I discovered frame perforation rust, for which Toyota sent letters offering to repair or compensate. I have moved to Florida and the letters didn't forward. So I notified Toyota and they said they would not do anything to help. There was a prior class-action lawsuit about this, which prompted Toyota's action. I have sent Toyota mechanic statements and photos of the rust along with m y nice letter requesting help. They offered that I could get my vehicle inspected at a Toyota dealer, at my expense, which would auto-enter it into their warranty database, repair order # [XXX] which I did this week. I am writing them back again, appealing for their help. In the interim, I am making this report. I will also be notifying the Florida Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The worst 2005 Toyota Tacoma problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Body260
- Suspension137
- Acceleration93
- Steering61
- Transmission57
- Airbags46
- Engine32
- Brakes26
- Tires25
- Electrical20
- Visibility20
- Fuel system11
- Wheels9
- Seat belts6
- Driver assistance4
- Lights3
- Locks3
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 Toyota Tacoma
Sudden acceleration 40Airbag light 27Jerking 20Adaptive cruise 15Grinding brakes 15No deployment 8Power steering loss 8ABS 6Brake failure 6Knocking 6Transmission failure 6Tire blowout 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2005 Toyota Tacoma mention
B1801 3
Recalls 10
Suspension: rear: springs: leaf spring assembly: leaf
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If the fuel tank leaks fuel from being punctured, there is an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 14V604000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 13V337000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 tacoma vehicles, manufactured from september 14, 2004, through august 29, 2008. Over time, steering wheel vibration may damage the spiral cable assembly (clockspring) that powers the drivers air bag module. If damage occurs, the air bag warning lamp will illuminate and the air bag may become deactivated.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the drivers side air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the spiral cable assembly, free of charge. An interim letter is expected to be mailed to owners during april 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 12V092000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 10V035000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 10V036000 · Recall details
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
- Risk
- A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. Also, dealers will replace any genuine toyota or lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. Additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and lexus es 350, is 350 and is 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331, lexus at 1‑800‑255‑3987.
Recall number 09V388000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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."
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 09V223000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, due to improper assembly of the air bag inflator, which is used in the side air bag, the curtain shield air bag, and the knee air bag assembly, some inflators were produced with an insufficient amount of the heating agents necessary for proper air bag deployment. In this condition, the expansion force of the gas may be insufficient to properly inflate the air bag when the SRS system is activated during a crash.
- Risk
- This may increase the risk of injury to the occupant in the involved seating position in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the specific SRS air bag. The recall began on april 6, 2006. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑888‑270‑9371, scion at 1‑866‑548‑1851, or lexus at 1‑800‑255‑3987.
Recall number 06V096000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- On certain regular cab pickup trucks equipped with a bench seat, the seat position and seat belt buckle sensor connector pins are incorrectly positioned due to a wire harness manufacturing process error.
- Risk
- In this condition, the seat position and seat belt buckle sensor may not function as designed, affecting the adaptive air bag deployment, which if the vehicle is involved in a crash, could result in improper occupant restraint.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the seat position and seat belt fastening condition sensor connector. An additional sub-wire harness will be installed to correct the connector pin manufacturing error, if necessary. The recall began on july 25, 2005. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑431‑4331.
Recall number 05V302000 · Recall details
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks equipped with an automatic transmission, there is a possibility that the parking brake pedal cable lock nut may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification. In this condition, the lock nut may loosen and come off, which will reduce the effectiveness of the parking brake.
- Risk
- This condition could allow the vehicle to roll if the transmission is not placed into the "park" position and the vehicle is parked on a slope, thus raising the possibility of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and tighten the parking brake pedal cable lock nut to the proper torque specification free of charge. The recall began on march 3, 2005. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 05V050000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma 337
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical...
- To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used...
- The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix...
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad...
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life...
- Obsolete notice
2005 Toyota Tacoma fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4‑cyl | RWD | 18 | 24-25 | 20-21 |
| 4.0L 6‑cyl | RWD | 14-16 | 19-21 | 16-18 |
| 2.7L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 17 | 21 | 18 |
| 4.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 14-16 | 18-20 | 16-17 |
What 2005 Toyota Tacoma owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The frame had rust a lot,had one spot was repaired,still have some need fix
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale through OfferUp. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 139,900. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 339,740.
Corrocion en el chasis, el motor se encuentra inclinado
The frame is rusting out substantially. The dealer advised me not to drive because the frame could fail at anytime. I have been driving around unaware of the problem. I could have been killed if the framed failed on the highway. There was no warning light. The Vehicle has been into the dealer and no one mentioned the problem until 08/30/2024. The Vehicle has been maintained and garaged. The vehicle is in good condition and has not been in an accident. I called Toyota and was told I was out of luck because the warranty expired even though the frame problem was Toyotas fault. A truck frame should outlast the engine and the body. I plan to keep the truck for 400,00 miles and my finances are very tight. Toyota is penalizing me because the frame didn't rust out sooner and on Toyotas time frame.
The frame has failed and is well beyond unsafe for the road due to the amount of rust and decay. The vehicle was part of the 'Corrosion Resistance Compound Application to Vehicle Frame' recall. I will bring the vehicle for inspection ASAP, if requested. There is absolutely nothing safe when a vehicle has a faulty structural issue. When I purchased the vehicle there were step rails and spray painted portions of the frame, the parts you could see. Also, when looking up the vehicle, I didn't see any recall issues at that time and thought it was a good sign. After driving it for 6th months, I started feeling a slight resistance feel when accelerating and turning at the same time. I took it to a mechanic and they delivered the news that the frame was deemed unfit for the roads. I found out that the vehicle was brought in for the recall when it came out and at that time the frame was labeled 'not exchangeable' and a slight bandage was applied to the unsafe defective body component that was sold as 'safe.' I filed a claim with a local dealership and they told me that it was still safe for roads. Right now, the frame clips and portions of the frame are visibly rusting off, visible from solely walking up to the truck. Reaching out to Toyota I am very much hoping that the care for their loyal customers equally matches the product that they produce, superior to the competition. I have owned a Toyota for 10 years and never considered purchasing anything else for life, however, coming to a fair solution on this issue will have a tremendous effect on that statement I know to be true, right now. This truck is in OUTSTANDING condition with VERY little rust to the actually black body of the vehicle and had ONLY 165,000 miles on it. Please don't allow this vehicle to be absent for the roads due to an issue that was already agreed that it needed correcting. Please allow myself to continue to feel that Toyota makes an outstanding product because they care about the customer.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. After a visual inspection of the exterior of the vehicle, the contact observed extreme corrosion on the sub frame. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who confirmed the corrosion of the sub frame and deemed the vehicle unsafe for driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Frame failure due to rust. Suspension is detached with springs hitting frame. NOTE: fuel tank partially detached previously due to rusted brackets 3-4 years ago and all components were replaced. Filed the federal safety agency report at that time however had technical issues completing… Still have photos.
Where the motor mount sits the bracket below collapsed into the Frame itself causing the engine to lower
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while changing the oil and inspecting the vehicle, there was rust on the driver's side frame. The dealer had not been contacted. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that a repair was no longer covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 169,000.
Compare the 2005 Toyota Tacoma
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2005 Toyota Tacoma
Is the 2005 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
Owners have filed 707 complaints about the 2005 Toyota Tacoma, 2.4 times a typical Tacoma model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2005 Toyota Tacoma year score?
The 2005 Toyota Tacoma scores 37 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Toyota Tacoma: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Toyota Tacoma?
Body and structure, with 260 complaints, typically around 109,450 miles. Next is suspension (137).
How many recalls does the 2005 Toyota Tacoma have?
10 recalls, covering suspension, seat belts and air bags.
What year does the Toyota Tacoma have the most body problems?
The Toyota Tacoma model years with the most body complaints are 2005 (260 complaints), 2006 (242 complaints) and 2001 (228 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2005 Toyota Tacoma get?
Official estimates for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma range from 16 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.7L 4-cyl, RWD) gets 18 city and 24-25 highway.
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