Home · 2011 Toyota Tacoma · Complaints

What 183 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Tacoma

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (183)Crash / fire / injury (15)Suspension (59)Lights (32)Electrical system (22)Body & structure (21)Steering (17)Airbags (15)Brakes (13)Speed control (9)Transmission & drivetrain (8)Engine (3)

15 of 183 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters

May 5, 2021Electrical systemAirbags

MY VEHICLE FAILED VA INSPECTION DUE TO THE HORN NOT WORKING. I HAVE TO GET THE SPIRAL CABLE REPLACED PER THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THIS WAS A RECALL ON TACOMA'S UP TO 2009 (RECALL B1801) BUT NOT MY YEAR. MY YEAR SHOULD BE PART OF THE RECALL. I BELIEVE THIS ALSO IMPACTS THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL.

NHTSA ODI 11415222

Feb 11, 2020AirbagsSeat beltsWheels

YES, I WENT TO THE DEALER WHO IS SELLING THIS VEHICLE AND NONE OF THE 9 RECALLS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED. DISTURBING! I CHECKED THE SAFETY SITE FOR THE INFORMATION

NHTSA ODI 11308641

Aug 25, 2019Electrical systemAirbags

MY HORN STOPPED WORKING A MONTH AGO-REPLACED RELAY-NOW AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON- AFTER REAADING COMPLAINTS, SEEMS THE TWO ARE RELATED AND RECALLED ON EARLIER VERSIONS

NHTSA ODI 11246290

Feb 7, 2019SuspensionAirbags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH, THERE WAS A SLIGHT CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHILE BRAKING OR MAKING A RIGHT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR LEAF SPRING FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CLOCKSPRING FRACTURED AND WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V604000 (SUSPENSION). GAULT TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 2205 NORTH STREET, ENDICOTT, NY 13760) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,500.

NHTSA ODI 11174921

Oct 11, 2018Airbags

'TAKATA RECALL' THE STEERING WHEEL APPEARS TO HAVE A BULGE AT THE AIRBAG SEAMS. BOTH MY PERSONAL MECHANIC AND THE WORKERS AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAVE STATED THIS IS A DEFECT INVOLVING THE AIRBAG WHERE THE COVER HAS DETACHED FROM THE SENSORS OR A COIL. THE SEPARATION IS INTERNAL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS AND WAS PARKED(STATIONARY) WHEN THE BULGE OCCURRED.

NHTSA ODI 11139882

Oct 4, 2017Airbags

MANY TOYOTAS WERE RECALLED BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAGS BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY TRUCK WAS NOT. LAST YEAR MY HORN STARTED TO ACT UP AND SOMEONE AT THE TOYOTA REPAIR CENTER COMMENTED THAT IT MAY BE DUE TO THE AIRBAGS. JUST TO LOOK AT IT THERE IS A CHARGE OF OVER $100.00 TO REPAIR IT WOULD COST ME OVER $200.00 NOW MY HORN WORKS WHEN WHEN I PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON BUT NOT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I THOUGHT I READ THAT THERE WERE OTHER VEHICLES IN THE SAME YEAR THAT WERE RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI 11031768

May 3, 2017Electrical systemAirbags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HORN FAILED TO WORK WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $500. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND COULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. UPDATED 06/29/17*LJ *CN

NHTSA ODI 10983289

Jan 19, 2017Electrical systemAirbags

HORN STOPPED WORKING AT APPROXIMATELY 48,000 MILES. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO THE SPIRAL CABLE. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLLED PHONE FUNCTION BEGAN AUTO-ACTIVATING INTERMITTENTLY WITH THE WORDS "TALKING" APPEARING ON THE RADIO DISPLAY (THIS FUNCTION IS ALSO RELATED TO THE SPIRAL CABLE). I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG MAY SOON BECOME INOPERABLE IF THE AIR BAG ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ON THE SPIRAL CABLE FAIL. WHILE MY VEHICLE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA DID FILE A PART 573 DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT WITH NHTSA FOR SELECTED 2009-2010 TACOMA VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE HORN IS CONSIDERED A SAFETY DEVICE, AND AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE, MY VEHICLE HORN BECAME INOPERABLE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED WHEN THE SPIRAL CABLE CONTACTS FOR THE AIR BAG FAIL. I WOULD EXPECT THAT THIS TYPE OF SAFETY CRITICAL DEVICE BE DESIGNED TO LAST FOR THE USEFUL SERVICE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. FAILURE AFTER LESS THAN 6 YEARS (AND 48,000 MILES) IS MUCH SOONER THAN SHOULD BE EXPECTED FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF NHTSA WOULD CONSIDER THIS INFORMATION ALONG WITH OTHER RELATED INFORMATION IN YOUR POSSESSION TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A BASIS FOR FOLLOW-UP WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION TO PROVIDE A REMEDY FOR VEHICLE OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE SPIRAL CABLE FAILURE THAT AFFECTS MULTIPLE VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10946419

Jun 29, 2016AirbagsSpeed controlCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING SPACE AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED APPROXIMATELY 18 FEET BEFORE CRASHING INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE TWO INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V014000 (AIR BAGS, SEATS). THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ODI 10881533

Feb 23, 2016Airbags

TAKATA RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE HORN STOPPED WORKING SO I TOOK THE CAR INTO A TOYOTA CERTIFIED MECHANIC. THEY SAID THIS WAS CAUSED BY SPIRAL CABLE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND SAID IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR THEM WITH THE TOYOTA TACOMA, BUT NOT COVERED BY A RECALL YET. GIVEN THAT THIS IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT - AND RESULTS IN A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING AIR BAG FAILURE, THE AIR BAGS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED WITHOUT COST TO THE OWNERS. THE PROBLEM DEVELOPED OVER MANY MONTHS AS THE HORN BECAME INCREASINGLY INTERMITTENT UNTIL IT COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING.

NHTSA ODI 10837868

Jan 25, 2016Electrical systemAirbags

HORN STOPPED WORKING, SO DID THE CRUISE CONTROL.AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON SOMETIMES DEALER SAID I NEED A NEW CLOCK SPRING AND AIR BAG BECAUSE THE HORN SWITCH IS INSIDE THE AIRBAG.

NHTSA ODI 10822162

Aug 31, 2015Electrical systemAirbags

THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, SPIRAL CABLE IS BAD, WHICH ALSO AFFECTS THE AIRBAG. THIS HAS BEEN RECALLED ON ALL PREVIOUS MODELS OF THIS GENERATION TACOMA AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR THE 2011 AS WELL

NHTSA ODI 10760560

Jul 28, 2014AirbagsSpeed controlCrash1 death

TL* 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. AT 50 MPH, THE CONTACT DROVE INTO A FIELD AND OVER A DRAIN DITCH, AND THEN CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST IN A CORN FIELD. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE DRIVER WAS KILLED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000...UPDATED 08/11/14 *BF UPDATED 10/28/14 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10616933

Feb 20, 2014Electrical systemAirbags

THE SPIRAL CABLE FAILED. THE SPIRAL CABLE CONNECTS THE HORN BUTTON AND DRIVER'S AIRBAG TO THE REST OF THE CAR. WHEN IT FAILS, THE AIRBAG AND HORN WON'T WORK. TOYOTA ALREADY RECALLED THE SPIRAL CABLE ON '05-'09 TACOMA'S. THE SPIRAL CABLES ARE STILL FAILING, SO THEY NEED TO RECALL LATER YEARS AND FIX THEM TOO. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10565182

Jul 25, 2012AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A DEER. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE AFTER THE CRASH HOWEVER, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CONTUSION TO LEFT ELBOW AND A BROKEN LEFT WRIST. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE NOT AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

NHTSA ODI 10467628

Working with the data? Download all 183 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Toyota Tacoma verdict →