2013 Toyota Tacoma Problems and Recalls (123 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2013 Toyota Tacoma is Transmission / driveline (14% of 123 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2013 Toyota Tacoma?
17 of 123 filings named Transmission / driveline (14% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Suspension (14 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2012 has 294 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 owners reported
- Crashes 11
- Fires 6
- Injuries 8
- Deaths 0
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 17 | 13.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 14 | 11.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 10 | 8.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 10 | 8.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 8 | 6.5% | 1 crashes · 3 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 6 | 4.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 6 | 4.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 6 | 4.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 5 | 4.1% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 37 | 30.1% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
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 14V475000 was reported 43 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V123000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V494000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V557000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V054000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V475000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V425000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA19001 |
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 Tires.
-
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 13V494000
Tires
- Report date
- Component:
- Tires (TIRES)
- Consequence:
- If the spare tire/wheel is installed on the vehicle using the lug nuts from another wheel, damage to the wheel could result and may eventually lead to a loose wheel, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will: (a) Install a Warning Label on the spare tire/wheel, (b) supply a bag containing proper spare wheel lug nuts, and (c) place an Owner's Manual Addendum in the vehicle's glove box. The recall began on January 23, 2014. Owners may contact SET at 1-954-429-2000.
-
Recall campaign 13V557000
Safety recall 13V557000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the valve springs break, the engine could fail and stall while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began on November 27, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 14V054000
Safety recall 14V054000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 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 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.
Toyota Tacoma Complaints and Recalls by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2013 Toyota Tacoma?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 17 of 123 reports (14%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2013 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Tires. 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 2013 Toyota Tacoma?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. 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
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.