IllustrationTIRE BLEW-OUT ON INTERSTATE LA 165. WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 65 MPH. THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION THAT SOMETHING MAYBE GOING WRONG WITH TIRE. TIRE HAD APPROX 40 PSI AIR PRESSURE. TRUCK WAS NOT CARRYING ANY LOAD.( DOT NUMBER: W29V AWI TIRE SIZE: P265/75/15 )
1998 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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
20–25K
425–50K
1350–75K
1375–100K
35100–150K
52150K+
119 reports with mileage · 181 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.
- Structure. Review the 98 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
49 crash reports0 fire reports25 injury reports
Tires complaints
29 reportsPE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: TIRE ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE IS SHOWING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION. THERE IS A SMALL CRACK ABOUT A QUARTER OF AN INCH BELOW THE TOP OF THE TREAD. TIRE SIZE P26575R15, PURCHASED ON A USED1998, TOYOTA, TACOMA. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P265/75/R15 * MW
I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 35 IN FORT WORTH WHEN MY FRONT LEFT TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT. AFTER PUTTING ON THE SPARE, I EXAMINED THE FAULTY TIRE AND FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE SIDE WALL HAD BLOWN OUT, 360 DEGREES AROUND. THE TIRE STILL HAD SUFFICIENT TREAD. I TOOK IT TO THREE TIRE DEALERS, AND THEY ALL AGREED IT WAS NOT A STAND…
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I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 35 IN FORT WORTH WHEN MY FRONT LEFT TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT. AFTER PUTTING ON THE SPARE, I EXAMINED THE FAULTY TIRE AND FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE SIDE WALL HAD BLOWN OUT, 360 DEGREES AROUND. THE TIRE STILL HAD SUFFICIENT TREAD. I TOOK IT TO THREE TIRE DEALERS, AND THEY ALL AGREED IT WAS NOT A STANDARD BLOW OUT AND WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARDS AND I WAS TRAVELING IN FAIRLY HEAVY TRAFFIC, BUT I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP AND MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER HEARING OF THE PROBLEMS AND INJURIES/FATALATIES THAT HAD BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF TIRE, I DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR RATHER THAN TAKE ANY CHANCES WITH MY SAFETY. THE TOTAL COST TO REPLACE THE FOUR TIRES TOTALED JUST UNDER $600. FURTHERMORE, I'VE INQUIRED ABOUT REPLACING THE WHEEL AS IT TOO WAS DAMAGED. THE COST ON THAT IS $368 FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 265 75R 15 )
TIRES SHOW CRACKS WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL. TIRES ARE NOW MAKING A SLAPPING NOISE.*AK( DOT NUMBER: W2HY TIRE SIZE: P215/70R14 )
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE, THE SIDEWALL ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE RIPPED APART SEPERATING THE TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/75/R15 )
THIS TIRE SEPARATED AND BLEW OUT, EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED FOR THE P235 TIRE WHICH HAS BEEN RECALLED. PLEASE LOOK INTO WHETHER THESE TIRES SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED. FIRESTONE HAS CONTENDED THAT THEY ARE NOT DEFECTIVE AND WILL NOT REPLACE THEM.( DOT NUMBER: 42HH AWA TIRE SIZE: P225 75R15 )
ON 07-07-00 WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-81 IN VIRGINIA, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT. AFTER CHANGING THE TIRE, INSPECTION OF THE FLAT TIRE REVEALED THAT THE TIRE TREAD HAD SEPERATED FROM THE TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2HH4WA TIRE SIZE: P225/75R15 )
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH AND HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND THERE WAS A BLOWOUT. ALSO, NOTICED A FOUR- INCH CUT WHERE THE TORN TIRE AND METAL TREADS WERE SHOWING. *AK THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE. THE CUSTOMER FEELS ALL FOUR TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED. *YH
BALDING TIRES. DOTP19575R14GOODYEAR "INVICTA."
Official recalls
198V188000 · Air BAGS:ON-OFF Switch Assembly
Aug 6, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STATEMENT REQUIRED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL THAT "...THE ON-OFF SWITCH SHOULD ONLY BEN USED WHEN A MEMBER OF A PASSENGER RISK GROUP IDENTIFIED IN THE REQUEST FORM IN APPENDIX B......IS OCCUPYING THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEATING POSITION..." IS MIS-STATED. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE AIR BAG SWITCH IS "OFF," THE SEAT OCCUPANT WHO IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE PASSENGER RISK GROUP WOULD BE SUBJECT TO INCREASED INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE SENT A CORRECTED OWNER'S MANUAL.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.