2003 Toyota Tacoma: common problems

Owners of the 2003 Toyota Tacoma filed 360 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 360
involving a crash: 30

What fails most often

1 Structure 50% of all complaints
2 Suspension 18% of all complaints
3 Air bags 8% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
5 Tires 6% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
8 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Structure: 181 complaints (50% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 66 complaints (18% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 28 complaints (8% of all), 19 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 26 complaints (7% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Tires: 21 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
2.7 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
3.4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 360 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion169 · 47%
warning lights, check engine21 · 6%
airbags did not deploy15 · 4%
seat belts11 · 3%
rollaway, parking brake8 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise6 · 2%
airbag warning light5 · 1%
jerking, harsh shifts5 · 1%
loss of power / limp mode4 · 1%
stalls while driving4 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Structure	181	5
Suspension	66	7
Air bags	28	19
Vehicle speed control	26	5
Tires	21	1
Powertrain	18	0
Service brakes	15	2
Engine and cooling	14	0
Fuel system	14	0
Steering	12	4
Electrical system	11	0
Fuel/propulsion system	8	0
Engine	5	0
Seat belts	5	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I was getting on the freeway and was hit by another driver (who fled the scene and didnât get caught) and my truck spun around 180 before catching bushes and rolling three times smashing my front end and almost collapsing my roof and my airbags failed to deploy as well as my seatbelt tensioner not tightening…
Air bags · crash · 2024-06-26 · NHTSA complaint #11596799
The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard, where it was totaled. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number:Â 09V388000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2023-05-05 · NHTSA complaint #11520665
Air bag did not deploy. Sheriff took a report of crash.HI213530034 Greenspot road. Highland , CA. Vehicle is in possession of coparts authorized by USAA insurance
Air bags · crash · 2021-12-28 · NHTSA complaint #11445196
Was driving down the road and the frame broke completely in half on the drivers side an caused the drive shaft to fall out and when it did it bounced up and knocked a hole in the gas tank causing me to wreck.and the bed of the truck has huge holes rusted through them.
Structure · crash · 2019-10-25 · NHTSA complaint #11270931
Power steering pump having issues I can fill it up to the full line and it will go down to half empty everytime I've done it therefore steering is very tight and difficult, the truck bed has huge holes rusted/corrosion completely through it on both sides, the spare tire mechanism is rusted so badly it doesn't work and…
Structure · crash · 2019-08-31 · NHTSA complaint #11252614
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and injuries were sustained that required medical attention. The rear driver side tire was flat. The tire was replaced and the vehicle was driven home and parked. The vin was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 158,000.
Structure · crash · 2016-09-27 · NHTSA complaint #10909958
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 09/10/15
Air bags · crash · 2015-07-06 · NHTSA complaint #10732236
I was making a left turn and I lost control of my 2003 toyota tacoma which at that time cause my steering wheel to lock and I ended up crashing into a wall and totaling my truck. My concern is that the steering wheel locked.
Steering · crash · 2010-04-25 · NHTSA complaint #10327356

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

200315
200410
200519
200618
20077
20087
200913
201022
201110
201211
201329
201430
201531
201635
201719
201820
201923
20209
202110
20224
20236
20245
20254
20263

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,111 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Tacoma has 258 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 360, above 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.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota Tacoma?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, suspension, air bags. Total complaints: 360. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (47%), warning lights, check engine (6%), airbags did not deploy (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Toyota Tacoma?

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 2003 Toyota Tacoma 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 2003 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.