10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
33,502 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #18

Nov 242013

Tacoma

  • 100,000 miles
Purchased my truck from the dealership and have always taken it in for the oil change with the dealer inspection tickets since it was purchased. In the last inspection I was informed that the brakes needed to be replaced. Took it to another shop where the lead mechanic informed me that my car was "unsafe" due to significant rust on the leaf springs and frame area bolts near the leaf springs. I called the dealership to ask how my car had gone through all of these inspections and I had never heard that my vehicle had "unsafe" levels of rust on the undercarriage. I was informed that they do not inspect the undercarriage ( !? ). when I asked for the best course of action, I was informed that a car with rust on the frame should be junked. I cannot believe I spent all that money for what I thought was a quality truck that is unsafe to drive.

- Kahului, HI, USA

problem #17

Jul 292013

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • 39,490 miles
Truck's brakes failed, towed to shop. Shop replaced steel brake lines with copper nickel but warned of rust to frame. When truck was at home, put it up on stands, went underneath, checked frame and found holes made by rust through the frame. Toyota recalled earlier Tacoma's (up to 2004) for defective frames. This 2006 Tacoma has exactly the same problem - rust holes in frame. These Tacoma are unsafe to drive. There should be a recall of 2005 and 2006 Tacoma and maybe more. This truck at 39000 miles has rusted through frame and rusted through brake line.

- Monument Beach, MA, USA

problem #16

Oct 202010

Tacoma

  • 10,000 miles
My 2006 Toyota Tacoma is doing the same thing the prius was recalled for with the brakes. Any time I slow speeds and step on the brakes especially when I go over a bump it does not stop and you hear a grinding noise. I have contacted my Toyota dealer and I keep getting the run around, told a technician cannot find anything and that they will call me no call yet! I need help, I am afraid for my life to get into this truck it is unsafe, and I am not getting any help. We have a son, and have never let him on due to the unsafety of this vehicle. All I wan is for Toyota to fix this as I know it is the same problem that they are having with the prius and nobody will hear me out or help. I now turn to you for assistance please I beg of you.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #15

Nov 182009

Tacoma

  • 47,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. While traveling at approximately 30 mph, the contact applied the brakes and noticed a clanking noise from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership and was told that the vehicle was performing normally. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. The current mileage was approximately 52,000.

- Alto, NM, USA

problem #14

Feb 222010

Tacoma

  • 39,000 miles
Braking took much longer to stop. Ceramic pads were installed. Brake pedal now goes to the floor when stopped. Master cylinder was replaced by Toyota on 2/25/2010. The brake pedal still went to the floor when stopped. Toyota checked it on 4/05/2010 and said all their newer trucks loose vacuum and the pedal goes to the floor. Called Toyota headquarters and they said this isn't normal (4/07/2010). Toyota inspected brakes again on 4/12/2010 and said it's normal for the brake pedal to go to the floor at a stop. I have a 2006 Toyota Tacoma w/ 40K miles. Toyota showed me a 2007 Tacoma that did the same thing. My pedal never went to the floor before the master cylinder went. Many mechanics tell me it's not safe for the pedal to go to the floor. If you feel this is safe ok. If this is not safe please investigate.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #13

Jan 012010

Tacoma

  • 48,000 miles
Hello I have a 2006 Toyota Tacoma and I have taken it to the Toyota dealership twice for loud clacking sounds coming from the brakes every time I use the brakes. The dealership tells me that this sound is normal but I know better as I have never had a vehicle that sounded like this before and I also am some what of a mechanic. The clacking sound is coming from the brake caliper hitting the mounting bolts and as any one with a brain knows that metal hitting metal over and over will either break the bolts or eventually wear through the bolts. I purchased this vehicle used as a Toyota certified vehicle with 48,000 miles on it. The brake pads are not even close to being worn out and this issue is not with wear of brake pads but it is an issue with the mounting of the break calipers them self. Toyota may not have a problem at this moment with this but you better believe that the problem is right around the corner and some one needs to get them on it now before this starts causing wrecks.

- Alto, NM, USA

problem #12

Feb 102010

Tacoma 4WD

  • 50,800 miles
2006 Toyota Tacoma quad cab 4WD. On 02/10/2010 brakes failed to work and vehicle rear ended a car. No injuries. On dry pavement vehicle started to stop and ABS felt like they were deploying. Vehicle stopped slowing down and brakes failed at approximately 3mph and ran into rear of vehicle in front. Toyota says they can not replicate situation. Will it take a death to have NHTSA investigate and hold Toyota accountable.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #11

Feb 102010

Tacoma

  • 50,800 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 mph when he started to brake the brakes did not engage.the vehicle accelerated on its own and hit a vehicle in front of him. There were no damages to the vehicle, the police was not contacted. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where they tested the brake system and could not duplicate the failure. This failure has occurred about to 4 to 5 times in one year. There had been no repairs done to the vehicle to date. The failure mileage was 50800 and current mileage was 50902.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #10

Feb 092010

Tacoma

  • 98,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 18 mph and making a turn he depressed the brake pedal and it extended to the floor with no resistance. One week prior to the failure the brakes were replaced by a local mechanic. The road conditions were wet and covered with snow. The dealer advised the contact to bring in his vehicle for a diagnostic test at the owners expense for $200. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 98,000.

- Running Springs , CA, USA

problem #9

Jun 162006

Tacoma

  • miles
I have a 2006 Toyota Tacoma with 43,800 miles on it. I have taken the Tacoma in to valley high Toyota in victorville numerous times for a terrible braking problem that they are now recognizing on the prius. The truck does not stop when driving over any uneven surface. When we went to valley high Toyota we were told that it is ABS brakes trying not to lock up. In fact, the brakes don't work at all in this situation which could lead to a very serious accident. Furthermore, there seems to be a problem with the motor mounts as well. In 2007 we took the truck in for its first motor mount problem, it seems that both motor mounts were stretched beyond repair and had to be replaced. We thought the problem was over, but in Nov. 2009 the driver side motor mount snapped completely through. The truck has never been driven roughly and this should not have happened. I researched this problem and found that there were new designs put into place on the 2007 Tacoma models. The mechanic working on the truck said he could tell the truck had not been driven hard and stated that he had seen this happen before. We have also noticed that since the first motor mount problem the transmission has been shifting extremely rough. We've asked valley high Toyota about the transmission several times and they have said there's nothing wrong with it. Our warranty is almost up and I'm worried we could have a transmission failure within the next several months. My daughter drives this truck, and I no longer feel it's safe for her to drive. I am very concerned about these problems and the fact that our local Toyota dealer won't do anything about the brakes or the transmission, we are fortunate that the motor mounts did not cause the engine to fall out of the truck, causing serious damage to the vehicle and injury to my daughter and anyone else.

- Victorville, CA, USA

problem #8

Jun 242009

Tacoma 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,900 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. When the contact depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed through a fence. There were no injuries. He was able to pump the brake pedal and the vehicle gradually slowed down and came to a complete stop. The contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and notifying the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 4,900 updated 8/10/09

- Montunk, NY, USA

problem #7

Oct 202006

Tacoma

  • 25 miles
Brakes squeal when backing out of the driveway every morning. This happens only when the truck is used the first time every day. After it has been driven it is fine the rest of the day. The 2006 Tacoma has had this problem since day 1 and currently has 52,000 miles use. Very frustrating.

- Assonet, MA, USA

problem #6

Feb 202009

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle spontaneously accelerated to 100 mph without voluntary application of the accelerator pedal. When the failure occurred, the rpms abnormally increased and the braking system became inoperative. The contact had to depress the parking brake in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer because the technician could not duplicate the failure or locate any diagnostic error codes. The failure and current mileages were 65,000. 4/01/09 updated 04/06/09.

- Traverse City, MI, USA

problem #5

Jul 202008

Tacoma

  • 32,000 miles
I have a 2006 Toyota Tacoma V6 4D 6'bed. At highway speeds I noticed a vibration in the whike truck. My brake drums and rotors hae been replaced tires balanced by two companies and the problem still exist.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #4

Jun 012007

Tacoma

  • 15 miles
Cold start, when backing up brakes squeaks very loud dealer stated is normal> had it in 7 times same problem dockuments to prove.

- Cape Coral, FL, USA

problem #3

Jun 302008

Tacoma

  • 17,500 miles
2006 Toyota Tacoma double cab has had acceleration when brakes were being applied, and episodes where the brake pedal can be pushed completely to the floor with no brake action what so ever. Have taken vehicle into Toyota dealer on 5 occasions with the complaint, but each time have been told that they couldn't find anything wrong (I think their investigation involved driving it around and seeing if the brakes worked--and they did at those times). The problem is episodic, and so is difficult to recreate. I believe that there has been a defect in the braking/cruise control/acceleration system since shortly after I purchased it. Today I was driving at a low speed and tried to stop at a red light. I pushed the brake pedal, it went to the floor and the truck did not stop, causing me to crash into another vehicle. I see that there are multiple similar complaints about this vehicle. When is somebody going to take this seriously? I think an independent panel should conduct an inquiry because I think Toyota knows something is wrong, but they don't want to acknowledge it.

- Parker, CO, USA

problem #2

Jul 122007

Tacoma 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Brakes always squeal noisily when damp after first starting truck, especially if backing up.

- Ashaway, RI, USA

problem #1

Jun 062006

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 500 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the brakes squeal when driving in reverse. The failure only occurs when the vehicle is cold. The Toyota dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The engine size and current mileage were unknown. The failure mileage was 500.

- Conklin, NY, USA