1996 Toyota Tacoma Problems, Recalls & Reliability
321 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Toyota Tacoma, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 35/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 133,673 miles.
Below average
Where 1996 sits among all Tacoma years
What owners report
“Frist real seal, rear seal and bearing, bearing and axle, new axle put in then flew off truck and crashed, 3 weeks later rear seals axle again help”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Tacoma
“The frame on the passager side of the truck has rusted out? Will not pass state inspection.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Tacoma
“I bought my 1996 toyota tacoma equpped with firestone wilderness at p215/70r14 96s. Within the first week i had two( dot number: p215/70r14 tire size: p215/70r14 )”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Tacoma
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 91 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 137,345 miles. Half of those reports fall between 90,000 and 203,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO…
Fix: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE FRONT SUSPENSION SUPPORT CAN CRACK LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE SUPPORT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SUSPENSION SUPPORT.
THESE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMS FAIL TO HOLD THE SPEED SET BY THE DRIVER AND CAN ACCELERATE ABOVE THE INTENDED SET SPEED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE CRUISE CONTROL ASSEMBLIES.
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
The 1996 Toyota Tacoma drew 321 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 35/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 1996 Toyota Tacoma problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Toyota Tacoma are suspension (95 complaints), body & structure (66), and wheels & tires (26).
At what mileage do 1996 Toyota Tacoma problems show up?
Owners most often report 1996 Toyota Tacoma problems around 137,345 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 90,000 and 203,000 miles.
Does the 1996 Toyota Tacoma have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 1996 Toyota Tacoma. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.