10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 26,992 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.
While driving down the road with my driver seat warmer on, the heating element and/or associated electronics burned a hole in the seat canvas and through the jacket I was wearing. I think a small fire started which I put out with my finger and then I turned off the seat heater.
- Prescott, AZ, USA
The driver's side seat heating element failed due to a defective seat heater amp. When independently researching the failure, which could have simply been an unconnected wire, I discovered the amp and wiring had an electrical seizure and the wiring had burned the amp. The heating amp sits underneath the seat and with the right conditions could cause the seat to catch fire. The issue has been reported to Toyota corporate.
- Salt Lake City, UT, USA
3rd generation (2016+) Toyota Tacoma's have a known technical service bulletin regarding leaking of the 3rd brake light. During rainfall and driving through a carwash, water will leak into the drivers compartment resulting in water damage and potential for mold and mildew. A quick internet search will result in thousands of owners reporting this issue. Toyota refuses to cover this issue if you are outside of their warranty period, which can result in $1000+ labor bill to replace a faulty gasket. Seeing as this is a potential health risk to owners, this should be a mandatory recall to replace for owners outside of the warranty period.
- Salem, VA, USA
While vehicle was in motion, turned on, and in motion, the amp for the driver side front seat heater pretty much melted. I smelt an electrical burning smell, and was able to locate the source.
- Spokane, WA, USA
I noticed when my driver seat heater was in the "on" position, the seat was not heating up. Electrical wiring/connector for the heated seat module located under the driver seat overheated or arced causing the connector (s) to melt posing a safety/fire hazard and rendering the heated seat inoperable. Tsb from Toyota covers this up to 3years/36,000 miles. Mileage at time of failure: 61,000 miles.
- Bend, OR, USA
Electrical wiring/connector for the heated seat module located under the driver seat overheated or arced causing the connector (s) to melt posing a safety hazard and rendering the heated seat inoperable.
- Spokane, WA, USA
Driving home approximately 20 miles on a 2 lane highway (speed limit of 50mph) and noticed the oem/factory installed driver heated seat stopped working. Proceeded to smell burnt plastic but it was late at night and I convinced myself that nothing out of the normal had occurred since my passenger did not seem concerned. The following day I did a bit of research and tested the heated seat which no longer got warm like the passenger side. Underneath the seat is an "amplifier" for the heated seat which looks to have shorted out. Both the amplifier and the male electrical connector had burnt/melted on one of the terminals. The plug looks completely ruined and I presume the amplified is now broken. All other fuses and electrical connections appeared fine.
- Richmond, RI, USA
Seat heater module connector has failed and burned/melted the connector. Appears to be a fire concern.
- San Diego, CA, USA
The driver's side seat heater stopped working in my 2016 Tacoma limited 4X4 delivered in January 2016. Upon inspection it was found that the wiring harness into the seat heater amp had a melted wire, damaging both the amp and the wiring harness. Other instances of this same seat heater failure with melted wiring were found online in the tacomaworld.com forums. I took it to the dealer to be confirm the issue and have have a quote to fix it. Mileage is 33,900
- Minnetonka, MN, USA
3rd brake light over torqued at factory resulting in defective seal and eventually cracked light fixture. This results not only in electrical issue but serious leaking into cabin - affecting rear seat, roof, and flooring. Leak noticed after rain storms and noticing wet floor/seats and damp floors. There are numerous reports of this issue affecting 3rd generation Tacoma on Toyota forums such as tacomaworld.com.
- Delanson, NY, USA
Driver's side rear seat is getting wet during heavy rains. The leather will be swelled up.
- Rome, GA, USA
The rear seats do not lock. For example, the rear seats have a locking mechanism under the seat. When seat is put back into its normal position it does not lock. I had a 2001 and the seat locked once put into its normal sitting position.
- Waldorf, MD, USA
- Manlius, NY, USA