toyota Tacoma

Makerin pounds

2002 Toyota Tacoma towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing^{source 1} lb	Max tongue^{source 1} lb	GCWR^{source 1} lb	Max payload^{source 2} lb	GVWR^{source 2} lb	Axle^{source 2} ratio	Tow check
2.7L 4-cylinder
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	7,400	1,630	5,100	not in our data	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	7,400	1,600	5,100	4.10	Check load →
PreRunnerXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500^{source 3}	350^{source 3}	7,400^{source 3}	1,830	5,100	4.10	Check load →
PreRunnerXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Available tires	3,500^{source 3}	350^{source 3}	7,400^{source 3}	1,830	5,100	4.555^{source 3}	Check load →
PreRunnerDouble Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500^{source 4}	350^{source 4}	7,400^{source 4}	1,670	5,100	3.91	Check load →
PreRunnerDouble Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Available tires	3,500^{source 4}	350^{source 4}	7,400^{source 4}	1,670	5,100	4.10^{source 3}	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	7,400	1,810	5,100	3.91	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	7,400	1,780	5,100	4.10	Check load →
PreRunnerRegular Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500^{source 3}	350^{source 3}	7,400^{source 3}	2,005	5,100	3.91	Check load →
PreRunnerRegular Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Available tires	3,500^{source 3}	350^{source 3}	7,400^{source 3}	2,005	5,100	4.30^{source 3}	Check load →
2.4L 4-cylinder
BaseXtraCab · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	6,700	1,550	4,500	3.58	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	6,700	1,530	4,500	3.73	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,500	350	6,700	1,500	4,250	3.58	Check load →
BaseRegular Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500	350	6,700	1,480	4,250	3.73	Check load →
3.4L V6
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 5-speed manual	5,000	500	9,000	1,585	5,100	not in our data	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 5-speed manualwith Locking rear differential	5,000	500	9,000	1,585	5,100	4.10^{source 1}	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	5,000	500	9,000	1,560	5,100	3.91	Check load →
BaseXtraCab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Locking rear differential	5,000	500	9,000	1,560	5,100	4.10^{source 1}	Check load →
PreRunnerXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	5,000^{source 3}	500^{source 3}	9,000^{source 3}	1,745	5,100	3.91	Check load →
PreRunnerXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Available tires	5,000^{source 3}	500^{source 3}	9,000^{source 3}	1,745	5,100	4.10^{source 3}	Check load →
PreRunner MostXtraCab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Tow Package	6,000^{source 5}	500^{source 3}	10,000^{source 5}	1,745	5,100	3.91	Check load →
S-RunnerXtraCab · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,500^{source 5}	350^{source 6}	6,800^{source 5}	1,375	4,500	3.15	Check load →
BaseDouble Cab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500^{source 5}	not in our data	9,000^{source 4}	1,395	5,100	3.91	Check load →
BaseDouble Cab · 4x4 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Tow Package	5,000^{source 4}	500^{source 4}	9,000^{source 4}	1,395	5,100	3.91	Check load →
PreRunnerDouble Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automatic	3,500^{source 5}	not in our data	9,000^{source 4}	1,625	5,100	3.91	Check load →
PreRunnerDouble Cab · 4x2 · 4-speed ECT automaticwith Tow Package	5,000^{source 4}	500^{source 4}	10,000^{source 5}	1,625	5,100	3.91	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. A number by a column’s name is the source of its figures that have none of their own. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourcesMakerThe small number by a figure says which document it is from.

Documents last checked Oct 9, 2026. How we read them and what the marks mean: how we source the numbers. A figure doesn’t match its document? Report a wrong number.

2002 Toyota Tacoma specs: payload, dimensions, ground clearance and weight beside the towing ratings.

The 2002 Tacoma belongs to this generation; every configuration, its clearance, angles and weights are on its page.

Toyota Tacoma 1st gen (1995–2004): full specs

02 / Why

Which one tows the most, and why

Each figure below is the gap between two of Toyota’s own ratings for configurations that differ in one thing only.

What moves the rating

Maker

Tows the most: 6,000 lb

PreRunner XtraCab 3.4L V6 4-speed ECT automatic 4x2 with the Tow Package. Without it the same configuration is rated 5,000 lb.

Package
Tow Package
+1,000 to +1,500 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 3 pairs in the table

Best rating by engine

3.4L V66,000 lb
2.7L 4-cylinder3,500 lb
2.4L 4-cylinder3,500 lb

The line is the highest rating on this page. Each bar is that engine’s best configuration.

03 / By year

Tacoma towing by model year

The highest rating each model year, from that year’s documents. Years rated the same in every configuration share one page.

04 / Next

Check it against your load

Towing calculatorPut your trailer and cargo against a 2002 Tacoma’s ratings and see what’s left.Check my load GVWR, GCWR & payloadWhat each rating limits, and why the trailer number alone isn’t the answer.Read the guide Tacoma specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate Tacoma tire sizesStock tire and wheel sizes by trim, and what bigger tires change.See tire sizes All towing capacitiesEvery truck and SUV we cover, side by side, sortable.Compare vehicles

05 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Which 2002 Tacoma configuration tows the most?

The PreRunner XtraCab 3.4L V6 4-speed ECT automatic 4x2 with the Tow Package, at 6,000 lb.

Which package unlocks the 2002 Tacoma’s 6,000 lb rating?

The Tow Package: Toyota rates the PreRunner XtraCab 3.4L V6 4-speed ECT automatic 4x2 at 6,000 lb so equipped. Without it the same configuration is rated 5,000 lb.

What is the max tongue weight of the 2002 Toyota Tacoma?

350–500 lb by configuration; the most is 500 lb, for the Base XtraCab 3.4L V6 5-speed manual 4x4. Tongue weight is the trailer’s downward push on the hitch; it counts against payload.

What is the GCWR of the 2002 Toyota Tacoma?

6,700–10,000 lb by configuration; the most is 10,000 lb, for the PreRunner XtraCab 3.4L V6 4-speed ECT automatic 4x2 with the Tow Package. GCWR is the most the loaded vehicle and its loaded trailer may weigh together.

Has the Toyota Tacoma’s towing capacity changed by year?

Highest rating by model year: 2026, 6,500 lb; 2024–2025, 6,500 lb; 2023, 6,800 lb; 2021–2022, 6,800 lb; 2019–2020, 6,800 lb; 2018, 6,800 lb; 2017, 6,800 lb; 2016, 6,800 lb; 2015, 6,500 lb; 2014, 6,500 lb; 2012–2013, 6,500 lb; 2011, 6,500 lb; 2008, up to 6,499 lb; 2006, up to 6,499 lb; 2005, up to 6,499 lb; 2004, 5,000 lb; 2003, 5,000 lb; 2002, 6,000 lb; 2001, 5,000 lb; 2000, 5,000 lb; 1999, 5,000 lb; 1997, 5,000 lb.

Does the engine change the 2002 Tacoma’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 3.4L V6, 6,000 lb; 2.7L 4-cylinder, 3,500 lb; 2.4L 4-cylinder, 3,500 lb.

These are Toyota’s published ratings, not a weighbridge. Your own vehicle’s GVWR and axle ratings are on its certification label, and only a scale tells you what your loaded rig weighs. Found a figure that doesn’t match the document? Tell us.