Vehicle involved in a head on collision resulting in a total loss. Frontal airbags did not deploy. Occupant (driver) sustained bilateral wrist injuries requiring surgery.
2013 Toyota Tacoma airbags problems
10 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 89,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 89,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Toyota Tacoma airbags problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V‑668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (âEOSâ) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.  In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V‑668, 18E-043, 18V‑137, 18V‑363, and 20V‑024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
EA19001
What 2013 Toyota Tacoma owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The horn started malfunctioning recently at around 200k miles, sometimes working sometimes not (regardless of steering wheel positioning). As prior complaints have stated; the suspect was likely the clockspring, but all the steering wheel controls were functioning with no issues and no warning lights illuminated. Also, I've continously found myself in the 3rd gear multiple times after very lighy taps (mainly from a drink falling/bumping into it) as the cupholders in the front are very small and/or not stable for anything other than small disposable containers.
The SRS airbags both driver and passender side warning lights turned on 1/23/2025 at 6:06 pm right after I got home from work. The air bag failed to turn off when the seat belt is fasten to the seatbelt buckle. When the seat belt was in place and removed from holster, the indicator light lit up and a bell sound alerted me as the operator of the truck, the seat belt warning also triggered the air bag lights to turn on with a indicator SRS airbags off. The indicator resumes as the airbag off lights remain on until the car engine is off. When the engine is turned back on, the warning lights of both driver and passenger seat belt is on.
Within 1 month of buying a 2012 and 2013 tacoma the clockspring goes out. This repair is incredibly expensive and has happened with every single Tacoma I have ever bought. Toyota needs to do something about this, this is unnaceptable that my horn/clockspring goes out almost immidiately.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota tacoma. While the contact was driving 45 MPH through an intersection, another vehicle turned left in her path causing a collision. The front of the contact's vehicle crashed into the middle passenger side of the other vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning indicators illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a whiplash and pain in the lower back and right knee. The front seat passenger sustained bruising to the right knee, whiplash, and soreness to the body. Medical attention was not required. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000. *tt photos attached *jb*dt the consumer stated vehicle was repaired.
Issue was noticed while driving, attempted to activate horn when vehicle in oncoming lane crossed in to my lane. Horn would not activate. Thankfully other driver course corrected in time. Complaint is related to has been reported to me by toyota as sudden failure of the clock spring or spiral cable. Horn failed approximately one week after vehicle had just passed an annual state inspection. Was informed that this is something "that happens" with time and forced to pay $700 to have repaired. Was warned that part that failed was also in control of airbags, cruise control and other electronics embedded in the steering column. This is an item which has previously been voluntarily recalled on other model years of toyota tacoma's and other models.
"takata recall" possible: driving northbound in the left lane on a clear day, no cars in front of me or next to me. I was driving on a city street in hollywood california. Visibility was clear around 4:00 p.m in the afternoon. I noticed a car making a left turn in front of me. I had no time to break, could not believe this driver had initiated a left turn. I immediately veered into the right lane to avoid hitting the car that had made a left turn in front of me. The driver hit me instead on the front left corner of my toyota tacoma truck, sending me head on into two parked cars. I suffered a concussion and a broken right hand. I noticed after the accident that neither the driver side air bag nor the passenger side air bag did not deploy. Los angeles police department concluded that I was not at fault. Driver initiated a 21801(a) vc-unsafe left turn in front of me. I still suffer from the accident and my hand is not the same.
My horn stopped working and when I took my truck to the dealer he said that it was the clock spring cable inside of the steering wheel. The service agent daniel arviza at north bakersfield toyota in bakersfield california advised me that if I didn't get it fixed that the airbag could fail to deploy in the case of an accident. This seems like a important part of the truck to fail after only 3 years. I bought the truck new from the dealership and the warranty has expired. It's going to cost almost 500 dollars, but because it is a safety issue I have no choice but to have the part replaced.
We hit black ice and spun flipped into a ditch onto the passenger side of the truck airbag deployed on the passenger side the airbag caught on fire catching the whole truck on fire.
Noticed that airbag warning light was coming on randomly. Sometimes it came on at startup and other times it would come on while I was driving. Unable to make the light come on, but once it comes on it stays on until the engine is turned off. Sometimes it would not come on for 3-4 days.
Questions about the 2013 Toyota Tacoma airbags
Does the 2013 Toyota Tacoma have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the airbags of the 2013 Toyota Tacoma, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2013 Toyota Tacoma airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 89,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Toyota Tacoma airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Toyota Tacoma have bad airbags?
The Toyota Tacoma model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (76 complaints), 1998 (46 complaints) and 2005 (46 complaints).
Other 2013 Toyota Tacoma problems
Transmission 22Brakes 18Steering 14Suspension 14Electrical 13Driver assistance 12Body 11Acceleration 8Engine 7Fuel system 6Seats 4Lights 3Visibility 3Wheels 3Tires 2Locks 1Seat belts 1
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