1995 Toyota Tacoma Problems: Suspension (171 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1995 Toyota Tacoma is Suspension (49% of 171 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 171 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 1995 Toyota Tacoma?

83 of 171 filings named Suspension (49% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Body / frame (21 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights, Electrical, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 1995 Toyota Tacoma

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  3. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Suspension. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Suspension 83 complaints · 48.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 20
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 18
  • Deaths 1
All Toyota Tacoma years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Suspension (SUSPENSION) appears in 83 of 171 owner complaints (48.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Suspension (SUSPENSION): 83 complaints, 48.5% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 4 crash reports 83 · 48.5% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 21 complaints, 12.3% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 3 crash reports 21 · 12.3% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 10 complaints, 5.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 10 · 5.8% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 8 complaints, 4.7% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 crash reports 8 · 4.7% Engine (ENGINE): 5 complaints, 2.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 5 · 2.9% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 5 complaints, 2.9% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 5 · 2.9% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 5 complaints, 2.9% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 crash reports 5 · 2.9% Steering (STEERING): 4 complaints, 2.3% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 4 · 2.3% Tires (TIRES): 4 complaints, 2.3% of reports Tires (TIRES) 4 · 2.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 142 complaints, 83.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 11 crash reports 3 fire reports 142 · 83.0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 83 48.5% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 21 12.3% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 10 5.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 4.7% 8 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 5 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 5 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 2.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 4 2.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 4 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 142 83.0% 11 crashes · 3 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Oct 1995. 1995-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1995-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 1996-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1996-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 1996-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 1996-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 1997-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 1997-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 1997-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 1998-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 1998-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 1998-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 1999-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 1999-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2000-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2000-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2000-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2000-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2002-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 1995 Apr 2023 Recall campaign 95V195001 ◆ Recall campaign 95V195001 Recall campaign 96V129000 ◆ Recall campaign 96V129000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Investigation EA97015 ● Investigation EA97015
  • Campaign 96V129000 was reported 394 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 4,904 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q2 Owner reports 1
1995-Q4 Owner reports 4
1996-Q1 Owner reports 1
1996-Q2 Owner reports 3
1996-Q3 Owner reports 6
1996-Q4 Owner reports 7
1997-Q1 Owner reports 2
1997-Q2 Owner reports 6
1997-Q3 Owner reports 3
1997-Q4 Owner reports 1
1998-Q1 Owner reports 3
1998-Q2 Owner reports 4
1998-Q3 Owner reports 4
1998-Q4 Owner reports 1
1999-Q1 Owner reports 2
1999-Q2 Owner reports 10
1999-Q3 Owner reports 4
1999-Q4 Owner reports 5
2000-Q1 Owner reports 4
2000-Q2 Owner reports 6
2000-Q3 Owner reports 6
2000-Q4 Owner reports 3
2001-Q2 Owner reports 3
2001-Q3 Owner reports 3
2001-Q4 Owner reports 3
2002-Q1 Owner reports 6
2002-Q3 Owner reports 1
2002-Q4 Owner reports 1
2003-Q1 Owner reports 2
2003-Q2 Owner reports 2
2003-Q3 Owner reports 2
2003-Q4 Owner reports 1
2004-Q1 Owner reports 1
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 2
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q3 Owner reports 2
2006-Q4 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 2
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 4
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 4
2016-Q1 Owner reports 3
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 4
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 95V195001
Recall campaign 1 96V129000
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Defect investigation 1 EA97015
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights, Electrical, and Suspension.

  1. Recall campaign 06E026000

    Safety recall 06E026000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 06E049000

    Safety recall 06E049000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 09E012000

    Safety recall 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 09E025000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 95V195001

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A NO-START CONDITION, OR A BATTERY EXPLOSION.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE DEFECTIVE BATTERIES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 96V129000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SUSPENSION SUPPORT.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 171 complaints · page 1 of 7
2023-04-05Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11515510
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The frame is rusted out and now it wont pass inspection in PA.
2021-04-20Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11413097
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THERE WAS FRAME RECALL BACK IN 2010 AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO THE FRAME RECALL
2021-01-02Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11386050
CrashFireInjuryDeath
YES I WROTE AWHILE BACK ABOUT MY BALL JOINT SNAPPING IN HALF GOING 55. IT WAS THE LOWER ONE BUT IT WASN'T WHERE THE BALL JOINT WAS IT WAS THE METAL PART ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF FROM WHERE THE BALL JOINT WAS. DUE TO RUST. THE MAN WHOM I FINALLY FOUND WHO BOUGHT IT NEW SAID HE NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF NOTICE ABOUT THE RUST ON THE VEHICLE.
2020-11-23Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11376073
CrashFireInjuryDeath
YES I WAS DRIVING MY TOYOTA TACOMA ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 55MPH WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT BROKE. THIS CAUSED MY SHUT TO SNAP IN HALF ALSO CAUSED THE CONTROL ARM TO BREAK. WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO BAD HAD THE TRUCK NOT BEEN SO RUSTY. NOW FACING ISSUES WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM BEING COVERED IN RUST. AND THE LEAF SPRINGS ARE ON THE VERGE OF BREAKING OFF THE FRAME DUE TO RUST. THE PERSON I PURCHASED THE TRUCK FROM SAID HE HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF NOTICE OF THE RUST RECALL. SEEMS KINDA FUNNY TO ME ONLY 25% OF THE OWNERS OF TOYOTAS WERE NOTIFIED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE RUST ISSUE. THANK GOD IM STILL ALIVE. HE IS THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED ME. I WILL DIG OUT ALL OF MY RECEIPTS AND ULAD THEM VERY SOON.
2020-03-16Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11318206
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE FRAME IS RUSTING AWAY
2018-11-11Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11150886
CrashFireInjuryDeath
APPROXIMATELY 5 YEARS AGO 125K MILES LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEPARATION. 11/11/18 APPROXIMATELY 250K MILES LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE BALL JOINT SEPARATION. TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. IF I HAD BEEN AT HIGH SPPED SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED.
2018-10-04Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11133368
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WE BOUGHT OUR 1995 TOYOTA AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALLS,OUR TRUCK HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES
2018-03-15Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11079675
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TOYOTA TACOMA 1995 BODY IS RUSTING AWAY, FRAME IS RUSTING AWAY. EVERYTHING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK HAS RUST ON IT THERE IS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. MUFFLER HAD TO GET REPLACED. BREAK LINES HAD TO GET REPLACED DUE TO RUSTING.
2018-03-08Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11078217
CrashFireInjuryDeath
FRAME IS RUSTING THROUGH AT LEAF SPRING CONECTIONS
2018-02-10Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11072041
CrashFireInjuryDeath
SO THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR MY FRUCK FOR THE FRAME AND ALL UNDERCARIAGE VEING ROTTEN BECAUSE OF THE BAD STEAL USED THE YEAR AND OR YEARS OF MY TRUCK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND GOTTEN A NEW TRUCK TO ITS EQUAL OR MONEY OR ( NOT SURE BUT IF U REALLYLIKED THE TRUCK REEFRAMED AND UNDERWORKD )OTHER YEARS NOT SURE ABOUT 99 ABOVE TO CERTAIN YEARS 2ND OR 3RD OR ORIGINALOWNER(WHICH WENT FOR MY SAME YEARS) THEY TOOK THE WHOLE TRUCK IN AND REDID ALL THE UNDERCARAGE FRAME ROTTEN BREAK LINES. SO I AM THE SECOND OWNER WHEN FIRST BOUGHT FRAME WAS PAINTED BLACK SO I DID NOT SEE ANY ROT. ABOUT A YEAR OR SO LATER THE ROT STARTED SHOWING WORSE AND WORSE IVE HAVE TO WELD PLATES ON IT ALREADY REPLACE THE REAREND AND SUSPENSION AND BREAKLINE THE ROTTED (AND ALMOST MADE ME GET KILLED DRIVING WHEN THEY WENT OUT. SO I FINALY THOUGHT AND HEARD ABOUT THIS RECALL AND HAVE BEEN FIGHTING TOYOTA EVER SINCE THEY SAID I WAS TWO MONTHES LATE BUT I TOLD THEM I NEVER GOT A LLETTER SO HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HAVE KNOWN JUST LUCKLY A FRIEND AT WORK HAD HIS DONT. A NEWER YEAR WHERE THEY REDID HIS HOLE UNDERCARAGE.. NOW MY FRAME IS JUST GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND OTHER PROBLEMS ARE ACURING WITH THEE UNDERCARAGE.. I HAVE MANY OTHER PICTURES I HAVE TEIED TO MAINTIAN IT BEST I CAN BECAUSE I DO LOVE TOYOTA BUT VERY UNHAPPPY WITH HOW THEY HAVE HELPED ME

Toyota Tacoma Complaints and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1995 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners named Suspension most often — 83 of 171 reports (49%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1995 Toyota Tacoma?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights, Electrical, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1995 Toyota Tacoma?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources