2000 Toyota Tacoma Problems and Recalls (199 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2000 Toyota Tacoma is Body / frame (31% of 199 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 2026-09-07 199 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2000 Toyota Tacoma?

61 of 199 filings named Body / frame (31% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Suspension (38 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 1999 has 228 reports on file; this year has 199. 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 2000 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. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  4. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag 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 61 complaints · 30.7% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 24
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 17
  • 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 61 of 199 owner complaints (30.7%) in this vehicle snapshot. Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 61 complaints, 30.7% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 61 · 30.7% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 38 complaints, 19.1% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 3 crash reports 38 · 19.1% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 21 complaints, 10.6% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 16 crash reports 21 · 10.6% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 8 complaints, 4.0% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 8 · 4.0% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 7 complaints, 3.5% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 7 · 3.5% Tires (TIRES): 7 complaints, 3.5% of reports Tires (TIRES) 7 · 3.5% Engine (ENGINE): 6 complaints, 3.0% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 6 · 3.0% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 5 complaints, 2.5% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 fire reports 5 · 2.5% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 5 complaints, 2.5% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 2 crash reports 5 · 2.5% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 146 complaints, 73.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 16 crash reports 1 fire reports 146 · 73.4% 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) 61 30.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 38 19.1% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 21 10.6% 16 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 8 4.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 7 3.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 7 3.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 6 3.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 5 2.5% 0 crashes · 2 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 5 2.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 146 73.4% 16 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 Jan 2000; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2001. 2000-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2001-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2002-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2000 Apr 2026 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
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 3,114 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2000-Q1 Owner reports 3
2000-Q2 Owner reports 3
2000-Q3 Owner reports 3
2000-Q4 Owner reports 11
2001-Q1 Owner reports 5
2001-Q2 Owner reports 5
2001-Q3 Owner reports 4
2001-Q4 Owner reports 8
2002-Q1 Owner reports 5
2002-Q2 Owner reports 4
2002-Q3 Owner reports 2
2003-Q1 Owner reports 3
2003-Q3 Owner reports 2
2003-Q4 Owner reports 2
2004-Q1 Owner reports 3
2004-Q2 Owner reports 3
2004-Q3 Owner reports 2
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 3
2005-Q4 Owner reports 3
2006-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 5
2008-Q1 Owner reports 3
2008-Q2 Owner reports 2
2008-Q3 Owner reports 6
2008-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 2
2010-Q1 Owner reports 3
2010-Q2 Owner reports 4
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 5
2016-Q2 Owner reports 5
2016-Q3 Owner reports 5
2016-Q4 Owner reports 5
2017-Q1 Owner reports 4
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 5
2017-Q4 Owner reports 3
2018-Q1 Owner reports 3
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 4
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 2
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-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 8 of 199 complaints · page 1 of 8
2026-05-19Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11738782
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My son was driving the 2000 Toyota Tacoma across very smooth transition railroad tracks at about 25 mph and the right front ball joint failed, collapsing the suspension. He lost all control and the vehicle skidded to a stop. Had he been going any faster, the vehicle could have rolled over. I have reviewed the recalls for Toyota ball joints and found the there is a 50J recall for 2001-2005 Tacomas. Interestingly enough, the trucks/Tacomas from 1995-2000 have the same ball joint but were not included in the recall. I have tried to work with Toyota directly on this matter and they don't seem to want to help me. This is a safety issue and should be elevated to recall levels for all vehicles with this ball joint.
2026-03-09Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11722898
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Broken frame due to rust
2026-01-19Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11711836
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle will not pass safety inspection due to severe deterioration of the frame. The rest of the vehicle is still intact and operable.
2024-05-06Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11587164
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The frame is rusted and I don't feel safe driving it at highway speeds. The electrical system The horn, air bags and radio don't work. Toyota said they had a program to repair the frame but they no longer honor it
2023-01-03Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11500019
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The Frame of the truck in the back above the rear tire has rusted out and the Frame has broke.
2022-11-10Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11493071
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was recently told my a service center that the frame has great corrosion and is unsafe to drive. I am now aware of past warranty extensions for this matter but Toyota will offer nothing because for my year, this warranty coverage extension is expired. My year was also not part of the recent class action settlement with Toyota vehicles having rusted frames for later models (2004+). I'm left with a decent truck that is useless now. I don't understand why a rusted frame that could crack or break would not constitute a safety recall, which I understand does not expire like their well played warranty extension. It is evident my problem is what has been experienced by many others and just because their extended warranty has expired, does not mean the issue was not caused by their defective manufacturing. It is a matter of timing, and our safety. We had taken the truck for service as a Toyota dealer in late 2008, when the program was active, and they did not mention it and maybe there was no rust. Between 2008 and 2015 when it expired, service was not performed at a dealership and still nobody mentioned it. The truck has lived in NC until 2011 and Ohio (snow) from 2011 - 2018 and now back in NC. We had it at a Toyota dealership in 2019 and nothing mentioned. My husband was driving this truck on the freeway every week day for 50 miles round trip to work until last year. I was driving this truck within the past few weeks and was having service performed when my service center mentioned this and said I should not put any more money into it until a frame evaluation is conducted. I have not yet had the frame inspected by a frame shop or dealership as I attempted to ask Toyota pay for this to no avail. I'm currently awaiting a callback from a supervisor next Monday 11/14 after being denied any assistance by Toyota. It is well documented that trucks can last for several hundred thousand miles. A rusted frame at 167,000+ mi that can break at any time is a major safety concern.
2022-04-29Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11462798
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Frame badly Rotted Purchased used, previous owner stated Frame recall/inspection was preformed Advertised on CL as NO ROT Frame is so bad it can not be safely driven
2022-04-28Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11462628
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Owned Toyota Tacoma since 2005...recently took vehicle for muffler repair and discovered my frame was rusted out and in an unsafe condition, when I contacted Toyota @ customer assistance center they advised me that jy vehicle was too old to be covered by ant warranty...they also stated that they had contacted me about the defective steel used on these trucks....I have no proof of any notification, nor any recall of such notice Trucks like mine are still on the road with no problems, NOT MINE.....defective steel, improper rust prevention and lack of notification has left me with a vehicle I cannot drive, sell or repair... My safety and others on the road have been put at risk I would like my truck to get fixed and or compensated for the loss Toyota should stand by my vehicle ( in which they used substandard defective steel) regardless of any time factor. Courts have already determined their negligence....my vehicle should be included in this settlement

Toyota Tacoma Complaints and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2000 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners named Body / frame most often — 61 of 199 reports (31%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2000 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 2000 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