2011 Toyota Tacoma Problems and Recalls (185 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma is Suspension (29% of 185 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 185 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma?
53 of 185 filings named Suspension (29% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Lights (32 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Tires, Airbags, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2010 has 291 reports on file; this year has 185. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Suspension 53 complaints · 28.7% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 8
- Fires 6
- Injuries 7
- Deaths 2
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.
“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) | 53 | 28.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 32 | 17.3% | 0 crashes · 3 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 17 | 9.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 12 | 6.5% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 12 | 6.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 10 | 5.4% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 10 | 5.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 8 | 4.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 6 | 3.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 39 | 21.1% | 1 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.
- Campaign 13V014000 was reported 175 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 13V123000 was reported 726 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V475000 was reported 1,208 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V604000 was reported 1,322 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V743000 was reported 1,315 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V396000 was reported 1,876 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 11V148000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V014000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V123000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V337000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V475000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V604000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V743000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V396000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V425000 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Tires, Airbags, and Suspension.
-
Recall campaign 11V148000
Tires
- Report date
- Component:
- Tires (TIRES)
- Consequence:
- FAILURE TO WARN OF TIRE DEFLATIONS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 138 AND COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- FOR THE LAND CRUISER, SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES, THE DEALER WILL RE-CALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES AND INSTALL AN UPDATED TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL AT NO CHARGE. FOR THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLES, THE TPMS CANNOT BE RESET SO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE TPMS WILL BE REPLACED. TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE REMEDY ECU. IF AN OWNER IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HIS OR HER VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THESE ACCESSORIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANY TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 13V014000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
- Remedy:
- Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
-
Recall campaign 13V123000
Safety recall 13V123000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
- Remedy:
- Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
-
Recall campaign 13V337000
Safety recall 13V337000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the seat belt pre-tensioner detaches from the seat belt assembly, the seat belt pre-tensioner will not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in a severe crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assemblies. Based on the inspection, the seat belt assembly will be replaced or new pre-tensioner screws will be installed with thread-locking sealant and a retractor spring cover with stopper ribs to prevent loosening of the screws. These services will be provided at no cost to the owner. The recall began during February 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 14V475000
Safety recall 14V475000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while it is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 14V604000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- If the fuel tank leaks fuel from being punctured, there is an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners and dealers will install new rear leaf spring assemblies. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 14V743000
Safety recall 14V743000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
-
Recall campaign 16V396000
Safety recall 16V396000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
-
Recall campaign 17V425000
Safety recall 17V425000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the hood scoop detaches, it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET17B.
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
Showing 8 of 185 complaints · page 1 of 8
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I purchased a vehicle from a car dealer "as is" with a clean title. About two months after purchase I took it to a mechanic after I got an airbag light and he told me the vehicle was missing airbags and was in a hard enough collision that it caused the airbags to deploy. This was not listed on the Carfax report and was not disclosed to me. I would have never purchased a vehicle if I knew it was missing airbags.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tacoma. While inspecting underneath the vehicle, the contact discovered that the vehicle was only equipped with three leaf springs instead of four. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall for the failure associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was unknown.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that over time the horn intermittently became inoperable; however, the horn operated while in the middle of making a turn. The contact was concerned about the failure because the horn and the air bag in the steering wheel were connected by the clockspring. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The local dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while performing a routine engine oil change, extensive corrosion was observed across the entire undercarriage. The severe rust damage fully compromised the vehicle's structural frame, control arms, and several underbody components. The dealer was not notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Chassis recall under Toyota Recall Program ZKA/LSC K0D. While the window of this recall closed in 2017, my vehicle was sold to me several years after 2017. The vehicle chassis is in a critical state and is likely to snap in half. I have sent a letter and photos to: Toyota Motor Corp., Federal Highway Admin, Toyota Clearwater, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, FL House of Rep and BBB Natl Programs. All of the above were sent via trackable and signature required USPS. The vehicle should have been prohibited from any resale if the recall can be closed. As i understand it, technically there should be no expiration date on a significant failure. I do not have $13,000 to get a new vehicle and I do not want to resell to shift the risk to someone else. At minimum Toyota should be forced to buy back the vehicle , replace the chassis or offer a safe used replacement option. Please help me understand where I go from here. Looking for your support and resolution.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2011 Tacoma, 4x4. Leaf spring is broken on the passenger side. 130,000 miles. According to Toyota my vin is not included under recall 14V-604. I do believe this is either an error or deliberate oversight to avoid responsibility. Manufacturer date 05/11 so according to the recall notice it falls within the date range but not the effected Vins.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I purchased the truck December 6th 2025 within a thousand Miles within the end of the year I experienced brake failure on the highway I laid under the truck to patch the brake failure and found a cracked leaf spring suspension component which there's already a recall for that exact make and model just not my VIN number for that cracked leaf spring there was a recall for frame rust and just rust in general and my brake lines rusted out but a certified technician from the used car dealership said it was safe and road Worthy I experienced a brake fire on the front calipers shortly after this brake failure the fire caused 7800 worth of damage I got quoted from Toyota to fix it and that doesn't cover the $2,000 worth of leaf springs which there was already an exact recall for this exact model of truck for the exact damage depicted but somehow my VIN is not applicable for this repair.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while attempting to have an inspection completed on the vehicle, the contact was informed by the mechanic that the inspection could not be completed due to several holes in the underbody frame of the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.
Toyota Tacoma Complaints and Recalls by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma?
Owners named Suspension most often — 53 of 185 reports (29%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2011 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Tires, Airbags, 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 2011 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.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.