Car Defect Radar
Get the report
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Confirm 13 recalls before you buy.

Ask the seller for proof the repair was completed, or run the free VIN check. Recall repairs are done at no cost by a dealer.

Recalls

13 total · 13 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 16V396000 · Jun 2016

If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 14V743000 · Nov 2014

Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Suspension recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 14V604000 · Sep 2014

If the fuel tank leaks fuel from being punctured, there is an increased risk of a fire.

Remedy
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will install new rear leaf spring assemblies. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 14V475000 · Aug 2014

If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while it is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 14V168000 · Apr 2014

If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. The failure of the driver's air bag to deploy in the event of a crash that typically necessitates deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver.

Remedy
Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall. Toyota will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. General Motors sent Pontiac Vibe owners an Interim letter on June 20, 2014 notifying them that parts are currently unavailable. General Motors sent notices to the Pontiac Vibe owners on September 15, 2014, that a remedy is available. The recall began on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-762-2737.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Seat belts recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 13V337000 · Aug 2013

If the seat belt pre-tensioner detaches from the seat belt assembly, the seat belt pre-tensioner will not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in a severe crash.

Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assemblies. Based on the inspection, the seat belt assembly will be replaced or new pre-tensioner screws will be installed with thread-locking sealant and a retractor spring cover with stopper ribs to prevent loosening of the screws. These services will be provided at no cost to the owner. The recall began during February 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 13V123000 · Apr 2013

An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.

Remedy
Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 13V014000 · Jan 2013

If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Tires recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 11V148000 · Mar 2011

FAILURE TO WARN OF TIRE DEFLATIONS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 138 AND COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy
FOR THE LAND CRUISER, SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES, THE DEALER WILL RE-CALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES AND INSTALL AN UPDATED TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL AT NO CHARGE. FOR THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLES, THE TPMS CANNOT BE RESET SO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE TPMS WILL BE REPLACED. TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE REMEDY ECU. IF AN OWNER IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HIS OR HER VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THESE ACCESSORIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANY TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Transmission recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 10V042000 · Feb 2010

THIS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FRONT PROPELLER SHAFT ON AFFECTED VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 22, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 10V035000 · Feb 2010

THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.

Remedy
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 10V036000 · Feb 2010

A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 09V388000 · Oct 2009

A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy
TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL. THESE CHANGES ADDRESS THE RISK OF PEDAL ENTRAPMENT DUE TO INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLOOR MAT. REDESIGNED ACCELERATOR PEDALS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE BEGINNING IN APRIL 2010 AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY MODIFIED PEDAL WITH THE NEW PEDAL IF DESIRED. ALSO, DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY GENUINE TOYOTA OR LEXUS ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MATS WITH REDESIGNED ALL-WEATHER MATS, OR REPURCHASE THE PREVIOUS MATS FROM OWNERS WHO DO NOT WANT THE NEW ONES. ADDITIONALLY, SOFTWARE MODIFICATIONS WILL BE INSTALLED ON CAMRY, AVALON AND LEXUS ES 350, IS 350 AND IS 250 MODELS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THE BRAKE OVERRIDES THE ACCELERATOR IN THE EVENT BOTH BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE APPLIED. TOYOTA WILL BEGIN MAILING LETTERS TO OWNERS ON DECEMBER 31, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331, LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

293 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
58

Most reports here involve unintended acceleration. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

unintended acceleration 31transmission slipping 12software faults 4
A recent report: the gas gauge on the dashboard does not work properly

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11575442 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
25

Most reports here involve electrical shorts.

electrical shorts 16premature wear 2
A recent report: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLE WHICH INCLUDED THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE LIGHT HOUSING TO BECOME…
Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLE WHICH INCLUDED THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL HAD OVER HEATED CAUSING THE LIGHT HOUSING TO BECOME DISCOLORED AND THE BULB HAD SHATTERED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE LIGHTS AND HAD FAILED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER TOYOTA OF BROOK HEAVEN LOCATED AT 890 BROOKWAY BLVD, BROOKHAVEN, MS 39601 MS. WHO REPAIRED THE FAILURE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. *BF*JB

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11340939 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
22

Most reports here involve unintended acceleration. Of these, 4 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

unintended acceleration 9loss of braking 9
A recent report: Stepping on the break sometimes I have a good firm brake pedal others seem to go almost to the floor. Talking with a mechanic he had told me that there was numerous Toyota tacomas with the same…
Read full complaint

Stepping on the break sometimes I have a good firm brake pedal others seem to go almost to the floor. Talking with a mechanic he had told me that there was numerous Toyota tacomas with the same issue. I have tried bleeding the brakes and still have the same symptoms I would think this would be a safety issue.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11437659 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
94

Most reports here involve loss of steering.

loss of steering 15premature wear 8
A recent report: [XXX] I ordered lower control arms from [XXX] . Not even a year later I had experienced a clunking noise when I turned the steering wheel. That weekend my wife and I rode up to our campsite. Seeing a…
Read full complaint

[XXX] I ordered lower control arms from [XXX] . Not even a year later I had experienced a clunking noise when I turned the steering wheel. That weekend my wife and I rode up to our campsite. Seeing a deer in the road I slowed down only for the truck to veer to the left and almost hitting a logging truck. Talking to a mechanic, he told me that it was the bushings of the lower control arms at fault. Having no choice I bought two new control arms and had a shop put them on. Calling extreme terrain, they told me even though it has not been a year they couldn't give me a refund if I returned the old ones back to them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11668769 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
21

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 4 mention a crash, 5 mention an injury.

airbags not deploying 6software faults 1
A recent report: Our son hit a guardrail and the airbags didn't deploy. Accident and failure was reported to insurance company

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11719158 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
51

Most reports here involve corrosion. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

corrosion 37electrical shorts 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for inspection, the mechanic informed the contact that the entire subframe was rusted. The contact was advised…
Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for inspection, the mechanic informed the contact that the entire subframe was rusted. The contact was advised that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the rust on the subframe. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted and informed the contact that the extended warranty for the failure had expired. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 49,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11759154 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Worth reading
22

Most reports here involve premature wear.

premature wear 4unintended acceleration 2
A recent report: FRAME IS RUSTING.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11661195 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 293 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2009 and 2026, roughly 17 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2010 has 293 complaints on file, more than the 2011 (186). Of the 16 model years of the Toyota Tacoma we cover, the 2016 has the most (323). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.