1997 Toyota Tacoma Problems and Recalls (123 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1997 Toyota Tacoma is Body / frame (34% of 123 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 123 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 1997 Toyota Tacoma?

42 of 123 filings named Body / frame (34% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Suspension (22 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1996 has 241 reports on file; this year has 123. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1997 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 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  3. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  4. Seat belts. Check that every belt latches, retracts and that related recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Body / frame. 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: Body / frame 42 complaints · 34.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 12
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 8
  • Deaths 0
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 Body / frame (STRUCTURE) appears in 42 of 123 owner complaints (34.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 42 complaints, 34.1% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 42 · 34.1% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 22 complaints, 17.9% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 22 · 17.9% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 11 complaints, 8.9% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 crash reports 11 · 8.9% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 7 complaints, 5.7% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 7 · 5.7% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 6 complaints, 4.9% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 crash reports 6 · 4.9% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 5 complaints, 4.1% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 crash reports 5 · 4.1% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 5 complaints, 4.1% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 crash reports 5 · 4.1% Tires (TIRES): 5 complaints, 4.1% of reports Tires (TIRES) 5 · 4.1% Wheels (WHEELS): 4 complaints, 3.3% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 4 · 3.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 92 complaints, 74.8% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 8 crash reports 92 · 74.8% 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)
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 42 34.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 22 17.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 11 8.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 7 5.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 6 4.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 4.1% 5 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 5 4.1% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 5 4.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 4 3.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 92 74.8% 8 crashes · 0 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 Jan 1997; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2006. 1997-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 1997-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 1997-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 1998-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 1998-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 1999-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2000-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2001-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 1997 Oct 2025 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 4,213 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1997-Q1 Owner reports 2
1997-Q2 Owner reports 5
1997-Q3 Owner reports 4
1997-Q4 Owner reports 2
1998-Q1 Owner reports 1
1998-Q2 Owner reports 1
1998-Q3 Owner reports 3
1998-Q4 Owner reports 1
1999-Q1 Owner reports 5
1999-Q2 Owner reports 1
1999-Q3 Owner reports 2
1999-Q4 Owner reports 3
2000-Q1 Owner reports 1
2000-Q2 Owner reports 2
2000-Q3 Owner reports 4
2000-Q4 Owner reports 1
2001-Q1 Owner reports 2
2001-Q2 Owner reports 2
2002-Q1 Owner reports 2
2002-Q2 Owner reports 2
2003-Q1 Owner reports 3
2003-Q3 Owner reports 2
2004-Q1 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 1
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 4
2007-Q3 Owner reports 2
2007-Q4 Owner reports 3
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 3
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 3
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 3
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 3
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

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.

  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 →
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 123 complaints · page 1 of 5
2025-11-03Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11697175
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When’s he start and you get gas it won turn off but don’t do it , and whend I hit a jump and I tuning he shake it wild
2021-07-03Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11423372
CrashFireInjuryDeath
It appears to be the clear coat of the paint job has been coming off for a very long time. Really does not look good at all now. I reside in the state of Oregon. Although it rains a fair amount here, that should not cause this rate of decay of the paint job. It was not painted very well!!
2020-09-18Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11359783
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND THE SUBFRAME FRACTURED HALF. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SMITHTOWN TOYOTA DEALER LOCATED AT 360 JERICHO TURNPIKE, SMITHTOWN, NY 11787. WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TECHNICIAN HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 172,000.
2020-08-10Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11344330
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS EXTREMELY RUSTED, MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A FRIEND TOLD HIM THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,774.
2020-07-13Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11338966
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY LEE SPRINGS ARE RUSTED FRAME IS TO LEE'S SPRINGS ARE BROKEN
2019-10-31Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11277282
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRAME AREA WAS CORRODED AND HAD HOLES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER PERFORMED A REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY FOR THE FRAME UNDERCOATING FOR 1995 TO 2005 TACOMA VEHICLES, WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE CORROSION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.*PM CONSUMER STATED FRAME WAS ONCE COATED IN 2011, NOW PEELING AND CORRODED.*JB
2018-09-18Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11130221
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO HAVE THE MUFFLER REPLACED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO RUST ON THE FRAME. THE DEALER (TOYOTA OF LOUISVILLE, 6514 DIXIE HWY, LOUISVILLE, KY 40258) STATED THAT THE CONTACT NEEDED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE FRAME EXPIRED ON JULY 31, 2014. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
2018-08-19Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11120883
CrashFireInjuryDeath
RECENTLY PURCHASED 97 TOYOTA TACOMA FROM PRIVATE OWNER WHO CLAIMS HE NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTIFICATIONS REGARDING THE FRAME WARRANTY EXTENSION FROM TOYOTA AND SUBSEQUENTLY HE NEVER HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. NOW THE FRAME ON THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND I NOTIFIED TOYOTA WHO CLAIMS THE EXTENSION EXPIRED AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME, HOPEFULLY SOMETHING CAN BE DONE BY SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALLOWING UNSAFE VEHICLES TO STAY ON THE ROAD BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO PAY ANYMORE $ THEN THEY HAVE TO. MEANWHILE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE FRAME ISSUE WAS CLEARLY THEIR FAULT. PLEASE HELP
2018-04-23Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11089723
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TOOK VEHICLE TO CURRY HONDA TO HAVE PART INSTALLED AND THEY PERFORMED MULTI POINT INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION FOUND FRAME IS RUSTED OUT AND VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT SINCE,AND AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE. CAN PROVIDE PHOTOS AND DOCUMENTATION.
2018-02-25STEERING
NHTSA ODI 11074706
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN MAKING NOISES 7 MONTHS AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. DEALER TOOK THE DASH OUT, REPLACED SOMETHING AND PUT IT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. 7 MONTHS LATER THE SOUND BEGAN AGAIN. THREE LETTERS TO TOYOTA COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WERE TOTALLY IGNORED. I VISITED THE DEALER IN TUCSON, AZ ABOUT THIS AND I WANTED THE PROBLEM SOLVED AT TOYOTA EXPENSE. AGAIN I WAS PUT OFF AND THE RATTLE HAS PERSISTED TO THIS DAY. I AM TIRED OF LISTENING TO THIS RATTLE EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE TRUCK. IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME GET THE TOYOTA FOLKS TO REPAIR, REPLACE OR PUT A GREASE FITTING ON THE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN THE COLUMN, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU.

Toyota Tacoma Complaints and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1997 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners named Body / frame most often — 42 of 123 reports (34%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1997 Toyota Tacoma?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights. 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 1997 Toyota Tacoma?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. 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