IllustrationWHEN PUTTING THE TRUCK IN THE PARK POSITION THE WHOLE HANDLE CAME OFF. TOOK TO A DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WASN'T CONNECTED TO HOLD THE HANDLE.
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.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →131Owner complaints
Model-year median: 228.5
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1997 Toyota Tacoma
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 131 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Structure: 46 reports
- Suspension: 24 reports
- Tires: 14 reports
- Seat Belts: 11 reports
- Power Train: 9 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tacoma years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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
125–50K
550–75K
775–100K
15100–150K
29150K+
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
Parking Brake complaints
1 reportsRecall campaigns
0No 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 ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.