IllustrationI BOUGHT MY 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA EQUPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P215/70R14 96S. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK I HAD TWO( DOT NUMBER: P215/70R14 TIRE SIZE: P215/70R14 )
1996 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Toyota Tacoma do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 228.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tacoma years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
10–25K
225–50K
450–75K
1075–100K
22100–150K
34150K+
73 reports with mileage · 180 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports1 fire reports10 injury reports
Tires complaints
20 reportsPE-00-020; TIRES WERE PURCHASED FOR A 1996 TOYOTA, TACOMA ,15 INCH TIRES, DOT NUMBER NOT AVAILABLE TIRES ONLY HAVE 12 THOUSAND MILES ON THEM. CONSUMER'S BROTHER WAS DRIVING AT 50-55 MPH, AND LEFT FRONTAL TIRE BLEWOUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO FLIP, KILLING THE DRIVER. *AK
EVEN THOUGH THIS SIZE TIRE IS NOT APART OF THE FIRESTONE RECALL, THE TREAD CAME OFF IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO THE RECALLED TIRES AND THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED. I FEEL FIRESTONES PROBLEMS MAY BE EVEN MORE WIDESPRED THAN ANNOUNCED.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/70R14 )
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH STEERING WHEEL WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT DUE TO RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES, SIZE P215/70R14. *AK
PE00020 , FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH TREAD ON REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE CAME OFF. DRIVER DID NOT LOSE CONTROL. TIRE SIZE 21570R14, ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT. DRIVER WAS THE ONLY PASSENGER IN VEHICLE, AND DID NOT HAVE THE TIRE. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT 15 MPH CAUGHT A FLAT TIRE, AND WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE THE TIRE, THE WHEEL WAS STUCK TO THE AXLE ASSEMBLY PART. CONSUMER HAD TO BEAT THE TIRE OFF WITH A HAMMER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN THE SHOP, THE DEALER HAD TO USE A HAMMER TO BEAT UNDER THE VEHICLE TO GET THE TIRE OFF. *AK
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED CAUSING THE BELT TO BE LOOSE AND TO GET CAUGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR.
THREE OF FIVE TIRES (ORIGINAL) DUNLOP (P22575R15) HAVE BEEN RUINED WITH SIDEWALL PUNCTURES.
TIRE VALVE ACCESS MOVES AWAY FROM TIRE VALVE AND IT BECOMES UNACCESSIBLE FOR SERVICE.
FAULTY FRONT SUSPENSION, CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE GOODYEAR TIRES OUTER/INNER TREAD. *AK
Official recalls
196V129000 · Suspension:front
Jul 10, 1996
UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE FRONT SUSPENSION SUPPORT CAN CRACK LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE SUPPORT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SUSPENSION SUPPORT.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA97015 · Turn Signal Failures
Opened Jul 22, 1997 · Closed Sep 21, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
There is no summary currently available