2008 Toyota TACOMA - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2008 Toyota Tacoma receives high safety ratings with a 5-star rating for both front crash driver side and passenger side, as well as a 5-star rating for both driver and passenger side in side crash tests. The rollover rating is 4 out of 5, indicating a relatively low rollover possibility. This model does not have an overall safety rating from NHTSA. It does come with optional electronic stability control for added safety on the road.

In terms of advanced safety features, the Toyota Tacoma does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems. In terms of reported issues, there have been a total of 424 complaints filed, and the vehicle has had 11 recalls. It is important to address these recalls promptly to ensure the safety and reliability of the vehicle.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

424

Recall Count

11

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2008 Toyota Tacoma 4-DR. Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2008 Toyota Tacoma 4-DR.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Optional
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2008 Toyota Tacoma 4-DR. Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2008 Toyota Tacoma 4-DR. Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2008 Toyota TACOMA

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"brought my tacoma truck in for trade in at toyota dealership,after they inspected vehicle,they told me frame on truck is rusted so bad that it has to be replaced.i have been driving this truck pulling my boat and hauling heavy loads.i had no ideal that frame was so rotted and is a saftey hazard on the road.now i have truck nobody wants and will cost to much to repair.truck is only 2008 with 111000 miles on it! how can this be?as far as i know there where no recalls on the frame sent to me.don't know what to do.wont be buying toyota any more."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2023-11-11

Complaint:
"08trd tacoma frame rust bad i bought it in 2011 certified used vehicle. i 2015 had frame inspection they undercoat it has 66000 miles on it tues this week asked mechanic change oil he said the frame is rusted bad contacted toyota that as soon as i got home, i had the email copy i sent to you. she gave me a little glimmer of hope she has a one. oh i do bring it to the smithtown dealership which is right down the block and left and i did the next one and i did and it’s documented, the rust is so bad he gonna pass inspection in december i take care of my vehicles yesterday got call toyota declined to help i’m in shock past time they oct 2020 i’m so disappointed plz help truck is like new since bought 2011 to now i put 40000 avg 4000 year im local"
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2024-11-08

Complaint:
"i brought my 2008 toyota tacoma in and they did an undercoating recall. since then i've had to replace a broken leaf spring and brake line, and a few weeks ago, brought it in to a toyota dealership to have a wheel bearing/ axlereplaced that had rusted. on the paper documentation nothing was mentioned regarding the frame deterioration. recently brought it in for an exhaust replacement and was shown how dangerous the frame was, and that it was too far gone to weld anything to, as "there's nothing to weld to" (and no shop would assume liability for such a fix)by the muffler shop technician. i called the toyota dealership and was told to bring it somewhere to have a plate welded . told him that wasn't an option."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2024-02-06

Complaint:
"march 9th i went to take my 2008 toyota tacoma in for an inspection, failed due to 3 rustholes in frame and frame is warped,there is only 90838 miles on this vehicle cost of repair is very $$$$"
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2023-09-03

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2008 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that while receiving an oil change, the independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with 50% frame loss. the contact referred the failure to tsb: vh6 (subframe corrosion). the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by a dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 147,500."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2024-03-01

Complaint:
"the issued with my truck is the rust in the frame underneath, i purchased the truck in august of 2020. i didn't noticed any issued until i went to get the safety inspection done in june 2021 and it failed. the mechanic showed me the problem so i went to a body shop to get some metal added to the frame and got it reinspect it and it passed. after doing some research on these trucks saw that there was a recalled for almost 10 years from toyota but it ended in march 2021. now, this year when my inspection was due the same problem occur; it failed again. it seems like this problem will continue every year, i would like to know if there's anyway this recall can be reopen after talking to some mechanics they seem to still run in to these tacoma trucks showing up with this rusted frame problem. i hope it never happens but there's always the possibility of hitting a nasty pothole on the highway and who knows what might happen. i considered this a huge safety issue. i bought the truck as is from a small used car dealer, which of course did not tell me about this problem. i have spent almost $1,500 to get it to just pass inspection and this problem will never go away."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2023-01-06

Complaint:
"front axle shaft varation."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2018-01-02

Complaint:
"rear universal going broke due to rust while driving vehicle, front driver side tire component broke due to rust while driving vehicle. *tr"
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2022-01-06

Complaint:
"rear leaf spring broke in half and was rubbing against tire almost causing an accident. customer paid for repairs which was not covered by warranty and before the safety recall was issued. customer mailed to toyota a copy of the repair order, proof of payment, and proof of ownership as requested. toyota has refused to pay for repairs."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2014-03-03

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota tacoma. the contact received notification of nhtsa recall number:14v604000 (suspension). the contact took the vehicle to the dealer independence toyota (730 airport rd, hazleton, pa 18202) and they stated that the leaf springs on the rear suspension were not damaged. the contact took his vehicle in for regular maintenance at another unknown dealer and the leafs were discovered to be fractured. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer independence toyota and this time they confirmed that the leafs were fractured and repaired the vehicel under the recall. the failure mileage was 139,000."
Components Involved: SUSPENSION
Date of incident: 2019-04-05

Recalls for the 2008 Toyota TACOMA

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 fj cruiser and tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale. the affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. as such, these vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims for passenger cars.""
Consequence:
If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while it is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Component(s) Involved: EQUIPMENT > OTHER > LABELS
Date of incident: 2014-08-04

Recall:
"toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. these vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims.""
Consequence:
INCORRECT LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE BEING OVERLOADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:

TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A NEW, ACCURATE LABEL TO BE INSTALLED OVER THE INACCURATE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.

Component(s) Involved: EQUIPMENT > OTHER > LABELS
Date of incident: 2009-06-15

Recall:
"gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels."
Consequence:
THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
Remedy:

DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.

Component(s) Involved: EQUIPMENT > OTHER > LABELS
Date of incident: 2010-02-03

Recall:
"southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels."
Consequence:
A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:

DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.

Component(s) Involved: EQUIPMENT > OTHER > LABELS
Date of incident: 2010-02-03

TOYOTA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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