IllustrationTAKATA RECALL CONTACTED DEALER WHO VERIFIED AIRBAG RECALL, PUT ME ON LIST DUE TO BACK ORDER STILL WAITING HAVE A PROBLEM WITH LIMP HOME THROTTLE SETTING ACTIVATING WHILE IN MOTION. SO FAR HAS ONLY BEEN WITHIN 1/4 MILE OF START UP BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO A COLD ENGINE. REQUIRES STOP AND RESTART TO RESET.
1996 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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
10–25K
225–50K
450–75K
1075–100K
22100–150K
34150K+
73 reports with mileage · 180 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.
- Suspension. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports1 fire reports10 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
16 reportsWHILE DRIVING 40 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY LOCKED UP. THIS CAUSED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO COLLIDE WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DRIVER'S RESIDENCE. *AK
THE AIRBAG HAS NEVER DEPLOYED AND HAS NEVER NEEDED TO. IT SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING. SHOULDN'T THIS BE A RECALL BY TOYOTA? AS THE FEDS REQUIRE THIS SYSTEM, SHOULDN'T I RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THEM. OR, CAN I HAVE THE AIRBAG DISENGAGED COMPLETELY? THANKS, JOHN M. PEEPLES. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30MPH ON THE STREET AND ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS COMING FROM A SIDE STREET, HE COULD NOT AVOID AVOID CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND HE HIT HER HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUFFERED INJURIES TO HIS NECKAND BACK. *AK
WHILE DRIVING HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND PULLED OVER, HAD NO STEERING. ALSO AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY ORDERED A BOLT WHICH THEY PUT IT ON. DEALER SAID SINCE STEERING WAS TURNED AROUND THREE TIMES, THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AIRBAG. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON I-15 AT 70MPH, TRAVELLING NORTH BOUND WHILE RAINING HARD, ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE LEFT HAND LANE HYDROPLANED, TURNED INTO CONSUMER'S LANE SIDEWAYS, AND T-BONED HER. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
CONSUMER'S BROTHER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND ROLLED OVER, OFF THE ROAD. BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AS A RESULT DRIVER SUSTAINED A FATAL INJURY AND DIED. *AK
NO SUMMARY
VEHICLE WAS INVOVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN A VEHICLE IN THE REAR STRUCK CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT VEHICLE IN FRONT. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. ALSO, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER / MFR NOTIFIED. *AK
AFTER AN FRONTAL IMPACT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
Official recalls
196V129000 · Suspension:front
Jul 10, 1996
UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE FRONT SUSPENSION SUPPORT CAN CRACK LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE SUPPORT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SUSPENSION SUPPORT.
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
1EA97015 · Turn Signal Failures
Opened Jul 22, 1997 · Closed Sep 21, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
There is no summary currently available