AI Damage1998 Toyota T100: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Toyota T100 filed 26 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 26
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 35% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 19% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 15% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 4% of all complaints
- Structure: 9 complaints (35% of all).
- Suspension: 5 complaints (19% of all).
- Seat belts: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (12% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (12% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 26 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Took my truck to a body shop to have dings and a few rusted spots on it repaired. The business owner and repair person put it on the rack and after examination, informed me that it was not worth the repairs, because the frame and undercarriage was too extensive and might as such cause safety issues.
Owned since 2003, the truck has only 140,000 miles, but my mechanic advises that frame is badly rusted and is unsafe to drive. I've learned this is a common issue and that toyota has an active recall. Rear bumper has also rusted through. I need advice on how to proceed. Vehicle is parked at my residence.
The contact stated that the entire frame of the vehicle had severe corrosion. The contact observed brake fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,300.
When backing out of a parking space lower left a-arm broke (rust) and left front tire collapsed. Have learned that toyota tacoma trucks made in '90s had defective frames and there was a buy back. Shop tells me my frame is bad. Truck has only 69k miles on it.
Clutch pedal bracket on toyota t 100 went through fire wall while driving. Could not get truck in our out of gear. Looked on net and found many have had this same problem. Contacted dealer no recall and no help with pricing to repair truck. Safety concern about not being able to get vehicle out of gear!
Wires to fan connector melted the insulation just short of the connector and shorted out. Pictures of failed wiring are available.
The contact stated that the seat belt locks, but becomes loose when driving. The seat belt fails to retract when the failure occurs, but the seat belt warning indicator light illuminates. The current mileage is 105,000 and failure mileage was 100,000.
I was told that I did not have any rear brakes due to so much oil leaking on the brakes. I live in the mountains of nc and I would have lost my brakes if I was hauling anything down the mountains.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,316 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the T100 has 41 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 26, below average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Toyota T100?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, suspension, seat belts. Total complaints: 26. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (38%), seat belts (15%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Toyota T100?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Toyota T100 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.