1999 Toyota Tacoma Problems: Body / frame (228 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1999 Toyota Tacoma is Body / frame (41% of 228 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 228 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 1999 Toyota Tacoma?

93 of 228 filings named Body / frame (41% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (35 reports).

There are 5 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 1998 has 281 reports on file; this year has 228. 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 1999 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 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  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 93 complaints · 40.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 39
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 27
  • 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 93 of 228 owner complaints (40.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 93 complaints, 40.8% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 93 · 40.8% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 35 complaints, 15.4% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 30 crash reports 35 · 15.4% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 24 complaints, 10.5% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 24 · 10.5% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 12 complaints, 5.3% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 12 · 5.3% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 8 complaints, 3.5% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 3 crash reports 8 · 3.5% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 7 complaints, 3.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 7 · 3.1% Engine (ENGINE): 6 complaints, 2.6% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 6 · 2.6% Steering (STEERING): 6 complaints, 2.6% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 6 · 2.6% Tires (TIRES): 6 complaints, 2.6% of reports Tires (TIRES) 6 · 2.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 179 complaints, 78.5% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 31 crash reports 1 fire reports 179 · 78.5% 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) 93 40.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 35 15.4% 30 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 24 10.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 12 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 8 3.5% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 7 3.1% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 6 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 6 2.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 6 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 179 78.5% 31 crashes · 1 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 Oct 1998; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2001. 1998-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 1999-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 1999-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2000-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2000-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2000-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2001-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2001-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2010-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 1998 Apr 2024 Recall campaign 01E041000 ◆ Recall campaign 01E041000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1998-Q4 Owner reports 1
1999-Q2 Owner reports 5
1999-Q3 Owner reports 5
1999-Q4 Owner reports 7
2000-Q1 Owner reports 7
2000-Q2 Owner reports 3
2000-Q3 Owner reports 9
2000-Q4 Owner reports 2
2001-Q1 Owner reports 10
2001-Q2 Owner reports 6
2001-Q4 Owner reports 2
2002-Q1 Owner reports 1
2002-Q2 Owner reports 3
2002-Q4 Owner reports 1
2003-Q1 Owner reports 1
2003-Q2 Owner reports 1
2003-Q3 Owner reports 3
2003-Q4 Owner reports 3
2004-Q1 Owner reports 2
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2004-Q3 Owner reports 2
2004-Q4 Owner reports 1
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q3 Owner reports 1
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 1
2006-Q2 Owner reports 1
2006-Q4 Owner reports 1
2007-Q1 Owner reports 8
2007-Q2 Owner reports 5
2007-Q3 Owner reports 3
2007-Q4 Owner reports 5
2008-Q1 Owner reports 7
2008-Q2 Owner reports 8
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 9
2010-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q4 Owner reports 3
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 3
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 3
2014-Q2 Owner reports 4
2014-Q3 Owner reports 3
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 3
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 6
2015-Q4 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 5
2016-Q2 Owner reports 6
2016-Q3 Owner reports 5
2016-Q4 Owner reports 3
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 5
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 3
2018-Q2 Owner reports 3
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 3
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 01E041000
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 (5)

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 01E041000

    Safety recall 01E041000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OR OPEN CIRCUIT CAN CAUSE A FAULT IN THE CONVERTER AND A NON-OPERATIONAL CONDITION OF THE TRAILER LIGHTS. IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN WITHOUT TRAILER LIGHTS, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR OTHER DRIVERS TO SEE THE TRAILER, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL NOTIFY THE CUSTOMERS AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED TRAILER TOWING WIRE HARNESS CONVERTER FREE OF CHARGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 27, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. 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 →

  3. 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 →

  4. 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 →

  5. 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 228 complaints · page 1 of 10
2024-05-13Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11588530
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 1999 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was not driving smoothly. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that while disconnecting the trailer hitch, the contact proceeded to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that the undercarriage was severely corroded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
2024-03-14Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11577368
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Hi, i had the recall preventive performed by toyota for rusting and corrosion of the frame. Now, the vehicle is rusting throughout the frame and is very very unsafe to drive. TOYOTA is claiming that it was a program and not a recall and had no documentation to prove. Toyota performed the recall and now the frame is still at risk to crack and very unsafe.
2022-11-10Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11493076
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 1999 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an unknown popping sound was coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered severe corrosion and a crack that had formed on the rear passenger’s side fender. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 147,813.
2021-08-13FUEL SYSTEM
NHTSA ODI 11428938
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WENT TO AGUADILLA AND HORMIGUEROS DEALERS, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE A JOB . DON'T BRING ME A SERVICE.
2021-07-20Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11425622
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My 1999 Toyota Tacoma was involved in a rear end vehicle collision (the front of my vehicle struck the rear of a vehicle traveling in front of me) at a speed of approximately 40-45 mph. The roadway surface was smooth asphalt at a slight downgrade during clear/dry weather conditions on Monday 7/19/2021 at approximately 2:40 p.m. in Wythe County, VA. Neither the driver side nor passenger airbags deployed in this collision and the passenger side airbag switch was in the "ON" position. The front end damage was considerable to include destruction of front grille with radiator and other components pushed well into the engine compartment, hood, quarter panels, windshield cracked, and right front wheel joint assembly nearly detached. *Vehicle is available for inspection. *Complete failure of airbag deployment. *No indication of any airbag system issues with this vehicle. *Vehicle component has not been inspected by anyone since collision date. *No warning lamps or indicators prior to collision date. *I am the original and only owner of this vehicle since the purchase date in January, 1999. *Vehicle has 329000+ miles with certain parts of the engine being rebuilt in 2017 and prior to collision vehicle was in very good shape.
2021-07-20Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11425602
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Frame rusting from inside out. Vehicle has been in same family since purchased new in 2000 and no recall notice was ever received. Rest of vehicle is in GREAT shape.
2021-05-18Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11417636
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The Toyota Tacoma 1999 has a complete damaged , rusted, broken frame which is dangerous. I took the car to the dealer and they said the recall for the frame is already expired and they will not accept it, what could i do to resolve this issue. Thank You
2020-08-21Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11350606
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS MY FRAME IS RUSTING OUT HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THEM UNTIL NOW I WAS THEY HAD EXTENDED A RECALL OF REPAIR OR PURCHASE VEHICLE 15 YEARS BUT MY FRAME HAS BEEN GOOD UP UNTIL THESE LAST 6 MONTHS I HAVE CALLED A TOYOTA DEALER SHIP CAN'T GET ANY HELP IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE DURING THE TIME OF THE RECALL THIS TRUCK HAD NO PROBLEMS AND NOW THE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT FROM UNDER IT SO COULD SOMEBODY HELP ME WITH THIS
2020-05-30Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11326642
CrashFireInjuryDeath
RUSTED FRAME. *TR
2019-06-24Suspension (SUSPENSION)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11222126
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE STATE INSPECTED, BUT IT DID NOT PASS DUE TO SEVERE RUST UNDER THE BED OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE LEAF SPRINGS WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED A NEW FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

Toyota Tacoma Complaints and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1999 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners named Body / frame most often — 93 of 228 reports (41%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1999 Toyota Tacoma?

NHTSA lists 5 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 1999 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