IllustrationSINGLE CAR ACCIDENT RESULTING IN SEVERE FRONT END DAMAGE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD TRAUMA AS A RESULT. *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 reportsCRUISE CONTROL IS DANGEROUS, WHEN TURNED ON 90% OF TIME IT WONT ENAGE WHEN BUTTON IS PRESSED, IF YOU DO NOT TURN POWER TO UNIT OFF, IT WILL ENGAGE AT RANDOM AND CAUSE GREAT SURPRISE AND DANGER TO THE DRIVER. COMPLAINED TO DEALER 5 TIMES, UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED, BUT SAME PROBLEM WITH REPLACEMENT. MANUFACTUER OF TRUCK'S ONLY RESPO…
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CRUISE CONTROL IS DANGEROUS, WHEN TURNED ON 90% OF TIME IT WONT ENAGE WHEN BUTTON IS PRESSED, IF YOU DO NOT TURN POWER TO UNIT OFF, IT WILL ENGAGE AT RANDOM AND CAUSE GREAT SURPRISE AND DANGER TO THE DRIVER. COMPLAINED TO DEALER 5 TIMES, UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED, BUT SAME PROBLEM WITH REPLACEMENT. MANUFACTUER OF TRUCK'S ONLY RESPONSE"ALL PROBLEMS ARE HANDLED BY DEALERS". THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *AK
THE SUPPORT ARMS THAT HOLD MY FRONT BUMPER ON KEEP BREAKING WITHOUT ME HITTING ANYTHING. THE BUMPER JUST HANGS ON BY WIRES SOMETIMES. FAIRWAY TOYOTA SAYS IT IS MY FAULT BECAUSE I USE IT ON A MAIL ROUTE
THE TIRE HAS A CRACK IN THE SIDE WALL THAT COULD RESULT IN A BLOW OUT. THE TIRE ALSO WILL NOT THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE. (TIRESIZE: 31X10.5R15) (TIRESIZE: 31X10.5R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 31X10.5R15 )
WHILE DRIVING AROUND A CURVE THE LEFT FRONT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE BLEWOUT, DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BUT WAS NOT HURT.
VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY DEALER AND FIRESTONE AUTO CENTER, BOTH CONCURRED THAT ALL TIRES SHOW SIGN OF TREAD SEPARATION ON A 1998 TOYOTA, TOCOMA; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, P215/70R14, DOT# W2HYAWA351. FIRESTONE WILL NOT CHANGE TIRES BECAUSE TIRES WERE NOT COVER UNDER THE RECALL OR THE CONSUMER ADVISORY. TIRES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSI…
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VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY DEALER AND FIRESTONE AUTO CENTER, BOTH CONCURRED THAT ALL TIRES SHOW SIGN OF TREAD SEPARATION ON A 1998 TOYOTA, TOCOMA; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, P215/70R14, DOT# W2HYAWA351. FIRESTONE WILL NOT CHANGE TIRES BECAUSE TIRES WERE NOT COVER UNDER THE RECALL OR THE CONSUMER ADVISORY. TIRES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSI. *AK *SLC
TIRES LOOK LIKE TREAD IS BREAKING OFF. WANT THEM REPLACED ASAP (DOT NUMBER: W29VAWI TIRESIZE: 265/75R)
DRIVING AT 30MPH WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A 4 VEHICLE ACCIDENT. MY VEHICLE HAD MODERATE INTRUSION INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT CATCH CAUSING CHEST TO HIT STEERING WHEEL AND KNEES TO HIT DASH
AT SPEEDS OVER 45, FRONT END VIBRATES BADLY AND IS HARD TO CONTROL. I HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES WHICH WORKED UNTIL THE TIRES HAD 5000 MILES OF THEM, BALANCED TIRES, AND HAD FRONT END ALIGNMENTS. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT CANNOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I KNOW OF OTHER TACOMA OWNERS W…
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AT SPEEDS OVER 45, FRONT END VIBRATES BADLY AND IS HARD TO CONTROL. I HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES WHICH WORKED UNTIL THE TIRES HAD 5000 MILES OF THEM, BALANCED TIRES, AND HAD FRONT END ALIGNMENTS. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT CANNOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I KNOW OF OTHER TACOMA OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 31X10.5 15 )
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN HE NOTICED A VEHICLE HAD STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, BUT ENDED UP REARENDING THE VEHICLE WITH A 30 MPH IMPACT. DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJUIRES , SEATBELTS WAS WORN AT THE TIME. OWNER'S MANUAL STATED AIRBAGS WILL DE…
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CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN HE NOTICED A VEHICLE HAD STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, BUT ENDED UP REARENDING THE VEHICLE WITH A 30 MPH IMPACT. DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJUIRES , SEATBELTS WAS WORN AT THE TIME. OWNER'S MANUAL STATED AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY UPON A 14 MPH IMPACT. VEHICLE HAD EXCESSIVE DAMAGE, AND IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO BEND THE FRAME. *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.