2009 Toyota Tacoma: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Toyota Tacoma filed 520 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 520
involving a crash: 25

What fails most often

1 Suspension 23% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 20% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
5 Structure 11% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
7 Steering 8% of all complaints
8 Service brakes 7% of all complaints

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

Suspension: 119 complaints (23% of all).
Exterior lighting: 105 complaints (20% of all).
Powertrain: 75 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 59 complaints (11% of all), 16 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 55 complaints (11% of all).

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

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 520 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion70 · 13%
headlights and tail lights56 · 11%
smoke, burning smell, fire53 · 10%
transmission slipping22 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise21 · 4%
unintended acceleration17 · 3%
infotainment or screen glitches15 · 3%
overheating, coolant loss12 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts11 · 2%
steering or power steering problems10 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	119	0
Exterior lighting	105	0
Powertrain	75	1
Vehicle speed control	59	16
Structure	55	0
Electrical system	40	1
Steering	39	3
Service brakes	35	3
Air bags	13	2
Equipment	11	0
Engine	8	0
Engine and cooling	8	0
Wheels	6	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.

The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was driven home. The contact stated that this was the third time the exact same failure occurred, causing him to strike other vehicles.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2017-04-11 · NHTSA complaint #10971920
The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 mph, the brakes failed to respond without causing the contact to crash. The specifics of the crash were unavailable. The air bags did not deploy. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred on multiple occasions prior to the crash.
Service brakes · crash · 2015-01-07 · NHTSA complaint #10670746
After the brake pedal depressed the vehicle surged and crashed into another vehicle. The contact sustained no injuries. The vehicle was driven from the scene. Nhtsa recall campaign id number 09v388000 (speed control) was not related or associated with the recall. The unexpected acceleration occurred two times.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2013-11-06 · NHTSA complaint #10551087
When I flipped the lever to disengage (cancel) the cruise control the truck did not start to slow down (my foot was off the accelerator pedal). If anything, the truck started to accelerate. I immediately applied the brakes very forcefully, with little, if any affect. I immediately put the transmission into neutral.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2013-06-09 · NHTSA complaint #10519282
We were going to park the toyota tacoma truck in our garage and it all of a sudden accelerated ,increasing the speed which caused us to hit a tree and the neighbors cement wall.
Powertrain · crash · 2010-01-27 · NHTSA complaint #10302566
In october 2009 while he was driving approximately 15 mph he lost control of the vehicle crash into a wall and the driver frontal air bag did not deploy. He didn't receive any injuries. The police report number is 9-13-02205886.
Air bags · crash · 2010-01-05 · NHTSA complaint #10298265
While driving the radio will suddenly turn off without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. The technician stated that radio needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 3000. Updated 01/26/10 the radio would come on and go off various times with no warning.
Electrical system · crash · 2009-12-28 · NHTSA complaint #10297134
Upon inspection underneath the vehicle, the contact discovered severe frame corrosion on the passengerâs side that could eventually cause the subframe to fracture. The contact stated that an unknown dealer had inspected the subframe in 2018 under recall, and the vehicle passed the inspection.
Structure · 2026-10-27 · NHTSA complaint #11774011

When owners complained

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

20083
200962
201071
201120
201238
201342
201449
201558
201646
201735
201819
201911
20209
202110
202210
202317
20247
20258
20265

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 707 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Tacoma has 258 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 520, above average.

What to check before buying

Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Toyota Tacoma?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, exterior lighting, powertrain. Total complaints: 520. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (13%), headlights and tail lights (11%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.