Toyota Tacoma Steering Problems
Owners have filed 476 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Toyota Tacoma across 31 model years. The 2005 model year has the most (61). The words owners use most often: “steering shaft” (18% of reports).
- 476steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 36mention a crash
- 13mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $800typical repair cost reported by owners
- 25%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering shaft: mentioned in 86 of 476 complaints (18%)
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 37 of 476 complaints (8%)
- Universal joint: mentioned in 30 of 476 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the Toyota Tacoma at $800, and half of them between $660 and $1,300.
Based on 30 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 339 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 476 complaints, 36 mention a crash, 13 an injury.
Toyota Tacoma steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Tacoma | 10 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Tacoma | 4 | 3% | 188,000 |
| 2023 Tacoma | 9 | 17% | 32,500 |
| 2022 Tacoma | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2021 Tacoma | 3 | 4% | 47,000 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 4 | 4% | 525 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 10 | 5% | 4,019 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 6 | 3% | 16,500 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 2 | 1% | 2,825 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 4 | 1% | 200 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 4 | 4% | 10,250 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 8 | 9% | 12,800 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 14 | 11% | 30,000 |
| 2012 Tacoma | 12 | 4% | 38,600 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 17 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2010 Tacoma | 19 | 6% | 53,176 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 39 | 8% | 83,500 |
| 2008 Tacoma | 40 | 9% | 100,000 |
| 2007 Tacoma | 54 | 10% | 89,000 |
| 2006 Tacoma | 40 | 5% | 105,000 |
| 2005 Tacoma | 61 | 9% | 100,200 |
| 2004 Tacoma | 29 | 7% | 63,000 |
| 2003 Tacoma | 12 | 3% | 80,000 |
| 2002 Tacoma | 9 | 3% | 143,250 |
| 2001 Tacoma | 20 | 5% | 161,000 |
| 2000 Tacoma | 4 | 2% | 130,301 |
| 1999 Tacoma | 10 | 4% | 106,000 |
| 1998 Tacoma | 12 | 4% | 150,750 |
| 1997 Tacoma | 4 | 3% | 55,000 |
| 1996 Tacoma | 9 | 4% | 120,000 |
| 1995 Tacoma | 5 | 3% | 180,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Air bags:frontal:driver clockspring/spiral cassette; steering:column
Model years: 2023
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Lexus RX350, 2023-2024 NX250, and NX350 vehicles that may have been incorrectly repaired under previous NHTSA recall number 23V-480. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 25LA02.
Steering:column; air bags:frontal:driver clockspring/spiral cassette
Model years: 2023
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA08. Lexus' number for this recall is 23LA02.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The steering rack has failed multiple times. The rack that was installed in the vehicle when I bought it new had cracked by 53,000 miles - not ideal, but these things happen. (This was discovered by my local Toyota dealership when I brought it in for service.) I returned for a six-month service…
Over the past two weeks the steering effort on my 2nd generation Tacoma has become progressively harder to turn the wheel past certain points in both directions. I initially thought it was a steering pump problem, but based on reporting on the TacomaWorld site, it appears very likely this is a…
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V152000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel was firm, the brake pedal was firm, and the vehicle was violently vibrating. Several unknown…
The passenger side lower A arm frame mount broke, due to frame rust. The truck has been taken to Toyota, they had the truck for about 6 weeks and have refused to fix the safety issue.This year model had a recall on the frame, it was taken in for the recall, but the recall has failed. When the lower…
I am reporting a severe safety hazard on my 2025 Toyota Tacoma caused by incorrect alignment specs and an uncorrected extreme toe setting. On a recent service visit, alignment inspection showed a Total Toe of +1.62 degrees (OEM target is approximately +0.10 degrees). The alignment machine database…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Tacomas have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 476 owner complaints about steering for the Toyota Tacoma. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Tacoma steering?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the Toyota Tacoma?
Owners report a typical cost of $800 (half paid between $660 and $1,300), from 30 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Toyota Tacoma?
The most frequent phrase is “steering shaft”, in 86 of 476 complaints, followed by “rack pinion” (37).
Other Toyota Tacoma problems
- Structure problems (2,204)
- Suspension problems (1,533)
- Power Train problems (941)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (779)
- Air Bags problems (556)
- Electrical System problems (434)
- Engine problems (433)
- Service Brakes problems (392)
See all Toyota Tacoma problems.