Illustration1997 TACOMA FRAME RUST AT LEADING EDGE OF REAR AXLE LEAF SPRINGS ALLOWED THE LEAF SPRINGS TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE SHOULDER LAP SEAT BELTS DO NOT RECOIL.
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 →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
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
Seat Belts complaints
11 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH WITH THE BUCKLE. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH WITH THE BUCKLE. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR LOCKED UP AND WAS UNABLE TO BE USED, LEAVING DRIVER WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINT IF VEHICLE GOT INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE. SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT OUT OF HOUSING MECHANISM. ALSO, SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. *AK
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRES P21570R14, DOT WTHYAWA, TOYOTA TAKOMA, EXTEND CAB 1997. PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT WHEN TURNING A CORNER. *AK DUE TO THE TIRE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, WENT INTO A DITCH AND HIT A STUMP, THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED INURIES BECAUSE THE AIRBAG EXPERIENCED NO DEPL…
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ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRES P21570R14, DOT WTHYAWA, TOYOTA TAKOMA, EXTEND CAB 1997. PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT WHEN TURNING A CORNER. *AK DUE TO THE TIRE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, WENT INTO A DITCH AND HIT A STUMP, THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED INURIES BECAUSE THE AIRBAG EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT. *SLC
REOCCURRING PROBLEM WITH SEAT BELT RETRACTORS. BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE EXPERIENCE PROBLEM, BUT PROBLEM IS MORE COMMON ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. SEAT BELT COMMONLY HANGS OUT OF VEHICLE DOOR UNLESS NOTICED PRIOR TO CLOSING DOOR. A REAL HASSLE - DESTROYING PAINT ON DOOR SILL. *AK
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT IS LOCKED IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, THE BELT WILL NOT DISENGAGE FROM THE RETRACTING MECHANISM. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO REPLACE PARTS.TOYATA DEALERS DO NOT KEEP THIS PART IN STOCK.. *AK
INOPERATIVE SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED SEAT BELT. CONSUMER WANTS THIS INCIDENT ON RECORD WITH NHTSA. *AK
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS STUCK-CAN NOT USE-WILL NOT PULL OUT OF ASSEMBLY-DEALER UNABLE TO REPAIR-MUST WAIT 3 DAYS FOR THEM TO LOOK AT. *AK
DRIVERS SEAT BELT LOCKED UP/INOPERATIVE.
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.