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1997 Toyota Tacoma

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota Tacoma do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 228.5.

About this comparison →
131Owner complaints

Model-year median: 228.5

0Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
177
1995253
1996131
1997300
1998249
1999210
2000
Compare all Tacoma years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Structure
46Suspension
24Tires
14Seat Belts
11Power Train
9
All reported categories
Unknown Or Other
6Vehicle Speed Control
6Air Bags
5Service Brakes, Hydraulic
5Steering
4Wheels
4Visibility
2Electrical System
1Engine
1Engine And Engine Cooling
1Equipment
1Exterior Lighting
1Fuel System, Gasoline
1Parking Brake
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

58 reports with mileage · 73 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 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Tires. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

13 crash reports0 fire reports8 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

1 reports
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85,000 miles · Sep 12, 2003
Electrical System

THE IGNITION REMAINED RUNNING AFTER THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE STARTER ENGAGED WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED ON, BUT AFTER THE ENGINE STARTED, THE STARTER CONTINUED TO CRANK UNTIL THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE VEHICLE W…

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THE IGNITION REMAINED RUNNING AFTER THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE STARTER ENGAGED WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED ON, BUT AFTER THE ENGINE STARTED, THE STARTER CONTINUED TO CRANK UNTIL THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND THE STARTER STAYED LOCKED IN AND CRANKED THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, BUT THE STARTER CONTINUED TO RUN. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10026435

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.