IllustrationHAD TO HAVE RACK AN DPINION STEERING ENDS REPLACED B/C BOOT WAS HOLDING WATER. TOYOTA ADVISED TRUCK HAD BEEN IN HIGH WATER, TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN IN HIGH WATER. TRUCK IS NOW MAKING THE SAME NOISE IT MADE WHEN RACK ENDS FAILD BEFORE. RACK ENDS WERE RUSTED OUT. *AK
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
What owners actually said
300 reportsFIRST BLOWOUT, AUGUST 1998, TIRE BLEW OUT WHEN TRAVELING DOWN ROAD. TIRE TAKEN TO FIRESTONE AND RECEIVED NEW TIRE AT A COST OF $20. SECOND BLOWOUT OCCURRED ONJANUARY 27, 2002, WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE AS IF IT WERE A RECAPPED TIRE!! WILL KEEP TIRE. DO NOT WISH TO HAVE IT REPLACED WI…
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FIRST BLOWOUT, AUGUST 1998, TIRE BLEW OUT WHEN TRAVELING DOWN ROAD. TIRE TAKEN TO FIRESTONE AND RECEIVED NEW TIRE AT A COST OF $20. SECOND BLOWOUT OCCURRED ONJANUARY 27, 2002, WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE AS IF IT WERE A RECAPPED TIRE!! WILL KEEP TIRE. DO NOT WISH TO HAVE IT REPLACED WITH ANOTHER FIRESTONE TIRE. (DOT NUMBER: W2HHAWA157 TIRESIZE: P225/75R15)
REAR LEFT TIRE SEPARATED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SIDE OF THE TIRE CAME OFF.*AK (TIRESIZE: P265/75R15)
THE TIRE DEVELOPED A BLISTER ON THE SIDEWALL. I CHANGED THE TIRE, I WAS DRIVING TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHEN THE TIRE EXPLODED IN THE BED OF MY TRUCK. I HAVE DIGITAL PHOTOS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DAMAGE. HMV. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W29VAWI497 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)
BUMPER FRACTURED AND BRACKETS BROKE AWAY, DEALER SAID BUMPERS ARE NOT FOR BICK RACKS, THE MANUAL DOES NOT SAY THIS. IT DOES SAY A BALL HITCH CAN BE CONNECTED TO TOW A LOAD 350LBS, TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE BIKE RACK WITH BIKE IS 200LBS.
WHY DID THE THE ELECTRIC SENSORS IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SYSTEM FAILED. *AK
DEALER WENT FOR A TEST RIDE, AND SAID THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM TIRE WEAR. I REFUSED NEW TIRES THERE, AND WENT HOME TO TELL MY HUSBAND, WHO SPENT HIS LUNCH HOUR POINTING OUT THE FAULTY RACK AND PINION. THEY THEN PUT IT ON THE LIFT A SECOND TIME TO AGREE WITH US THAT THE TIE RODS AND RACK AND PINION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. WE OP…
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DEALER WENT FOR A TEST RIDE, AND SAID THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM TIRE WEAR. I REFUSED NEW TIRES THERE, AND WENT HOME TO TELL MY HUSBAND, WHO SPENT HIS LUNCH HOUR POINTING OUT THE FAULTY RACK AND PINION. THEY THEN PUT IT ON THE LIFT A SECOND TIME TO AGREE WITH US THAT THE TIE RODS AND RACK AND PINION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. WE OPTED TO SEE ANOTHER REPAIRMAN LOCALLY WHO WAS AMAZED TO SEE THE RACK AND PINION SO RUSTED, IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS LOOKING WORSE THAN THE BILGE ON A LOBSTER BOAT. THE BOOT HAS BEEN RETAINING WATER AND THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY WAS SAID TO BE HIGHLY CORROSIVE. PEOPLE NEED TO BE ALERTED. THIS TRUCK DRIVES IN SNOW AND DIRT ROADS NOT ACROSS THE OCEAN. WE WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALER AGAIN TOMORROW TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK OF THE SITUATION.
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A DIRECT FRONTAL COLLISION AT 45MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
AIRBAG MALFUNTION LIGHT CAME ON, SWITCH REPLACED, ABOUT 14 MONTHS LATER, SAME ISSUE. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING 30-35 MPH CONSUMER WAS BLINDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE'S FOG LIGHT,AND VEHICLE RAN INTO A TELPHONE HEAD-ON , AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ANY TIME. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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.