2011 Toyota Tacoma: common problems

Owners of the 2011 Toyota Tacoma filed 186 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 186
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Suspension 32% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
4 Structure 11% of all complaints
5 Air bags 9% of all complaints
6 Steering 9% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 5% 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: 60 complaints (32% of all).
Exterior lighting: 32 complaints (17% of all).
Electrical system: 22 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 21 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 17 complaints (9% of all), 3 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 1 complaints
4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
automatic, 5-speed
manual, 5-speed
manual, 6-speed

Drive: RWD, 4WD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 186 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion24 · 13%
headlights and tail lights15 · 8%
smoke, burning smell, fire14 · 8%
knocking, grinding or other noise12 · 6%
vibration6 · 3%
steering or power steering problems5 · 3%
airbag warning light4 · 2%
airbags did not deploy3 · 2%
overheating, coolant loss3 · 2%
infotainment or screen glitches3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	60	0
Exterior lighting	32	0
Electrical system	22	2
Structure	21	2
Air bags	17	3
Steering	17	1
Service brakes	13	0
Vehicle speed control	9	4
Powertrain	8	0
Engine	3	0
Fuel/propulsion system	3	0
Wheels	3	0
Electronic stability control	2	0
Engine and cooling	2	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 failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. There were two injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 13v014000 (air bags, seats). The vin was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
Air bags · crash · 2016-06-29 · NHTSA complaint #10881533
Both frontal air bags failed to deploy and the accelerator pedal was stuck to the floorboard. The driver was killed. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed away. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 20,000...updated 08/11/14 updated 10/28/14
Air bags · crash · 2014-07-28 · NHTSA complaint #10616933
The front of my truck hit against some items in my garage and broke my headlight housing on the passenger side and scratched my bumper.
Structure · crash · 2014-02-11 · NHTSA complaint #10563812
The driver's side air bag did not deploy. The vehicle was drivable after the crash however, the contact sustained a contusion to left elbow and a broken left wrist. There were no passengers in vehicle. The vehicle was not inspected for the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made not aware of the issue.
Air bags · crash · 2012-07-25 · NHTSA complaint #10467628
Sudden unintended acceleration. Time was 6:55 am. I was on work property having just turned left from a light. I was 5 th car in line to make a right turn. All cars were stopped. My foot was lightly pressing break. The next thing I know, my truck was ramming the suv in front of me.
Electrical system · crash · 2012-03-01 · NHTSA complaint #10450020
The front and rear passenger seat belts failed to restrain. The front passenger struck their head on the dashboard and the rear passenger struck their head on the front passengers seat. They were both injured. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was contacted and a claim was filed.
Seat belts · crash · 2011-06-21 · NHTSA complaint #10407681
The contact stated that while performing a routine engine oil change, extensive corrosion was observed across the entire undercarriage. The severe rust damage fully compromised the vehicle's structural frame, control arms, and several underbody components.
Suspension · 2026-07-06 · NHTSA complaint #11748620
I purchased the truck December 6th 2025 within a thousand Miles within the end of the year I experienced brake failure on the highway I laid under the truck to patch the brake failure and found a cracked leaf spring suspension component which there's already a recall for that exact make and model just not my VIN…
Suspension · 2026-01-24 · NHTSA complaint #11713113

When owners complained

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

201111
20126
20137
201413
201520
201619
201733
201823
201915
202010
20215
20225
20233
20244
20255
20267

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,189 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Tacoma has 258 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 186, below 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.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Toyota Tacoma?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, exterior lighting, electrical system. Total complaints: 186. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (13%), headlights and tail lights (8%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 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 2011 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 2011 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.