2008 TOYOTA TACOMA Recalls, Complaints & Safety

The brakes on my 2008 Toyota Tacoma were failing so I took it to a mechanic, who said that the brake lines had failed and needed to be replaced. However, he said that it wasn't worth putting any money into the truck, as the leaf springs were corroded along with the frame, which could crack apart at any time. As we only purchased the truck one year ago, he advised us to take it to the dealership where we purchased it, and informed us of the recalls on both of these issues. I spoke with the mechanic at the dealership because when we purchased the vehicle, they did the inspection and said that everything was fine. When I asked the mechanic about this, he said that he didn't have anything to do with sales and we needed to speak to the owner (who is out on medical leave). The mechanic said that when the dealership purchased the vehicle at auction, the frame must have been undercoated and so they missed it. When I mentioned the recall, he told me to call Toyota. I have checked the VIN and it is not showing an open recall for this vehicle. However, it is experiencing the exact same safety issues as the recalls for leaf spring corrosion and frame rust and cracking. I have only had this truck for a little over one year and do not know what to do. It is too dangerous to drive as it could cause a serious accident. Neither the dealership nor Toyota want to take responsibility and offer a solution.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while his wife was entering the vehicle on the passenger’s side, the sidestep was stepped on, and there was an abnormal crunching sound coming from the step. The contact went to the passenger’s side front door and yanked on the sidestep, which caused the sidestep to almost separate from the sub frame. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and observed severe corrosion extending the length of the passenger’s and driver's side. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic due to the extent of the corrosion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,807.

I am reporting a serious safety incident with my 2008 Toyota Tacoma. While driving at approximately 65 mph on the highway last week, my spare tire detached from the vehicle (unknown at that time). The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) light activated, and I later discovered the spare had broken free and fallen off. This was unknown until a week later when the dealership said the TPMS went off due to a missing spare tire. The failure was caused by severe corrosion of the spare tire carrier/hoist assembly, which gave way without warning. This created an immediate highway hazard for vehicles behind me. Toyota has previously issued recalls for spare tire carrier corrosion on earlier Sequoia and Tundra models. However, my 2008 model year was not included — yet the exact defect has now occurred. This is not a matter of convenience or maintenance. A spare tire falling off at highway speeds is a life-safety defect that should be investigated by Toyota and NHTSA before someone is seriously injured or killed.

Wire connection on passenger side, under carpet. It is to the heater Temperature Control. The heater only works on High until you hit a bump or move the connector then it will start working until you bump it again. It is available for inspection upon request. A Certified Mechanic told me, It could potentially cause a fire by shorting out. I have two other friends with the same issue on their Toyota Tacoma's. .

report a paint defect on my 2008 Toyota Tacoma, painted in Super White (040). Over time, I have noticed significant paint peeling on multiple areas of the truck, including the roof, hood, and door frames. The paint is deteriorating down to the primer, and in some places, the metal is now exposed. I am aware of Toyota’s Customer Support Program T-SB-0162-19, which extends warranty coverage for similar paint issues on various Toyota models using the same Super White (040) and Blizzard Pearl (070) paints. However, I am disappointed to learn that the Tacoma—despite having identical paint and similar defects—was excluded from the original program. This paint failure is clearly not due to age or wear, but rather a manufacturing defect that has been documented by thousands of Tacoma owners nationwid

Loss of brakes

I have a 2008 Tacoma with a severely rusted frame. I just bought it a few months ago but didn’t know the frame was this bad. It’s unsafe to drive in its current state. Toyota will not honor their now expired recall for their faulty frames. Their frames were not coated properly from the factory and almost all tacomas had this issues that were in the cooler states of the US, and around the world for that matter.

Toyota has had a long history of excessive frame rust. This truck has excessive frame rust. There was a recall to fix this frame rust and my truck has not been fixed. Toyota will not fix the current recall for the spring replacement because of the frame rust. My life and my children’s lives are in danger due to the possible leaf suspension failure that may puncture the gas tank.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that during a routine oil change, he was advised that the sub frame had extensive corrosion on the rear and front passenger’s side of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was informed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,950.

Hope to be able to get this solved. My 2008 Toyota Tacoma had a recall with the previous owner but they didn't take it in. On the rear section of the frame on the inside beside the gas tank and on the driver side there is a lot of rust there the frame has expanded and is starting to go all away through also same place back beside the muffler on the passenger side. Also there are a few spots on the front part of the frame under the fire wall area on both sides. I had a recall on the truck and took it in and had it fixed which Toyota replaced the leaf springs on both sides and hardware. Says there was a recall when the previous owner had the truck. Will they validate that still? I've owned the truck almost a year now. But it's getting worse. Within a year I'm gonna have to park it because it liable to possible break in half. Toyota should of let me known when they had it on the lift replacing the rear leaf springs. Not my fault the previous owner didn't take the truck in to have them look at it.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel failed to move as intended and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving at a slow speed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the pinion steering gear failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal revving sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine was leaking oil and the entire braking system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while receiving an oil change, an independent mechanic discovered severe corrosion with the subframe of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that underneath the vehicle there was an abnormal amount of rust on the frame. The front passenger side frame was deteriorating. The dealer was called and made aware of the failure however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was parked and driven when necessary as they feared for their safety when the vehicle was driven. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the failure was a known issue. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

Some of the interior door light switches don't light @ night. I can probably take the door panel off & fix it... (buy bulbs)...? Door hinge on the gas cap breaks way to easily. Could fly off & hit someone\thing... Clunking sound coming from the rear end & I can't find where it's coming from... Gas cap gets loose & throws a p0333 code knock sensor bank 1 or 2 or both. Who put them under the manifold... ? Scary to get the code. That's a hr+ job that's doing it myself.$ Expensive from a shop $ Nothing to serious. 2nd Owner. Runs strong for the miles on it. Thank you, [XXX] , INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

In March of 2008, I purchased a new 2008 Toyota Tacoma (VIN: [XXX] ) from Orleans Toyota in Massachusetts. In July 2010 I re-located to New Hampshire and registered the vehicle in that state in July 2010 where I have resided since. The odometer reading at that time was 21,220 Miles. In September of 2014, I received a safety recall notice from Toyota regarding a potential frame corrosion problem. I scheduled an appointment with the local Toyota dealership in East Swanzy NH on September 12, 2014 to address this issue. The odometer reading at the time was 82,068 miles. There were two remediation options, as set by Toyota: A.Inspect frame, clean, and apply CRC if no perforations were found B.Inspect frame and if perforations found, replace the frame. Both of these options were intended to mitigate any and all risk of future corrosion of the frame that was a result of a known vehicle design flaw. Toyota chose to apply the CRC. I therefore assumed that the frame was intact at that point in time and the issue had been resolved. Between September 2014 and December 2019, I drove the vehicle 62 miles a day on [XXX] in NH commuting between Hillsboro and Keene for all 12 months of the year. This represents a total mileage of 87,939 (36,054 of which can be considered winter driving during the months of November thru March). The Toyota dealership inspected and passed the vehicle in 2023 without mention of any issue regarding the frame. On [XXX] of this year, the Toyota dealership rejected the state inspection due to severe frame corrosion (to the point that the technician felt it was a risk putting the truck on a lift). It should be noted that this vehicle has only been driven 3,000 since it passed inspection in 2023, none of which were during Winter months. In addition, there are no visible signs of rust or corrosion on the exterior of the vehicle. The above points to the fact that the CRC application in 2014 was ineffective in mitigating the safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI

Tried to avoid a deer and the frame of truck felt unstable and felt like it was folding. I looked at the frame there are rust holes through out the whole frame. How could they design this and not back it up.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for the State inspection, the dealer informed the contact that the subframe was severely corroded, and there was a large hole in the front leaf spring shackles. The dealer determined that the subframe needed to be reinforced at an auto body shop. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that two extended warranty letters related to the failure were sent to the vehicle owners. The manufacturer informed the contact that the Extended Warranties had expired; however, the contact never received the letters. The failure mileage was approximately 107,811.

Following an oil change my mechanic expressed concern about the amount of rust and damage from the rust on my vehicle frame. Due to his concern, I set up an evaluation appointment with the Arlington Heights (IL) Toyota dealer. They evaluated, videotaped the inspection which showed several rusted-through spots, and said it looked very serious and unsafe. The dealer then contacted the Toyota corporate office who refused to do anything. I'm the second owner. I have all the paperwork from the original owner who followed the rusty frame protocol properly (take it to the dealer who sprays it with rust preventative or replaces the frame). The frame was sprayed by Toyota while he had it and it did not work. There are now several rusted-through areas in the frame and I fear for the safety of myself and my family if we were involved in a crash and the frame were to collapse.

The brakes completely failed on the vehicle. When inspected the main brake line was found damaged due to the frame of the car being totally corroded and shifting of the mechanical structure. If I were not quick in getting the emergency brake applied, we would have had an uncontrolled crash in traffic and could have potentially been killed. There were no warnings or lights that came on in the vehicle prior to the complete brake failure. The car is currently at a local repair shop and can be inspected if necessary. The frame corrosion was so bad on this car that the repair shop was not comfortable even putting it on a lift as they felt the car frame would break.

brought my tacoma truck in for trade in at toyota dealership,after they inspected vehicle,they told me frame on truck is rusted so bad that it has to be replaced.i have been driving this truck pulling my boat and hauling heavy loads.i had no ideal that frame was so rotted and is a saftey hazard on the road.now i have truck nobody wants and will cost to much to repair.truck is only 2008 with 111000 miles on it! how can this be?as far as i know there where no recalls on the frame sent to me.don't know what to do.wont be buying toyota any more.

Frame is rusted. Lancaster Toyota Mazda body shop recommended the frame be replaced. They will not repair it.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the subframe of the vehicle was significantly corroded. The contact stated that the passenger's side of the vehicle was warped, which made the vehicle unsafe to drive. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had passed inspection when an unknown recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle in 2016. The failure mileage was approximately 243,000.

I purchased this vehicle used several years ago. I recently took it in for an oil change and my mechanic advised me that the underside was rusting out. There was a recall for this issue but it has expired and Toyota has refused to do anything.

First notices that volume control on steering wheel and temp and directional display stopped working about a year ago. Now air bag light stays on when car is started and alarm for seat belts quit working.

08trd Tacoma Frame rust bad I bought it in 2011 certified used vehicle. I 2015 had frame inspection They undercoat It has 66000 miles on it Tues this week asked mechanic change oil He said the frame is rusted bad Contacted Toyota that as soon as I got home, I had the email copy I sent to you. She gave me a little glimmer of hope she has a one. Oh I do bring it to the Smithtown dealership which is right down the block and left and I did the next one and I did and it’s documented, the rust is so bad he gonna pass inspection in December I take care of my vehicles yesterday got call Toyota declined to help I’m in shock past time They oct 2020 I’m so disappointed plz help truck is like new since bought 2011 to now I put 40000 Avg 4000 year im local

While driving at unknown low speed on 2 lane road, contact observed bed of truck rise vertically in the air, within the frame of rearview mirror. Upon pulling over, further investigation indicated that indeed, while adding body weight to the truck bumper, rear of bed, was more than sufficient to cause the front of the bed to rise. Truck was later moved to dealer location, Courtesy Toyota, Brandon, FL, for inspection. Inspection by Toyota indicated both frame rails were completely severed by corrosion. Truck was tagged out of service and not safe to operate by the OEM. This unit was inspected by same Toyota dealership in Jan 2019, for extended frame corrosion warranty program, and was passed for frame rail replacement as it did not meet the failure criteria of the incorrectly written test. This criteria DOES NOT address all failure modes, nor a normal population of "most likely" failure modes, thus allowing the OEM to side-step responsibility. placing consumers at great risk for bodily harm for both vehicle owners/operators, and the general public in proximity to the traveling vehicle. Known Quality issue. Known Safety issue. Harm is imminent. Financial damage imminent.

Red paint peeling off

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at unknown speeds and turning the steering wheel, there was an abnormal rattling sound heard. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that frame was rusted after removing the heat shield. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 109,151.

I brought my 2008 Toyota Tacoma in and they did an undercoating recall. Since then I've had to replace a broken leaf spring and brake line, and a few weeks ago, brought it in to a Toyota dealership to have a wheel bearing/ axlereplaced that had rusted. On the paper documentation nothing was mentioned regarding the frame deterioration. Recently brought it in for an exhaust replacement and was shown how dangerous the frame was, and that it was too far gone to weld anything to, as "there's nothing to weld to" (and no shop would assume liability for such a fix)by the muffler shop technician. I called the Toyota dealership and was told to bring it somewhere to have a plate welded . Told him that wasn't an option.

We had four Goodyear Assurance 215/70R/15 tires installed on our 2008 Tacoma pick-up by Sam's Club in 2019. While driving at highway speed (~55 mph), the driver's rear tire had a blowout of the outside sidewall. There were no objects or potholes run over. After removing the tire and inspecting the tread, there are no signs of any foreign objects in the tread. The tire pressure checks for all the tires were completed within the previous month, and they were balanced and rotated by Sam's Club within the previous three months. Fortunately, this did not occur on a front tire since we were on a heavily traveled two-lane road and we could have lost control with a catastrophic failure like this one. There were approximately 15k miles of use on all the tires.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a wheel bearing replacement however, upon inspection, the contact was informed that the sub frame was extremely corroded. The contact was informed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,808. The contact stated she was told find a shop to weld a metal piece but Marquardt Toyota but was informed there is nothing to weld.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that that there was corrosion underneath the front end of the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle had corrosion but that the vehicle was out of warranty and provided no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

The airbag light first came on about 60 days ago, the first time I tried to use the cruise control after light was first noticed the cruise control did not work. My concern is that as long as the light is on the airbag(s) may or may not deploy. This airbag light has stayed on constantly since first appeared, the cruise control will work intermittently. The component has not been inspected but there is a recall, 12V092000:Air Bag Clockspring Replacement, that addresses this exact concern but appears my VIN is not included. This is obviously a problem on other VIN ranges because mine suffers from this and it is obvious Toyota is aware there is a problem but it just hasn't had enough complaints with my VIN range, likely because there are not as many on the road as the vehicle is 14 years old. I am concerned for my family's safety as well as my own if the airbag fails to deploy because of an accident.

March 9th I went to take my 2008 Toyota Tacoma in for an inspection, failed due to 3 rustholes in frame and frame is warped,there is only 90838 miles on this vehicle Cost of repair is very $$$$