IllustrationDRIVING VEHICLE AND THE TIRE SEPARATED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
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
Tires complaints
14 reportsWHILE DRIVING THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEWOUT. *NLM
TREAD SPLITTING/CRACKING ALL THE WAY AROUND TIRES ON ALL TIRES/STEEL BELTS SHOWING THROUGH/TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS "DRY ROT." *AK (TIRESIZE: 31105R15)
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE, GOT OUT OF TRUCK, AND LOOKED UNDER IT TO SEE WHERE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. DUELER TIRE, APT, 31 X 10.50/R 15LT. *AK
TIRE COMPLETELY CAME APART, SAME THING HAPPENED TO A FRIEND OF MINE WITH SIMILIAR TRUCK. THESE TIRES SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT RECALL!( DOT NUMBER: W2HY TIRE SIZE: P215/70R14 )
PE00-020; WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT AND HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. HOWEVER, CONSUMER KEPT CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND DROVE OFF ROAD. TOYOTA, TACOMA 1997; FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK ATX, 30X9.5X15 R15LT, DOT VD66/AXC. *AK FIRESTONE DEALER WAS NOT HELPFUL WHEN THE CUSTOMER REPORTED THE FAILED TIRE. THE CUSTOMER WAN…
Read full complaint
PE00-020; WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT AND HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. HOWEVER, CONSUMER KEPT CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND DROVE OFF ROAD. TOYOTA, TACOMA 1997; FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK ATX, 30X9.5X15 R15LT, DOT VD66/AXC. *AK FIRESTONE DEALER WAS NOT HELPFUL WHEN THE CUSTOMER REPORTED THE FAILED TIRE. THE CUSTOMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE NEW TIRE PURCHASED TO REPLACE THE FAILED ONE. *YH
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997 TACOMA, 31X10.50R15LT SIZE, W260AX1526. LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD WAS PEELING OFF. *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…
Read full complaint
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
TIRE FAILED, ON FLAT ROAD, NO INCLINE, ROLLED THREE TIMES, NOT SPEEDING! HOT DAY( DOT NUMBER: )
THE FIRST FAILURE WAS WRITTEN UP BY THE FIRESTONE DEALER AS "SPLITS IN TREAD AREA". IT WAS SPLITTING AROUND THE CIRCUMFRENCE OF THE TIRE. I NOTICED IT WHILE WASHING THE TRUCK. THE SECOND FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. SOME STONES HAD WASHED ON TO THE PAVEMENT, DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. ONE OF THE STONES PENATRATED THE TREAD AREA, IN T…
Read full complaint
THE FIRST FAILURE WAS WRITTEN UP BY THE FIRESTONE DEALER AS "SPLITS IN TREAD AREA". IT WAS SPLITTING AROUND THE CIRCUMFRENCE OF THE TIRE. I NOTICED IT WHILE WASHING THE TRUCK. THE SECOND FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. SOME STONES HAD WASHED ON TO THE PAVEMENT, DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. ONE OF THE STONES PENATRATED THE TREAD AREA, IN THE SAME AREA AS THE OTHER ONE HAD SPLIT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS A VERY WEAK AREA FOR A TRUCK TIRE. I DID NOT CONTACT FIRESTONE BECAUSE I FIGURED THEY WOULD SAY IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD.D( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 31X10.50X1 )
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.