Toyota · vehicle model

Toyota Tacoma

10,506 NHTSA complaints and 156 safety recalls across model years 1995–2025.

Complaints
10,506
Recalls
156
Model years
31

The verdict

The Toyota Tacoma pairs above-average complaint volume with 156 recalls (heavily recalled).

1st pctile
complaint volume, US models
156
recall campaigns
Follow this model's NHTSA record changes

Toyota Tacoma vs. all tracked models

Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data

10,506 Higher than most more complaints than 99% of 3,088 models

tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026

The ToyotaTacoma appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 10,506 consumer safety complaints and 156 recall campaigns across 31 model years (1995–2025). That averages roughly 339 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 1 investigation file tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
202549
2024170
202358
202273
2021102
2020118
2019292
2018266
2017302
2016409
2015130
2014131
2013168
2012406
2011224
2010341
2009609
2008554
2007675
2006975
2005870
2004544
2003477
2002443
2001504
2000272
1999303
1998358
1997148
1996321
1995214

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 2,776 in 2017-2021 to 1,315 in 2022-2026, a fall of 52.6%. That is the 41th percentile of change across the 763 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

4
’95
42
’96
68
’97
62
’98
150
’99
211
’00
143
’01
110
’02
107
’03
80
’04
171
’05
159
’06
254
’07
285
’08
292
’09
663
’10
291
’11
315
’12
513
’13
800
’14
790
’15
905
’16
772
’17
534
’18
499
’19
568
’20
403
’21
259
’22
295
’23
313
’24
384
’25
64
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

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Compare ToyotaTacoma to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the Toyota Tacoma?
The Toyota Tacoma has received 10,506 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1995 to 2025, with 156 recalls. That averages about 339 complaints per model year.
What years of Toyota Tacoma are available?
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the Toyota Tacoma from 1995 to 2025 (31 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the Toyota Tacoma have safety ratings?
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many Toyota Tacoma model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common Toyota Tacoma complaints?
NHTSA complaints for the Toyota Tacoma are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my Toyota Tacoma has been recalled?
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Toyota Tacoma totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.