FaultScore

FaultScore report

2015 Toyota Tacoma problems

Owners have filed 143 complaints about the 2015 Toyota Tacoma with NHTSA between 2014 and 2026. The largest single group is the other & unspecified. Across this model's run it ranks 11 of 32 worst.

D

FaultScore 61/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Toyota Tacoma.

How this is worked out

The numbers

143

Complaints

23

Crashes reported

2

Fires reported

16

Injuries reported

9,400 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

68%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 21 vs 50 Severity 100 vs 50 Early failure 100 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 21
Against the median year of the Toyota Tacoma. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
28.7% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 100
68% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2015 compares with every other Toyota Tacoma

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2015 Toyota Tacoma

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

3 crashes, 1 fires · median 5,000 mi

Body & Structure 15 10.5%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 6,500 mi

Brakes 12 8.4%

5 crashes, 0 fires · median 9,200 mi

Median failure at 12,400 miles

Airbags 11 7.7%

7 crashes, 0 fires · median 38,000 mi

Acceleration & Cruise Control 9 6.3%

3 crashes, 0 fires · median 36,200 mi

Transmission & Drivetrain 9 6.3%

Median failure at 16,000 miles

Electrical System 8 5.6%

1 crashes, 1 fires · median 15,700 mi

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 7 4.9%

Median failure at 8,854 miles

Wheels 6 4.2%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 4,398 mi

Fuel & Propulsion 5 3.5%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 17,000 mi

Suspension 4 2.8%

Median failure at 38,000 miles

Steering 4 2.8%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 10,250 mi

Seats 3 2.1%

Median failure at 1,800 miles

Stability & Traction Control 2 1.4%

Median failure at 35,100 miles

Seat Belts 2 1.4%

Median failure at 18,000 miles

Tires 2 1.4%

Median failure at 34,750 miles

Equipment & Accessories 1 0.7%

Median failure at 10 miles

Doors, Latches & Locks 1 0.7%
Lights 1 0.7%

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 15 17.9%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 28 33.3%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 12 14.3%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 8 9.5%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 15 17.9%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 3 3.6%
100,000 – 149,999 miles 2 2.4%
150,000+ miles 1 1.2%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Dec 2014 peak 6 Aug 2026

NHTSA investigations into the 2015 Toyota Tacoma

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

EA19001 Opened 19 Apr 2019 Closed 19 Sep 2024 AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

Electrical overstress

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mount...

Recalls on the 2015 Toyota Tacoma

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2021723 55,683 units in Canada

Electrical

Issue: This recall is for certain block heater kits installed on certain vehicles or sold as accessories at Toyota or Lexus dealerships. On certain vehicles, the engine block heater cable may not have enough heat protection and could be damaged by high temperatures. If this happens, the cable could short circuit while plugged in, and cause the wiring to overheat or melt. Note: This recall only affects the following block heater/cord part numbers: C014003034 PK5A408J09 PU14000904 C014003151 PK5A408J13 PU14000905 C014000885 PK5A489J11 PU14000907 C014000888 PK5A489J22 PU14000909 C014000907 PK5A410H00 PU14000911 C014100904 PU14000900 PU14000913 C014100907 PU14000901 PU14003571 C014100911 PU14000902 PK5A489J14 PK5A408J05 PU14000903 Safety Risk: Engine block heater wiring that overheats or melts could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Toyota recommends that you should stop using the engine block heater immediately. Toyota will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to disable the engine block heater. For some vehicles, the corrective actions for this recall are under development. For others, a new engine block heater cannot be installed, and the owner will receive a refund of the purchase price of the engine block heater.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

at 42,000 miles Kitty Hawk, NC Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an unusual burning odor in the interior of the vehicle. The contact's wife, who was seated in the front passenger's seat, noticed a fire in the power switch area of the rear driver's door. The contact then parked the vehicle. The contact extinguished the fire with a jug of water that was in the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. In addition, the manufacturer requested an inspection of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

NHTSA complaint #11741529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stockton, CA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

Was in a serious accident while driving and rear ended another vehicle and my airbags did not deploy. Serious front end damage resulting in a total loss of my Tacoma. Shocked airbags did not deploy. Definitely should have.

NHTSA complaint #11735954 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Myrtle Beach, SC Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH with the seat belt engaged, the vehicle in front of the contact suddenly stopped at a set of train tracks, and the contact crashed into the rear of the vehicle, and that vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle ahead. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. A Police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the left arm, neck, face, back, and head and was taken by ambulance to the hospital to seek medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to a recovery lot. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA complaint #11635900 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Waukegan, IL Fire 1 injured

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO AN AUTO ACCIDENT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE TRUCK TO GET SOME PAPERS AND WHEN OPENING THE PASSENGER DOOR THE TRUCK EXPLODED IN FLAMES IN WHICH THE CONSUMER SUFFERED 8 DEGREE BURNS AFTER BEING PARKED FOR 3 HOURS.

NHTSA complaint #11503555 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pearland, TX Crash 1 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I came to a complete stop right after a left turn into strip shopping parking lot. My automatic transmission in drive with my left foot on the brake. My truck suddenly took off on its own hitting another vehicle at high speed a few inches away to my right. From police report later it appeared 5 other vehicles were hit. Mine was towed to a city lot and retrieved by my insurance company and totalled.I had fractured mid left clavicle and was put in ambulance to ER. No other injuries I’m aware of to any persons.It occurred a few days prior but in a parking lot with nothing in front of me to crash into so I had time to think to step on brake and move auto transmission to park or neutral. No other times did it occur to me. My husband also drove truck and coincidentally had 3 backup accidents in a row backing out of a parking space. First time that type of accident had happened to him.I told everyone what happened but I couldn’t see witnesses or exchange information because my pain was too severe. According to what I heard others saying or what was written I wasn’t believed. They tricked me once I got to ER and locked me on psych ward like I was suicidal but I never told anyone I was. I think they wanted to keep me in hospital longer for the money because they did nothing but an X-ray and I went the entire night with no pain medicine right after radiologist told me that clavicle fracture is the most painful kind of fracture.

NHTSA complaint #11447716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pearland, TX Crash 1 injured

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I came to a complete stop right after a left turn into strip shopping parking lot. My automatic transmission in drive with my left foot on the brake. My truck suddenly took off on its own hitting another vehicle at high speed a few inches away to my right. From police report later it appeared 5 other vehicles were hit. Mine was towed to a city lot and retrieved by my insurance company and totalled.I had fractured mid left clavicle and was put in ambulance to ER. No other injuries I’m aware of to any persons.It occurred a few days prior but in a parking lot with nothing in front of me to crash into so I had time to think to step on brake and move auto transmission to park or neutral. No other times did it occur to me. My husband also drove truck and coincidentally had 3 backup accidents in a row backing out of a parking space. First time that type of accident had happened to him.I told everyone what happened but I couldn’t see witnesses or exchange information because my pain was too severe. According to what I heard others saying or what was written I wasn’t believed. They tricked me once I got to ER and locked me on psych ward like I was suicidal but I never told anyone I was. I think they wanted to keep me in hospital longer for the money because they did nothing but an X-ray and I went the entire night with no pain medicine right after radiologist told me that clavicle fracture is the most painful kind of fracture.

NHTSA complaint #11447716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

North Bellmore, NY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My frame of my truck rotted from the inside out and now I don’t qualify for their safety safety program, they only give you enough time and cover it up with a coating so by the time you realized it’s fully rotted through it’s too late.

NHTSA complaint #11758023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Bellmore, NY

SUSPENSION

My frame of my truck rotted from the inside out and now I don’t qualify for their safety safety program, they only give you enough time and cover it up with a coating so by the time you realized it’s fully rotted through it’s too late.

NHTSA complaint #11758023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Bellmore, NY

STRUCTURE:BODY

My frame of my truck rotted from the inside out and now I don’t qualify for their safety safety program, they only give you enough time and cover it up with a coating so by the time you realized it’s fully rotted through it’s too late.

NHTSA complaint #11758023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Philo, OH

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The key fob separate from the key dangles while driving and with manual seats there is no way to adjust the seat up or down and while accelerating or braking, while moving leg and foot the knee hits the key fob and causes the key to turn while driving leading to a hazardous safety condition, Toyota needs to integrate the key fob into the key so nothing is dangling to get hit by the knee and knock key out of position

NHTSA complaint #11745598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Philo, OH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The key fob separate from the key dangles while driving and with manual seats there is no way to adjust the seat up or down and while accelerating or braking, while moving leg and foot the knee hits the key fob and causes the key to turn while driving leading to a hazardous safety condition, Toyota needs to integrate the key fob into the key so nothing is dangling to get hit by the knee and knock key out of position

NHTSA complaint #11745598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 42,000 miles Kitty Hawk, NC Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an unusual burning odor in the interior of the vehicle. The contact's wife, who was seated in the front passenger's seat, noticed a fire in the power switch area of the rear driver's door. The contact then parked the vehicle. The contact extinguished the fire with a jug of water that was in the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. In addition, the manufacturer requested an inspection of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

NHTSA complaint #11741529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stockton, CA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

Was in a serious accident while driving and rear ended another vehicle and my airbags did not deploy. Serious front end damage resulting in a total loss of my Tacoma. Shocked airbags did not deploy. Definitely should have.

NHTSA complaint #11735954 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

SEAT BELTS

Purchased this vehicle used from dealership after reviewing the carfax and receiving reassurance from dealer that airbags were never deployed. 4 days after purchase passenger window needed to be reset into the track and upon removing plastic around front pillars, discovered vehicle had airbags cut out of it. Also found other SRS components of vehicle tampered with or non functional.

NHTSA complaint #11735437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

AIR BAGS

Purchased this vehicle used from dealership after reviewing the carfax and receiving reassurance from dealer that airbags were never deployed. 4 days after purchase passenger window needed to be reset into the track and upon removing plastic around front pillars, discovered vehicle had airbags cut out of it. Also found other SRS components of vehicle tampered with or non functional.

NHTSA complaint #11735437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tucson, AZ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Purchased this vehicle used from dealership after reviewing the carfax and receiving reassurance from dealer that airbags were never deployed. 4 days after purchase passenger window needed to be reset into the track and upon removing plastic around front pillars, discovered vehicle had airbags cut out of it. Also found other SRS components of vehicle tampered with or non functional.

NHTSA complaint #11735437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Valley Center, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Severe premature paint failure on hood, roof, & cab of 2015 Toyota Tacoma. Paint has completely oxidized and failed, exposing underlying surface. This appears consistent with a broader pattern of paint defects reported by other Toyota owners. Manufacturer has declined coverage despite the failure being clearly beyond normal wear.

NHTSA complaint #11732802 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grayson, GA

POWER TRAIN

Driving around a winding turn incline , tacoma hesitated at 40 mph while going down incline. Tacoma rpms fluctuates at 40 mph as if the engine is having difficulty accelerating. You can hear the engine stalling or shuttering to catch up to speed. This is occurred driving at a steady 40mph. The Tacoma seems to be stalling out at a certain speed limit and rpm at 40 mph. It only has this symptom at 40 mph going down an incline. This is dangerous and there were vehicles behind me traveling at the same speed going around a winding turn incline. This could of caused a pile up because of the tacoma struggling to maintain speed and accelerate to keep speed. Ive taken this tacoma to Nalley dealer and they've replicated the problem but thought if resetting driving mode would clear the problem. That did not clear the problem and its currently causing the same issue. The tech seems clueless in whats going on when ive explained that it happens at a certain mph and while going down incline. The tech know that this has occurred when he taken the tacoma on a test run. Some how the tech think a reset of driver style handling is the issue. The tacoma isn' responding to a driver style handling reset. Ive scheduled another appointment with the dealer to have the tech check the tacoma again. There are other years of Tacoma's that have this problem. I believe this particular tacoma has the same issue as the other tacoma years that are under a torque converter recall.The symptoms are identical compared to other tacoma year models under the torque converter recalls.I don' want this problem to become a hazard where the tacoma cause a massive pile up in traffic because of the unstable mph at 40 mph.The 2015 tacoma doesn't keep steady speed limit at 40 mph going down incline. The rpm fluctuates at 40 mph as if its trying to distinguish what speed limit the engine is driving at. The tacoma is stalling at 40 mph while making a shutter sound while driving down inclines and winding turns.

NHTSA complaint #11724425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grayson, GA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Driving around a winding turn incline , tacoma hesitated at 40 mph while going down incline. Tacoma rpms fluctuates at 40 mph as if the engine is having difficulty accelerating. You can hear the engine stalling or shuttering to catch up to speed. This is occurred driving at a steady 40mph. The Tacoma seems to be stalling out at a certain speed limit and rpm at 40 mph. It only has this symptom at 40 mph going down an incline. This is dangerous and there were vehicles behind me traveling at the same speed going around a winding turn incline. This could of caused a pile up because of the tacoma struggling to maintain speed and accelerate to keep speed. Ive taken this tacoma to Nalley dealer and they've replicated the problem but thought if resetting driving mode would clear the problem. That did not clear the problem and its currently causing the same issue. The tech seems clueless in whats going on when ive explained that it happens at a certain mph and while going down incline. The tech know that this has occurred when he taken the tacoma on a test run. Some how the tech think a reset of driver style handling is the issue. The tacoma isn' responding to a driver style handling reset. Ive scheduled another appointment with the dealer to have the tech check the tacoma again. There are other years of Tacoma's that have this problem. I believe this particular tacoma has the same issue as the other tacoma years that are under a torque converter recall.The symptoms are identical compared to other tacoma year models under the torque converter recalls.I don' want this problem to become a hazard where the tacoma cause a massive pile up in traffic because of the unstable mph at 40 mph.The 2015 tacoma doesn't keep steady speed limit at 40 mph going down incline. The rpm fluctuates at 40 mph as if its trying to distinguish what speed limit the engine is driving at. The tacoma is stalling at 40 mph while making a shutter sound while driving down inclines and winding turns.

NHTSA complaint #11724425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gulfport, MS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TACOMA FRAME IS RUSTING AND SO ARE OTHER KEY COMPONENTS OF THE FRAME, SUPER WHITE PAINT IS ALSO CHIPPING IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS SUCH AS FRONT BUMPER AND DOOR FRAMES

NHTSA complaint #11703810 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wichita, KS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Paint starting to peel on exterior of both passenger and rear passenger side doors above window frame. Apparently Toyota is aware of the problem in models with the Super White paint color and has issued a recall for their vehicles with certain VIN's. My VIN is not included in the recall although the paint peeling is identical to other vehicles that are included in the recall. Thank you.

NHTSA complaint #11646871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wichita, KS

STRUCTURE:BODY

Paint starting to peel on exterior of both passenger and rear passenger side doors above window frame. Apparently Toyota is aware of the problem in models with the Super White paint color and has issued a recall for their vehicles with certain VIN's. My VIN is not included in the recall although the paint peeling is identical to other vehicles that are included in the recall. Thank you.

NHTSA complaint #11646871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oak Ridge, NC

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I would like to express my concern about the paint on my 2015 Toyota Tacoma in Ribbon Blue, which has faded significantly on the roof and hood and is chipping extensively underneath the hood, around the windows, and underneath the doors. The extent of the fading and chipping is alarming, especially given that the vehicle is barely 10 years old and has been properly maintained. For a company renowned for quality and durability, this level of paint deterioration is unacceptable and seems like a manufacturing defect.

NHTSA complaint #11639196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Myrtle Beach, SC Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH with the seat belt engaged, the vehicle in front of the contact suddenly stopped at a set of train tracks, and the contact crashed into the rear of the vehicle, and that vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle ahead. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. A Police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the left arm, neck, face, back, and head and was taken by ambulance to the hospital to seek medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to a recovery lot. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA complaint #11635900 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Glendale, AZ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I have a 2015 Tacoma that has the super white (040) paint issues of flacking and peeling on around my windows, doors and engine bay as well has all painted metal surfaces seem to have lost its clear coat finish and now looks flat matte. These issues are described in both Toyota Customer Support Programs 23TE08 (2016-2022 Tacomas) and ZKG (Wide range of vehicles not including Tacomas); however, my truck is not included in either CSP. I would like to request that my vehicle year be included in the currently running Toyota Customer Programs for the Super White paint chip and pealing issues.

NHTSA complaint #11620772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Huntington Beach, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY

The vehicle's Super White Factory Applied paint (040) is peeling around the exterior window frame. Took it to local dealership and was advised to speak with Toyota Customer Service who advised that my year had not been included in the SRP 23TE08 with the same issues for years 2016-2022. They asked me to file complaint here so hoping that it can be added to get the repairs approved.

NHTSA complaint #11615965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Antioch, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The vehicle's Super White Factory Applied paint (040) is peeling around the exterior window frame. Took it to local dealership and was advised to speak with Toyota Customer Service who advised that my year had not been included in the SRP 23TE08 with the same issues for years 2016-2022. They asked me to file complaint here so hoping that it can be added to get the repairs approved.

NHTSA complaint #11609066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sunriver, OR

STRUCTURE:BODY

Toyota has a Customer Support Program for white Toyota vehicles with peeling or chipping paint. The program covers vehicles in Blizzard Pearl or Super White that are within 10 years of their production date. The Tacoma is not listed on that recall. However, I am experiencing the very same issue with my Toyota. I took it to the local Toyota dealer and they confirmed the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11605539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 62,000 miles Painted Post, NY

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Tacoma equipped with Toyo Tires, Tire Line: Open Country A/T II, Tire Size: 265/70/R16, DOT Number: CXLJ17M2318. The contact stated that there were cracks between the treads on all four tires. The tires were replacement tires. The tires were not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the online tire seller. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 62,000. The tires failure mileage was 8,500. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11602324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 18,000 miles River Grove, IL

SEAT BELTS

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the seat belt buckle failed to secure the seat belt locking clip. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt buckle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 18,000.

NHTSA complaint #11579877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Paducah, KY

STRUCTURE:BODY

Paint failure. Rear drives side door where window seal meets door frame. Dimensions 2 inches high by 3/4 inch wide. No rock chip or other damage that would cause paint to fail. Vehicle is white paint color.

NHTSA complaint #11579716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.