What's Wrong with the 2nd Generation (2005–2015) Tacoma?

Tacoma owners have made 631 complaints about the 2005–2015 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 72nd out of 81 Toyota generations in overall reliability, with real body and engine concerns.

Compare With Other Tacoma Generations

Common 2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma Problems

Some of the worst issues 2nd generation Tacoma owners have to deal with.

  2. Toyota Truck Frame Rust

    There are thousands of Toyota trucks and SUVs that are one stiff breeze away from turning into a pile of corroded dust. The automaker has been accused of not properly applying corrosion protection to their vehicles, leading to multiple laws…

    Continue reading article "Toyota Truck Frame Rust"

  3. Unintended Acceleration

    Toyota believes the problems are caused by stuck gas pedals or misplaced floor mats that trapped the gas pedals. Independent testing by NASA and other outside laboratories agreed with Toyota and concluded driver error was also a contributin…

    Continue reading article "Unintended Acceleration"

  4. Rodents Chew Soy-Coated Wires

    Somewhere in the mid-2000's there was an industry-wide push by automakers to replace plastic and glass-based wiring insulation with a more eco-friendly soy-based coating. It's biodegradable, commendable, and a complete disaster for owners. …

    Continue reading article "Rodents Chew Soy-Coated Wires"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

2nd Generation (2005–2015) Tacoma Key Numbers

  1. 11 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 631 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 72nd in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 81 eligible generations.

Recent 2nd Generation (2005–2015) Tacoma News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  3. When Toyota switched away from using plastic or glass-based inulation in favor of soy, it invited in some very unwelcome Toyota loyalisits.

    According to the plaintiff, she learned the hard way about the soy wiring when her Avalon wouldn't start and a look under the hood showed wires chewed, so she had the car towed to a dealer. Toyota told her rodents had caused the damage and it would be no problem to repair the problems as long as she could cough up $6,000 to cover the bill.

    The soy-based wiring is allegedly attracting in rodents, who love to chew it up and use it for nesting material. The lawsuit, Heidi Browder vs. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al. follows a similar lawsuit filed against Honda earlier this year.

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Toyota’s Use of Soy-Based Wiring is Attracting Rodent Damage"

  5. How hot do you like your seat heater in the winter?

    If you like it really toasty — as in, with an actual flame — you’ll probably love one of 7,700 Toyota vehicles with seat heaters that catch on fire. The vehicles have been recalled because fire and cars don’t get along, what with their tanks of highly flammable liquids and all. All the affected vehicles are equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters that contain copper strand heating elements. The recall is being handled by Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) which is the world’s largest distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles.

    The recall is expected to begin on July 14, 2016 and the seat heaters will need to be disconnected. Owners will be reimbursed.

    keep reading article "Toyota Wants to Stop Seat Heaters From Setting Owner's Buns on Fire"

  6. Toyota doesn't exactly have a sterling reputation when it comes to unintended acceleration.

    And so, when Corolla owner Robert Ruginis petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate low-speed surging in the 2006-2010 Corolla, it seemed like a slam dunk, home run or <insert sports cliché here>. Go sports team! But instead NHTSA said no to the investigation. The agency said they analyzed data from an event recorder cited by Ruginis in his petition and came up with a completely different conclusion. Ruginis said his Corolla moved forward with the brake pedal pressed, NHTSA said it didn't. Ruginis said Corollas can move forward even with the brake pressed to the floor, NHTSA said they can't.

    Instead, NHTSA placed the blame on Corolla drivers in most cases. They also said an investigation wasn't worth their time:…

    keep reading article "NHTSA Says No to Unintended Acceleration Investigation"

  7. Oh, Tacoma! Just days after Toyota recalled 690,000 trucks for corroded rear suspension leaf springs, an Arkansas man has filed a lawsuit claiming that isn't the only thing rotting away on these trucks.

    Plaintiff Ryan Burns says hundreds of thousands of Tacoma owners have trucks with rusted frames that need repair or replacement and they shouldn't be responsible for the cost. He states that Toyota is aware of a problem with their frames because:…

    keep reading article "Tacoma Owners Pool Together And File a Rusted Frames Lawsuit"

  8. If we were ranking car problems on a scale from 1-10

    , it might look a little something like this:

    • 1: My wiper has a tear and now my windshield gets all streaky when it rains
    • 5: My suspension clunks along at a techno beat while driving down a bumpy road
    • 10: Neighborhood kids started roasting marshmallows over the charred remains of my car

    You never want to get to 10, but unfortunately Tacoma owners might not have a choice. Toyota recently announced part of the truck's rear suspension can break and rupture the gas tank or damage a brake line. Thankfully, there's a recall and here's a breakdown of what you need to know:…

    keep reading article "Busted Tacoma Suspensions Recalled for Rupturing Gas Tanks"

  9. Toyota thought the scourge of unintended acceleration was finally behind them.

    They had, after all, recalled millions of cars, paid hefty fines to the government, entered talks to settle hundreds of class-action lawsuits and even paid out $1.6 billion to owners because the trade-in value of their vehicles had diminished. Besides, the world's attention had turned to GM's ignition switch fiasco. So are Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration in the rearview mirror? Not so fast, or in this case ... slow.…

    keep reading article "New Unintended Acceleration Petition Filed"

  10. In the past month, Toyota has recalled cars that leak gas and catch on fire, faced growing criticism about unintended acceleration at low speeds and been named in a lawsuit complaining about rusted frames in older trucks.

    So, finding out your Toyota has been recalled for an incorrect tire pressure label isn't that big of a deal. It's really more along the lines of a pain in the you-know-what that needs attention to pass federal safety standards. Here's what you need to know:…

    keep reading article "Tire Pressure Placard Recall"