2011 Toyota Tacoma
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Suspension is the leading concern among 186 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 16th highest complaint count among 26 Tacoma model years with reports.
Of the 2011 reports, 8 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 7 people were injured and 2 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, body, hood, hinge and attachmentsJul 3, 2017
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle.
If the hood scoop detaches, it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET17B.
Campaign 17V425000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, seat heater/coolerJun 2, 2016
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Campaign 16V396000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, seat heater/coolerNov 19, 2014
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Campaign 14V743000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rear, springs, leaf spring assembly, leafSep 29, 2014
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner and 4x4 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, to October 11, 2010. In the affected vehicles, one of the leaf springs may fracture due to stress or corrosion. While being driven, the broken leaf could move out of position and contact surrounding components including the fuel tank, possibly puncturing the tank and causing a fuel leak.
If the fuel tank leaks fuel from being punctured, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will install new rear leaf spring assemblies. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 14V604000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsAug 4, 2014
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."
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.
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.
Campaign 14V475000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsAug 7, 2013
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured September 14, 2004, through March 29, 2010; and model year 2011 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured July 1, 2010, through September 7, 2011. If the access doors are repeatedly and forcefully closed, the screws that attach the seat belt pre-tensioner to the seat belt retractor can loosen over time. If the screws loosen completely, the seat belt pre-tensioner and the retractor spring cover could detach from the seat belt retractor.
If the seat belt pre-tensioner detaches from the seat belt assembly, the seat belt pre-tensioner will not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in a severe crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assemblies. Based on the inspection, the seat belt assembly will be replaced or new pre-tensioner screws will be installed with thread-locking sealant and a retractor spring cover with stopper ribs to prevent loosening of the screws. These services will be provided at no cost to the owner. The recall began during February 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 13V337000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsApr 9, 2013
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Campaign 13V123000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, sensor/control module-inactiveJan 16, 2013
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Campaign 13V014000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, pressure monitoring and regulating systemsMar 4, 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)." WHEN FACTORY-INSTALLED WHEELS AND TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH TOYOTA AUTHORIZED ACCESSORY WHEELS AND LT TIRES PRIOR TO FIRST SALE, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS WERE NOT RE-CALIBRATED CORRECTLY AND THEREFORE DO NOT START ILLUMINATING THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING TELLTALE AT THE REQUIRED MINIMUM ACTIVATION PRESSURE.
FAILURE TO WARN OF TIRE DEFLATIONS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 138 AND COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
FOR THE LAND CRUISER, SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES, THE DEALER WILL RE-CALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES AND INSTALL AN UPDATED TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL AT NO CHARGE. FOR THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLES, THE TPMS CANNOT BE RESET SO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE TPMS WILL BE REPLACED. TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE REMEDY ECU. IF AN OWNER IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HIS OR HER VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THESE ACCESSORIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANY TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 11V148000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
13 reports, newest first. Show all
Suspension, Service brakes, Jan 24, 2026
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 number for that cracked leaf spring there was a recall for frame rust and just rust in general and my brake lines rusted out but a certified technician from the used car dealership said it was safe and road Worthy I experienced a brake fire on the front calipers shortly after this brake failure the fire caused 7800 worth of damage I got quoted from Toyota to fix it and that doesn't cover the $2,000 worth of leaf springs which there was already an exact recall for this exact model of truck for the exact damage depicted but somehow my VIN is not applicable for this repair.
Steering, Suspension, Service brakes, Jun 23, 2020
THE VEHICLE TAKES LONG TO STOP EVEN AFTER CHANGING THE BRAKE PADS , ROTORS, BRAKE SHOES, WITH NEW COMPONENTS. THE REAR MAKES A THUD SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING OR COMING TO A STOP. THE LEAF SPRINGS ALSO SQUEAK AND I NOTICED AFTER THEY CHANGED MY FRAME THE LEAF SPRINGS WERE NOT CHANGE EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A RECALL ON THE LEAF SPRINGS AND IT WAS RUSTING? THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT STARTED TO MAKE THIS LOUD THUD SOUND WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS AROUND 5-10 MPH. THERE IS ALSO A RECALL ON THIS, BUT MY LOCAL DEALER SAYS THERE ISN'T ONE? WHY DOESN'T THE MAIN BRANCH TALK TO OR UPDATE THE SYSTEM FOR ALL TOYOTA BRANCHES FOR RECALLS? *TR
Service brakes, Jan 29, 2020
ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO I NOTICED MY BRAKE PEDAL FELT SPONGY. CHECKED FLUID LEVEL, PADS AND SHOES, OK. NO SIGN OF A FLUID LEAK. 1 WEEK LATER I WAS DOING 65MPH AND HAD TO COME TO AN EMERGENCY STOP. MY BRAKE PEDAL FADED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD NO BRAKING AT ALL, COULDN'T PUMP THEM UP AND STEERED FOR THE OPEN SHOULDER. I LIMPED HOME, CHANGED MY SHORTS AND LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM ON SEVERAL TACOMA FORUMS ON THE WEB. IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND NOBODY HAS AN ANSWER, PEOPLE HAVE REPLACED EVERY COMPONENT INCLUDING THE FLUID WITH NO LUCK. I HOOKED UP MY OBD2 READER THAT HAS ABS FUNCTIONALITY AND IT SHOWED NO FAULT CODES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND EVERYBODY IS JUST GUESSING WHAT CAUSES THE FAILURE. IT IS THE BRAKES!, THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE ON ANY CAR. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN PARKED AND WILL STAY THAT WAY UNTIL SOMEONE (HOPEFULLY TOYOTA) FIGURES OUT WHAT IS WRONG AND WHY.
Service brakes, May 11, 2018
2011 TOYOTA TACOMA EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE BRAKE LINES CAUSED A LOSS OF FLUID AND LOSS OF BRAKES . THIS HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET AND COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT . I BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY AN OPENING IN THE FRONT WHEEL WELL LINERS, EXPOSING THE PIGTAIL TUBING TO THE ELEMENTS . THIS TRUCK HAS ONLY 65,000 ON IT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE THE BRAKE LINES FAIL THIS SOON . THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE .
Suspension, Service brakes, Jun 16, 2017
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD UNKNOWN NOISE COMING FRONT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANY FAILURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE MORE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE LOUDER THE NOISE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE LEAF SPRING WAS DETACHED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE RT 22 TOYOTA DEALER (LOCATED ON 109 US 22 HILLSIDE, NJ), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC FEES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.
Suspension, Service brakes, Mar 14, 2016
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT FAILED TO COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LEAF SPRING FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS AFFECTED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V604000(SUSPENSION). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.
Service brakes, Jun 20, 2015
I WAS PARKED AT A TRAILHEAD, AT ABOUT 3500' ELEVATION. AFTER THE HIKE, AS I MANEUVERED THE TRUCK AROUND THE PARKING LOT, I REALIZED THAT I HAD LITTLE OR NO BRAKING ABILITY!! I SLOWLY DROVE AROUND TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY FLUID ON THE GROUND WHERE THE TRUCK HAD BEEN, AND THERE WAS NO FLUID ON THE GROUND. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ON THE DASHBOARD, AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING INDICATED ANY TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES. HOWEVER, I DISCOVERED, AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOME, THAT THE BRAKES HAD FAILED AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK WITH THEM. THE TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR EXAMINATION AND REPAIR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. THE REPLACEMENT MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER ALSO FAILED!! (DURING TESTING, NOT WHILE DRIVING.) THE THIRD MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER WAS PUT IN, AND SEEMS TO BE FINE NOW. DESPITE DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE TO THEM, TOYOTA CORPORATE FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, AND REFUSED TO DISCUSS COMPENSATION. THEY ALSO DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT OUR CORRESPONDENCE. FORTUNATELY, THE DEALERSHIP TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF US.
Service brakes, Apr 23, 2014
VEHICLE BRAKES ACTUATION BECAME ERRATIC. BRAKE PEDAL ENGAGE BRAKES AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS AND WHILE STOPPED THE PEDAL SLOWLY MOVES TOWARD THE FLOOR. *TR
Service brakes, Jan 21, 2014
BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN TO NEVER BE FIRM AND PEDAL GIVES WAY UNDER FOOT WHILE STOPPED. THE POSITION OF ENGAGEMENT OF BRAKES IS NOT CONSISTENT EITHER. HAVE BEEN TO DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND CONTACTED TOYOTA CORP AS WELL. I AM TOLD IT IS NORMAL AND NOT TO BE CONCERNED WITH ITS SAFETY. EVEN THOUGH THEY TELL ME THE COMPUTER IS NOT COMMUNICATING CORRECTLY. BRAKES CONTINUALLY SQUEAL AND STAMMER EVEN AFTER RECENTLY REPLACING THE ROTORS. *TR
Electronic stability control (ESC), Service brakes, Jan 25, 2013
THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, SLIGHT CURVE, A BEEP IN DASH, SHAKING IN RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, AS IT PULLED INTO ONCOMING LANE TO THE LEFT, I HIT BRAKES "CLUNK" IT TOOK BOTH HANDS TO PULL BACK INTO MY LANE. POWER WAS LOWERED, FELT LIKE POWER STEERING WENT OR LOST A WHEEL. AFTER OUT OF CURVE EVERYTHING FINE. WOULD HAVE HIT SOMEONE HEAD ON IF A CAR HAD BEEN IN THE OTHER LANE. CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED IT WAS NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AND OFF ABOUT 10 OR 12 TIMES IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 41000 AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
Steering, Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic stability control (ESC), Oct 9, 2011
ON 10/1/2011 WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, SLIGHT CURVE, PU BEEP IN DASH AS IT WENT INTO ONCOMING LANE TO LEFT QUICK, I HIT BRAKES "CLUNK" TOOK BOTH HANDS TO PULL TO RIGHT AND OFF THE ROAD. FELT LIKE POWER STEERING WENT OR LOST A WHEEL. WOULD OF HIT SOMEONE HEAD ON IF WAS MEETING A CAR OR TRUCK. NO CELL SERVICE, SO DECIDED TO SLOWLY TURN AROUND, AND TRY TO GET HOME==1 MI. OR LESS. PARKED. CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TOWED, BUT IF THEY FIND NOTHING I HAVE TO PAY. I DROVE UP TUES., THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG. PROBABLY LEVELING--BECAUSE I PUT A 3" LIFT ON IT. I NOW AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY NEW PU. 2,600 MI. THEY SAID THEY PUT ON MACHINE, BUT NO PRINT OUT AS IT SHOWED NOTHING WRONG????? *TR
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Aug 4, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE WARPED GLAZED ROTORS AND DRUMS AT A VERY LOW MILEAGE, CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN STOPPING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER MADE FOUR ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM WITH THE ROTORS AND DRUMS. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND A SAFETY HAZARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED AN IDENTICAL FAILURE WITH THE TRADED 2010 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,300 AND THE CURRENT WAS UNKNOWN.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Apr 14, 2011
2011 TOYOTA TACOMA - BRAKES ARE VERY INCONSISTENT. ONE TIME THEY WORK JUST AS INTENDED AND THE NEXT TIME YOU DEPRESS THE PEDAL, YOU FEEL PRESSURE TRYING TO PUSH THE PEDAL BACK TO YOU AND THE BRAKING IS ENHANCED TO THE POINT THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE GOING TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. TOYOTA SAYS THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE BRAKES. IF THIS IS THE CASE TOYOTA HAS A REAL PROBLEM. *TR