IllustrationPOSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JERK/SURGE FORWARD. NLM
1998 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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
20–25K
425–50K
1350–75K
1375–100K
35100–150K
52150K+
119 reports with mileage · 181 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 98 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
49 crash reports0 fire reports25 injury reports
What owners actually said
300 reportsBOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS FAILED DEPLOY DURING A COLLISION. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND THE RESTRAINTS DID NOT RETRACT. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
FRONT IMPACT CRASH WITH A GUARDRAIL. SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRONT OF VEHICLE AT, ABOVE AND BELOW FRONT BUMPER. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED (DRIVER SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE). DRIVER SUFFERED BROKEN NOSE AND OTHER HEAD INJURIES. IMPACT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN TO STEERING WHEEL. PASSENGER SUFFERED BROKEN ARM. IMPACT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN TO …
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FRONT IMPACT CRASH WITH A GUARDRAIL. SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRONT OF VEHICLE AT, ABOVE AND BELOW FRONT BUMPER. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED (DRIVER SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE). DRIVER SUFFERED BROKEN NOSE AND OTHER HEAD INJURIES. IMPACT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN TO STEERING WHEEL. PASSENGER SUFFERED BROKEN ARM. IMPACT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN TO FRONT WINDSHIELD. I WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY NOT PROTECTING THE OCCUPANT IN THE CRASH. THE DRIVER SEATBELT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO GO THRU THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING INJURIES TO OCCUPANT. MFR STATES THE AIRBAG AND SEATBELT SYSTEM WORK ACCORDING TO ITS DESIGN. PLE…
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WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY NOT PROTECTING THE OCCUPANT IN THE CRASH. THE DRIVER SEATBELT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO GO THRU THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING INJURIES TO OCCUPANT. MFR STATES THE AIRBAG AND SEATBELT SYSTEM WORK ACCORDING TO ITS DESIGN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE SHIFT INTERLOCK SOLENOID FAILED. VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO PUT IN PARK AND REMOVE KEY. WHEN RE-STARTED DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF PARK. TRANSMISSION WOULD GET STUCK IN REVERSE, DRIVE AND PARK AND WAS DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF GEAR. TOYOTA CLAIMED NOT COVERED WITH POWERTRAIN…
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WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE SHIFT INTERLOCK SOLENOID FAILED. VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO PUT IN PARK AND REMOVE KEY. WHEN RE-STARTED DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF PARK. TRANSMISSION WOULD GET STUCK IN REVERSE, DRIVE AND PARK AND WAS DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF GEAR. TOYOTA CLAIMED NOT COVERED WITH POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, NO REASON GIVEN FOR COMPONENT FAILURE. CREATED POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVING SITUATION. *AK
ENGINE VIBRATES WHOLE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING, DEALER NOTIFIED, DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
ON 10-28-98, A CAR WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP IN FRONT OF CONSUMER WITH NO BLINKERS OR LIGHTS ON, CONSUMER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT, NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS DURING COLLISION, CONSUMER HAD ON LAP BELT WHICH KEPT FROM GOING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER'S MOTHER CONTACTED TOYOTA TO MAKE A COMPLAIN…
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ON 10-28-98, A CAR WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP IN FRONT OF CONSUMER WITH NO BLINKERS OR LIGHTS ON, CONSUMER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT, NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS DURING COLLISION, CONSUMER HAD ON LAP BELT WHICH KEPT FROM GOING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER'S MOTHER CONTACTED TOYOTA TO MAKE A COMPLAINT AND THEY SENT OUT AN INVESTIGATOR. THEY INFORMED HER ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS THAT THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT WOULD GET BACK WITH CONSUMER. TO THIS DAY CONSUMER HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN FIXED BUT WITH THE SAME AIR BAGS. TWO OTHER TRUCKS LIKE SIMILAR IN THIS SMALL COMMUNITY OF 2000, HAVE BEEN IN ACCIDENTS. ONE HAD THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY AFTER HITTING A DEER, THE OTHER IN THEIR CRASH DID NOT HAVE THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY. DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE TO DRIVE EVERYDAY WONDER IF I GET IN ANOTHER WRECK WILL THEY WORK IF I NEED THEM? WHAT MAKES TOYOTA SO MIGHTY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT'S WRONG OR ARE THEY GOING TO FIX IT? * MJS
CONSUMER STATED THAT IN EARLY MORNING WHEN HE WARMED UP VEHICLE, AND SWITCHED TRANSMISSION FROM PARK TO DRIVE, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 15 MPH WITHOUT STEPPING ON GAS PEDAL. ALSO, THIS PROBLEM HAD HAPPENED WHEN HE WAS BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. HE HAD TO STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
198V188000 · Air BAGS:ON-OFF Switch Assembly
Aug 6, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STATEMENT REQUIRED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL THAT "...THE ON-OFF SWITCH SHOULD ONLY BEN USED WHEN A MEMBER OF A PASSENGER RISK GROUP IDENTIFIED IN THE REQUEST FORM IN APPENDIX B......IS OCCUPYING THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEATING POSITION..." IS MIS-STATED. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE AIR BAG SWITCH IS "OFF," THE SEAT OCCUPANT WHO IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE PASSENGER RISK GROUP WOULD BE SUBJECT TO INCREASED INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE SENT A CORRECTED OWNER'S MANUAL.
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.