IllustrationPE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND TIRE WAS MAKING A BUMPING NOISE OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. SHE DROVE VEHICLE HOME AND PARKED IT AND AIR CAME OUT OF TIRE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*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 reportsDASHBOARD WAS RATTLING AND ENGINE HAD BLOWNOUT AT 25 THOUSAND MILES. DEALER HAD REPLACED PARTS .PROBLEM RETURNED. DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE IT WITHOUT CHARGE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
BELT SEPARATION. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HYAWA338 TIRESIZE: P215/70R14)
I BOUGHT A TACOMA PICK UP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. I RECENTLY FOUND THAT ONE SIDE OF MY FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS EXTREMELY DAMAGED DOWN TO THE STEEL BELTS. I TOOK IT IN TO A TIRE SHOP AND THEY SAID I HAD A VERY LIGHT TRUCK AND BECAUSE I AM USUALLY THE ONLY PASSENGER THE TIRE WORN UNEVENLY. HAVING ONE PERSON ON ONE SIDE OF THE TRUCK…
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I BOUGHT A TACOMA PICK UP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. I RECENTLY FOUND THAT ONE SIDE OF MY FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS EXTREMELY DAMAGED DOWN TO THE STEEL BELTS. I TOOK IT IN TO A TIRE SHOP AND THEY SAID I HAD A VERY LIGHT TRUCK AND BECAUSE I AM USUALLY THE ONLY PASSENGER THE TIRE WORN UNEVENLY. HAVING ONE PERSON ON ONE SIDE OF THE TRUCK ALL THE TIME DID THIS DAMAGE. I HAD TO PAY FOR AN ALIGNMENT (ADJUSTED FOR ONE PASSENGER), AND A NEW TIRE. WHY WASN'T I TOLD OF THIS? WHY ISN'T THE TRUCK BUILT TO HANDLE THIS? I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON DRIVING BY MYSELF ALL THE TIME. IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN GET REIMBURSE FOR THIS. MY DEALER SAID I WASN'T COVERED FOR THIS. SHOULDN'T THERE BE A NATIONAL RECALL OR NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS ABOUT THIS? I COULD HAVE BLOWN A TIRE AND CRASHED. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS TO THIS.*AK
THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE BRAKES VIBRATE WHEN APPLIED AS IF THE DISCS ARE BENT, MECHANIC CAN NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS THAT WOULD CAUSE THESE SYMPTOMS. *MJS
SUDDEN BLOWOUT OF SIDEWALL.*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/70R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/70R14 )
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IS LEAKING, CAUSE UNKNOW. ALSO, WHEN ENGINE IS COLD GAS LEAKS FROM EXHAUST SYSTEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
VEHICLE HAS A CLUTCH CHATTER PROBLEM WHICH COULD CAUSE OTHER DAMAGES. DEALER HAS REPLACED 4 CLUTCHES/ 4 PRESSURE PLATES, AND 2 FLY WHEELS. BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS. DEALER CLAIMS IT IS NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE SEATBELT JAMMED IN THE "CLOSED" POSITION AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DEPLOY IT FOR RESTRAINING PURPOSES WITH CONSIDERABLE EFFORT. THE BELT HAS FRAYED ALONG THE FRONT LEADING EDGE AND THIS COULD BE JAMMING THE RETRACTOR MECHANISM. THE BELT HAS SO FRAYED - JUST FROM THIS JAM - I WILL HAVE TO HAVE IT REPLACED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I …
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THE SEATBELT JAMMED IN THE "CLOSED" POSITION AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DEPLOY IT FOR RESTRAINING PURPOSES WITH CONSIDERABLE EFFORT. THE BELT HAS FRAYED ALONG THE FRONT LEADING EDGE AND THIS COULD BE JAMMING THE RETRACTOR MECHANISM. THE BELT HAS SO FRAYED - JUST FROM THIS JAM - I WILL HAVE TO HAVE IT REPLACED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I CAN OPERATE THE VEHICLE. *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.