1998 Toyota Tacoma Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tacoma years
- More complaints than other years 11th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 300 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Toyota Tacoma. That ranks 11th out of 32 Tacoma model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (98 complaints, 33%), typically at around 135,000 miles. Complaints mention 49 crashes, 29 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 300owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 49complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Toyota Tacoma problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 98 | 33% | 135,000 | “frame rust” (15%) | — |
| Air Bags | 46 | 15% | 166,894 | — | — |
| Tires | 29 | 10% | 207,949 | — | — |
| Suspension | 28 | 9% | 167,276 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 23 | 8% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 17 | 6% | 94,394 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 16 | 5% | 190,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 5% | 169,364 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 4% | 150,750 | — | — |
| Power Train | 10 | 3% | 133,788 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 2% | 128,072 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 2% | 111,400 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 2% | 218,639 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 180,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 205,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 138,727 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 139,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Toyota Tacoma recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:on-off switch assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The statement required in the owner's manual that "...the on-off switch should only ben used when a member of a passenger risk group identified in the request form in appendix b......is occupying the right front passenger seating position..." is mis-stated. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss 208, "occupant crash protection."
Risk: If the air bag switch is "off," the seat occupant who is not a member of the passenger risk group would be subject to increased injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners will be sent a corrected owner's manual.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenance, the contact was informed that the subframe was severely corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Campaign…
The contact owns a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while inspecting the subframe of the vehicle, he noticed that there was a hole in the rear passenger side wheel well. The contact stated that the failure had increased significantly. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the…
I had an accident over a year ago and the airbags did not deploy then I ask the guy that fixed it told me that it didn't have the sensor on the front of my truck, and I wonder why. Now I realized the never saw that sensor on my truck, and want to know what is happening with my truck if other…
Left and right Frame members forward of the rear leaf spring mounts are severely rusted. According to the Toyota dealership who inspected it, the frame is compromised and their is a potential for structural failure in a collision. I purchased the vehicle in October of 2020 from the original owner…
I bought a 1998 toyota tacoma 4x4 automatic with 106995 on the odometer and i am having a hard time getting it inspected because of the right side rear frame is tested to bad
Other Toyota Tacoma years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tacoma | 10 | 0 |
| 2025 Tacoma | 106 | 5 |
| 2024 Tacoma | 152 | 5 |
| 2023 Tacoma | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Tacoma | 59 | 3 |
| 2021 Tacoma | 81 | 0 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 90 | 1 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 219 | 4 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 209 | 3 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 242 | 5 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 323 | 4 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 101 | 4 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 93 | 4 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 125 | 6 |
| 2012 Tacoma | 295 | 7 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 186 | 9 |
| 2010 Tacoma | 294 | 13 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 519 | 13 |
| 2008 Tacoma | 447 | 11 |
| 2007 Tacoma | 541 | 10 |
| 2006 Tacoma | 782 | 11 |
| 2005 Tacoma | 707 | 10 |
| 2004 Tacoma | 414 | 3 |
| 2003 Tacoma | 360 | 3 |
| 2002 Tacoma | 333 | 3 |
| 2001 Tacoma | 396 | 4 |
| 2000 Tacoma | 211 | 0 |
| 1999 Tacoma | 249 | 0 |
| 1998 | 300 | 1 |
| 1997 Tacoma | 131 | 0 |
| 1996 Tacoma | 253 | 1 |
| 1995 Tacoma | 177 | 2 |
See all Toyota Tacoma problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Toyota Tacoma?
Owners most often report structure, air bags, tires problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 98 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Toyota Tacoma?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Toyota Tacoma a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tacoma model years, the 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.