2,229 of the
10,773 complaints filed about the Toyota Tacoma
are about the body and structure —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2005.
While attempting to exit my vehicle the inner door handle on the driver side felt loose. I attempted to open the door and the door would not open. I carefully attempted to manually move the lock on the door from unlocked to locked back to unlocked and again tried to carefully exit the vehicle but the inner door handle was inoperable. I am now forced to roll my window down and open my vehicle door from the outside to use the door
NHTSA complaint #11763988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The interior door handle snapped and failed completely under normal operation, causing an immediate loss of driver egress. The handle went limp, leaving the door impossible to open from inside the cabin and creating an entrapment hazard in the event of an emergency. Exiting the vehicle requires the window to be rolled down to access the exterior handle. The failure occurred suddenly with no prior warning or indication of potential failure. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Toyota dealership, which confirmed internal component failure and ordered a replacement assembly under warranty. The dealership noted the replacement part is currently on national backorder due to high replacement volume.
NHTSA complaint #11764169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driver side interior door handle broke under normal use not allowing me to exit my truck without rolling down window and using the exterior door handle.
NHTSA complaint #11763948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2018 Toyota Tacoma SR, manufactured 11/2017, with factory paint code 1G3 Magnetic Gray Metallic. The factory clear coat is experiencing extensive delamination/failure on the hood and roof. This isn't isolated stone damage or normal cosmetic wear. The clear coat is failing extensively across the horizontal panels. I'm aware Toyota has previously acknowledged clear-coat peeling on Tacoma vehicles through T-SB-0004-20 and Customer Support Program 20TE02, and that there are documented complaints involving 2018 Tacomas experiencing clear-coat failure on the hood and roof. I understand my VIN may not currently fall within those programs, but I'm requesting that Toyota inspect and document the condition and consider goodwill assistance toward repainting the affected factory-painted panels. I'd also like a Toyota case number assigned to the paint failure.
NHTSA complaint #11762790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Few months back, the driver side door handle "broke" on the inside. There is some plastic piece/mechanism that attaches the door handle to the cable on the inside of the door that allows the user to open the door, with resistance from the cable. That piece broke, so it made the handle loose and flimsy, unable to open the door from the inside. Toyota said that was a known issue and that the parts were on backorder, so they just swapped the handle from my back passenger driver side door with my front driver side door. Well last week, the swapped handle also broke. So, I have to roll my window down and open the door from outside to get out as neither of my left side door handles work. Toyota still doesn't have an eta of when parts will ship to replace the pieces, and they aren't offering me a resolution in the meantime.
NHTSA complaint #11761814 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The inside driver-side door handle broke, leaving me unable to open the door from inside the truck. I had to crawl across the truck and exit through another door. This is a serious and immediate safety hazard. The driver must be able to exit the vehicle quickly in an emergency. If there were a fire, accident, or other emergency, a broken interior door handle could trap the driver inside the vehicle and potentially result in serious injury or death.
NHTSA complaint #11761503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Equipment Failure. The interior driver-side door handle mechanism failed and snapped completely off during normal operation while trying to exit stationary vehicle. The plastic hinge pin/bell-crank component fractured internally under standard hand pressure. This component failure completely prevents the driver from exiting the cabin from the inside, creating an immediate emergency entrapment and life-safety hazard. The manufacturer (Toyota) currently has the replacement door handle assembly on a national backorder with no available ETA, forcing consumers to operate a vehicle with a compromised emergency exit route. The vehicle currently approximately 3429 miles
NHTSA complaint #11761560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Drive door handle broke became loose floppy, took to dealer, they took apart.... been waiting for parts 2 weeks.... today handle , went full failure and wont engage lock to open, can't open door from inside, have to open window to use outside handle to open door while inside, safety issue... called dealer, clam waiting on part..... Toyota knows of the issue, seen in the Toyota forum that the issue is know and both door drivers and passenger side can have this issue....really don't like that feeling of being trapped. Toyota should have a replacement upgrade to fit safety margins....i've only own my truck 1 year.....this issue start a few weeks ago...hoping the part gets to the dealer fast and the right fixes meet safety standards...
NHTSA complaint #11761075 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The cabin air pressure vents behind the back seat are leaking letting water into the vehicle. The seals have dried up. It's causing a moldy smell in the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11760539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The driver side door latch failed. This prevented the driver side door from opening from the inside. To open the door, the window is rolled down, and the outside door latch is used. The mechanic said the plastic mechanism on the latch causing the failure. In the event when the driver has to exit the vehicle, he wouldn't be able to open the door. Online postings say this is a common problem with Toyota Tacoma trucks.
NHTSA complaint #11760254 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for inspection, the mechanic informed the contact that the entire subframe was rusted. The contact was advised that the vehicle was unsafe to drive due to the rust on the subframe. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted and informed the contact that the extended warranty for the failure had expired. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 49,000.
NHTSA complaint #11759154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Drivers Door latch assembly is not functional, slowly degrading to current state in that driver’s door does not open from the inside or outside. Warranty repair order at Cool Springs Toyota submitted 4 weeks ago. Part on order. Per Facebook group postings this is a frequent failure yet no recall in place to address safety concerns.
NHTSA complaint #11759280 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Took 2010 Toyota Tacoma to independent garage for a problem with tire pressure sensor. The sensor was fixed, however employee of the garage made us aware that there was substantial rust/corrosion on the Tacoma frame. Have made 2 calls this last week to the Toyota Customer Relations/Brand Engagement specialist. Gave the representative all information that we have on the truck and talked to them about the rusted/corroded frame. They had stated that on our particular vehicle that Toyota had sent us out on 11/2017 and 11/2018 a warranty enhancement letter that had addressed this problem. We have never received either of these communications from Toyota, because if we had, we would have pursued this information with them. The main reason I know we would have pursued this, is that prior to the purchase of this truck we owned a 2000 Toyota Tacoma with a rusted frame recall and was able to have that issued resolved with Toyota. Toyota now says that the Warranty Enhancement program has expired, and there is nothing that they can do for us to resolve the rust issue. I stated to them that their records may showed that it was mailed twice to us, but we never received it, because if we had, we would have remembered it, given our prior Tacoma truck rust issue, and not just disregarded it. We have taken several pictures of the rust on the frame of the Tacoma, and never once did Toyota asked to have us forward them on to them. The pictures that we have show the degree of rust/corrosion/holes on the frame. I feel as they were not at all concerned with the safety of driving this truck and it’s declining frame safety. We were the only owner of this truck and bought it brand new in 2009. Because we feel there is definite safety issue to us, we are very disappointed with Toyota’s response.
NHTSA complaint #11758737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
The interior driver's-side door handle assembly on my 2025 Toyota Tacoma failed during normal use while attempting to open the door from inside the vehicle. There was no excessive force, impact, accident, or other damage that caused the failure. There were no warning lights, messages, or noticeable symptoms prior to the handle failing. The failure creates a safety concern because the driver's door can no longer be opened normally from inside the vehicle using the interior door handle. In an emergency where rapid exit from the vehicle was necessary, such as a collision or vehicle fire, the inability to use the driver's interior door release could delay or prevent the driver from exiting through that door. The vehicle was brought to an authorized Toyota dealership, which inspected and confirmed the failed interior door handle assembly. The dealership determined that the assembly requires replacement and is covering the repair under the Toyota factory warranty. The replacement assembly has been ordered; however, I was informed that the part is currently on backorder with no estimated date of availability. The failed component remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection if requested. The vehicle remains in use while awaiting the replacement part. I am submitting this complaint because the failure involves the mechanism used to exit the vehicle and therefore appears to present a potential safety issue rather than simply a cosmetic or convenience-related defect.
NHTSA complaint #11757860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the inside driver’s side door handle fractured and was flopping. The contact was unable to exit the vehicle through the driver’s side door and was concerned that in the event of a crash or an emergency, the door would fail open as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact over the phone that the part to repair the vehicle was on back order. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Both the inside and outside front door handles on the driver side stopped working. This blocks the driver from exiting from the front door. The dealer has ordered a new part, but it is on back order. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle, but they seem aware of this issue. The vehicle has not been inspected by others and there were no indicators that the part was going to fail. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11757331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.