2006 Toyota Tacoma: common problems

Owners of the 2006 Toyota Tacoma filed 782 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 782
involving a crash: 66

What fails most often

1 Structure 31% of all complaints
2 Suspension 20% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 19% of all complaints
4 Air bags 10% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
7 Steering 5% of all complaints
8 Engine and cooling 3% 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: 242 complaints (31% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 154 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 147 complaints (19% of all), 45 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 76 complaints (10% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 56 complaints (7% of all), 2 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.

2.7 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 2 complaints
4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
automatic, 5-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 6 complaints
manual, 6-speednamed in 6 complaints

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 782 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion263 · 34%
airbag warning light51 · 7%
warning lights, check engine42 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise38 · 5%
unintended acceleration36 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts23 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire21 · 3%
vibration16 · 2%
seat belts13 · 2%
steering or power steering problems13 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Structure	242	3
Suspension	154	1
Vehicle speed control	147	45
Air bags	76	7
Powertrain	56	2
Service brakes	48	11
Steering	40	2
Engine and cooling	27	2
Electrical system	25	3
Engine	18	1
Tires	15	0
Wheels	13	0
Fuel system	11	1
Visibility	10	0

What owners report

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

The frame is rusted so bad. The dealer wouldnât replace due to the vehicle being registered in Florida as itâs not one of the states affected. But my Toyota came from a Pennsylvania dealer first then shipped to Florida after years of being in Pennsylvania and not having an issue up there.
Suspension · crash · 2023-02-26 · NHTSA complaint #11509219
I could fill the truck's brakes attempting to stop the vehicle but the truck's back tires are squealing over powering the brakes. I finally come to a stop on one of the poles that protects the gas pumps after hitting another vehicle.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2020-01-24 · NHTSA complaint #11301583
Accelerated by itself. Unintended acceleration. My wife was driving our 2006 4x4 toyota tacoma on a 55mph road with or 3 year old and 1 year old children on march 2017 at around 12:00 noon, when she started to decelerate to turn onto side road she depressed the brakes but they didn't work, she pressed harder and there…
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2017-03-28 · NHTSA complaint #10969040
The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to loose control of the vehicle and make contact with a guard rail before crashing into a brick wall.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2015-02-10 · NHTSA complaint #10682500
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 159,000.
Air bags · crash · 2014-11-18 · NHTSA complaint #10658816
The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning causing the vehicle to crash into a hill. A police report was filed and there were injuries reported that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Engine · crash · 2014-05-22 · NHTSA complaint #10593532
The contact had previously taken the vehicle to the dealer for repairs under nhtsa campaign number 12v092000 (air bags) but no repairs were performed because the air bag light was not illuminated when taken for the recall service. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Air bags · crash · 2014-01-08 · NHTSA complaint #10559080
The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed by and independent mechanic who discovered that the frame of the vehicle was severely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact notified the local dealer and was informed that the manufacturer was no longer providing a remedy for the defect.
Structure · crash · 2013-12-19 · NHTSA complaint #10556624

When owners complained

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

20051
200638
200741
200830
200942
2010105
201153
201235
201350
201473
201569
201699
201729
201822
201920
202023
202121
20229
20238
20245
20257
20262

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 371 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Tacoma has 258 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 782, 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.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Toyota Tacoma?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, suspension, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 782. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (34%), airbag warning light (7%), warning lights, check engine (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.