84 of the 10,741 complaints filed about the Toyota Tacoma are about the seats — 1% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2016.
84
Complaints
1%
Share of all complaints
6
Crashes
6
Fires
SEATS
Right rear head rest RATTLES!!! After checking other similar models on the lot, the Dealer said it was a characteristic of the vehicle and there was No Fix!
NHTSA complaint #11756904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Water leak from cabin pressure vents behind rear seats. Water leaks directly into carpet causing unknown mold growth. This mold growth is a safety issue due to the cognitive and respiratory problems associated.
NHTSA complaint #11738731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Less than 5000 miles - seat popping and cracking noise. If you look it up online, a lot of the 4th Gen Tacomas are doing this but when you take it to a dealership they say that is normal. It feels like the seat will break and moves around alot but Toyota will not acknowledge the issue at the dealership and has no fix. Seems unsafe.
NHTSA complaint #11732972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Dear Toyota Japan Customer Experience Team, I am the owner of a 2016 Toyota Tacoma currently registered in Guam, U.S.A. I am writing to request your assistance regarding a water leak issue from the rear brake light area, which has caused the carpets and seats to become wet and develop mold. I originally purchased this vehicle in Saipan and recently relocated to Guam. When I visited the Guam Toyota Service Center, they kindly inspected my vehicle and informed me that this issue is related to the 3rd brake light gasket recall; however, the recall period has already expired. Unfortunately, I was never notified of this recall while the vehicle was in Saipan. Continuous exposure to mold has seriously affected both my health and my daughter’s health. Because of this, I had the vehicle professionally cleaned and sanitized by a specialist company. The Tacoma has always been our family’s favorite car, but now I drive it only because I have no choice. Every time I get in, I feel anxious and uneasy. The water leak itself is concerning, but the mold issue worries me even more. I truly hope this water leak and the mold problem can both be resolved so that I can once again enjoy driving my Tacoma with peace of mind. The blue circles in the attached photos indicate areas suspected of mold. These photos were taken right before I sent the car for cleaning. According to the cleaning company, when they removed the seats, they found water underneath the seats and carpets. Whenever I drive the vehicle, I experience persistent coughing and headaches due to mold exposure. This has become a serious health and safety concern. Since this issue is directly related to a previously recalled safety defect, I kindly request Toyota Japan to consider a Goodwill Repair or Safety Exception to address the water leak and the resulting interior damage.
NHTSA complaint #11730507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s seat became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the driver’s seat hydraulic function failed to operate properly, causing the contact to adjust the seat several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the failure could be due to an inadvertent engagement of the lever on the driver’s seat. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,645.
NHTSA complaint #11730133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
- Driver’s seat back recliner mechanism / seatback locking mechanism. During a rear-end interstate collision while stopped in traffic, the driver’s seat suddenly reclined backward unexpectedly. After the accident, the recliner adjustment knob/handle was found detached at the tow yard. The vehicle is currently at a tow/salvage yard and may be available for inspection upon request. - Because the seat reclined unexpectedly during impact, the driver’s body position changed suddenly and the front airbag did not appear to make protective contact. The driver briefly lost consciousness and is experiencing significant neck stiffness and pain following the crash. The seat movement may have reduced the effectiveness of the airbag and seatbelt system and increased risk of head and neck injury. - No. The vehicle has not been evaluated by a dealer or independent service center at this time due to collision damage. - The vehicle has been inspected by police at the accident scene and is pending inspection by insurance. The seat mechanism has not yet been specifically evaluated by the manufacturer. - No warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms related to the seat or restraint system were observed before the accident.
NHTSA complaint #11714538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Right Front Seat cushion appears to be collapsed / defective. Was present at 29 miles. Dealer looked at it, and dismissed it as not there problem. Started a case with toyota North America, and they're refusing to acknowledge any problem. The passenger seat is noticeably collapsed compared to drivers seat. I have since parked the vehicle as I feel it is unsafe to drive. I bought this truck new the week of Thanksgiving 2025. I fear that the seat may structurally fail during an accident, thus injuring any passenger in that seat.
NHTSA complaint #11711050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, it was discovered that the front driver’s side heated seat was inoperable, and the seat was not heated while the switch for the heated seat was activated. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the electrical wire connector and wiring harness had melted and was destroyed and that the heating components inoperable. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and informed the contact of a Technical Service Bulletin regarding the failure, but no assistance was offered. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000.
NHTSA complaint #11694131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Driver seat does not hold after setting to correct height. After driving the seat rests to the lower position. Wipers make a tapping noise when in operation at full left wipe. At times blind spot warning engages when surrounding is clear.
NHTSA complaint #11672595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
2017 Tacoma TRD Pro Water has been leaking through the rear air-pressure vents for quite some time. I have had a moldy/musty smell in the truck after a good rain for at least 6 months. Then I started noticing mold coming up on the driver's side kick plate. We went through all the diagnostic steps with Toyota dealership, who kept telling us it was the windshield leaking. We had the windshield removed and reset. The windshield people told us it was the cowl under the windshield allowing water to come in through the air filter behind the glovebox. We took it back to Toyota dealer and they could not find the problem. I paid them $165 to "not" diagnose my truck. They also handed me an estimate for $11,000 to remediate the mold. When we got the truck home, we started looking up the problem on Tacoma forums and YouTube and finally discovered it was the air vents behind the rear seat. I pulled the plastic molding back and there was tons on mold. I took it back to the dealership for repair. The dealership has now said they will replace the air vents but will not remediate the mold. I have had sinus trouble for more than a year and did not know why. I believe this is the reason.
NHTSA complaint #11650577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Hello, writing to make a complaint about the heated seat ECU in my toyota tacoma. It looks like improper wire connectors or improper gauge wires have caused the power connector to melt, and have rendered my heated seats inoperable. It seems if a part gets hot enough inside the vehicle cab to warm up and melt, it could potentially cause a fire.
NHTSA complaint #11641311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Heated seat had stopped working, checked and found the problem. The module that controls the heated seats had a melted connector and wires, causing the seat to no longer be able to have heated seats.
NHTSA complaint #11635559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
I had noticed my heated seat stopped working. Upon investigation and searching the web for similar issues I found that a relay for the seats located under each front seat was the issue. I saw pictures online of others and when I pulled my seat out I found the connection between the wires and relay had been completely burned and melted. This is Toyota part number 87501-0C020. When looking up this part it is discontinued with no replacement. There’s no recall or warning from Toyota for this issue. This same part is also installed on Tundra too. By the amount of burning this is definitely a safety issue and I don’t know why it has not been addressed.
NHTSA complaint #11623342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
The driver's seat will not consistently hold the height, it will drop to the lowest height level on it's own
NHTSA complaint #11622897 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
The driver seat manual height adjustment. When you raise the drivers seat to the maximum height, within 30 minutes of driving, the seat slowly lowers on its own. I would have to give it 2-3 cranks to raise the seat. Overnight, the next morning, without anyone in the seat, it needs 2-3 cranks to raise the seat back to its maximum height. I’m afraid it may get worse in time and might just lower all the way down when driving. This is a daily occurrence.
NHTSA complaint #11620982 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Seat heater not working. i looked online to see what the issue could be and learned there was issues with the seat heater amp burning up from being defective. I pulled the amp and noticed the amp was burnt up and so was the wiring. This is a fire hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11619619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Noticed that my floor is getting soaked for no reason. After bring my truck to Arlington Toyota I found out that is was the cabin pressure vent that was leaking. The cabin pressure vent is found between the truck bed and cab. They recalled the third break light in 2019 for leaking water into the cabin but Toyota won’t recognize this pressure vent as a recall which is also leaking water into the cabin. After pulling up all of the carpet I have black mold all under the carpet where my newborn baby was riding. Black mold is a huge health concern. Looking online this is a known issue with Toyota tacomas. My parts to fix this issue have been back ordered for two mths so far, still with no ETA on when they will be available. According to The service rep, I am one of nine people currently dealing with this same issue at Arlington Toyotas dealership alone. so no time frames have been provided. When I was quoted the 5800 to fix this issue they suggested I go through insurance. This seems to be a known issue with product quality and instead of recalling they are pushing it to insurance Companies. Seems to be a shady practice Toyota is pulling and no one is big enough to stop them.
NHTSA complaint #11617466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
Seat heating module for my driver seat has melted and is further irrepairable without buying the entire harness to fix the issue. There are multiple reports of this happening across forums.
NHTSA complaint #11617153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
The seat heater thermostat under the driver’s seat melted and charred while heater was in use Fire danger. Dealer said this happens to a small number of vehicles of similar age and manufacture date. This was inspected by the dealership. No lights or warns came on before, during or after. I noticed the seat heater stopped working. I inspected the fuse. The fuse was not burned out. I found the melted part under the seat in the heater wiring harness assembly. I have removed the fuse at this time to prevent energizing the harness further.
NHTSA complaint #11609722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS
I purchase new 2024 Toyota Tacoma sr truck, at approximately 200 miles. false warnings every time. like " Attention check rear seat" appeared every time after I turn off engine. and when there aren't any kids or pets back there. very frustrated. and this is a brand new truck. what kind of QUALITY CONTROL.
NHTSA complaint #11606638 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.