Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under recall for corrosion underneath the vehicle. The contact became aware that there was corrosion underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and rust protection was sprayed on the corrosion but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 100,000. The vehicle was taken back to Toyota for service, which was outside the extended warranty and the tech was shown the gaping holes in the frame that had rusted through and at that point the contact was told the extended warranty had expired so they couldn't do anything. …
We purchased a 2001 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner from a used car lot in Omaha NE. We have had it for 3 months and recently had a mechanic look over the vehicle for repairs. The mechanic indicated the frame is rusted through and the truck is unsafe to drive. The mechanic indicated that there was a recall on the frames possibly, so we followed up with Toyota. Toyota told me that there is no frame recall, but instead they did a "Customer Support Program" in relation to the frame, but it had expired. Toyota told us there is nothing they can do for us. My concern is that Toyota has a known issue, a safety issue, concerning their vehicles but will not rectify it. I would like Toyota to be held liable for their substandard product, no matter how long it has been. …
The complete chassis frame under the vehicle, contains a lot of rust and holes due to corrosion. Some years ago, a Toyota dealership asked me to bring the vehicle in to one of their dealerships, where an undercoating was painted on the frame surface. However, the coating is worn away and the rust is visible again and this time there are even more deterioration.
While I was driving the passenger side wheel completely buckled under the truck. Luckily, I was only driving 15 MPH. Had this broken while I was on the interstate, I would have been injured or injured someone else. As a result, the mechanic found that both ball joints were bad so both were replaced. The frame is completely rusted out and the spare tire cannot be removed. No notice was ever given to us or the previous owner by Toyota, regarding the problems stated above.
The frame has rusted through right in front of the right rear spring mount. This vehicle was called back by Toyota for poor corrosion protection of the frame. They sprayed the outside of the frame with and underscoring but did not treat the inside of the boxed sections of the frame.they did not protect the frame as they LED me to believe. They are refusing to correct their mistake. I took the truck back to them when they informed me of the problem to have them correct it, but they did not correct it. Merely covered it up. I'v e contacted both team Toyota in langhorne pa and Toyota USA. They have both ignored my issue. This frame issue is dangerous and they're left their customers drive unsafe trucks knowing t h e problem exists. They know of the problem , they created the problem and they are putting many lives in danger every day. …
I have a 2001 Toyota Tacoma and the frame is broken in two on the passenger side of the truck and rusted in two on the other side of the truck. The truck is very unsafe to drive and I am learning there was a recall on these trucks for faulty frames. I have also learned that they stopped the recall in 2012 before I owned the truck. How is this going to help me if I bought the truck after the recall is over but the issue just happened? I paid too much for this truck to only get to use it for a short amount of time before the frame fell apart. This is a recall that should never be discontinued, if I was not told of this problem by my mechanic something bad could have happened to my family while driving down the road. I am unsure how the frame broke but I was told about it after I took it to a mechanic to have the brakes worked on. …
My son purchased this vehicle from a private sale. There was a recall on the vehicle for the frames. Frame was inspected in 2010 and an undercoating was applied-sealing in the existing rust on the frame. This existing rust has since gotten worse to the point where it is now unsafe and starting to break. We have contacted Toyota but they refuse to do anything because the 15 year extension was up in July. We were unaware of this and now the truck my son has only driven for 7 months is now worthless and unsafe. Toyota did not properly address the safety issue of this frame back in 2010 and now refuses to fix their mistake. They feel that just because the 15 years is up that they are no longer responsible for the safety of the vehicles they put on the road. Please help me tell them that they are still responsible.
2001 Toyota Tacoma has severe rust all over the frame of truck. Holes so larger that you can pass a hand through. Toyota had a voluntary program but did not get literature etc. To the owners of the vehicles. They stated program was a 15 year warranty enhancement program and it was supposed to last from the original date of service on the vehicle for 15 years. They claim to have closed the program, but this was open to tacomas all the way through 2004. 15 years after 2004 is 2019. Why they would close the program before the stated 15 years was up is beyond me. I own 3 tacomas. The 1997 model is fine, but one 2001 model's frame looks like swiss cheese and is not drivable. The other 2001 model is very close to being not drivable. We are at a loss as to what to do and Toyota isn't backing their word or product.
2001 Toyota Tacoma has severe rust all over the frame of truck. Holes so larger that you can pass a hand through. Toyota had a voluntary program but did not get literature etc. To the owners of the vehicles. They stated program was a 15 year warranty enhancement program and it was supposed to last from the original date of service on the vehicle for 15 years. They claim to have closed the program, but this was open to tacomas all the way through 2004. 15 years after 2004 is 2019. Why they would close the program before the stated 15 years was up is beyond me. I own 3 tacomas. The 1997 model is fine, but one 2001 model's frame looks like swiss cheese and is not drivable. The other 2001 model is very close to being not drivable. We are at a loss as to what to do and Toyota isn't backing their word or product.
Frame has extensive rust/corrosion issues, rust has perforated entirely through several areas. I also own a '04 Tacoma that I just had the frame replaced on a couple months ago and was covered by Toyota under their recall notice, . This is unacceptable. Toyota is well aware that this is a major problem and could very well be a safety hazard. I have been a life long Toyota customer and up until now have had total confidence in the company. I'm quite disgusted with the whole thing and a bit disappointed that Toyota has not been more proactive in remanding the problem. I was under the truck changing the oil and was horrified to see that the corrosion problem was as bad as my '04 Tacoma. I have owned several Tacoma's, with many more miles on them and older in age and have never seen corrosion this extensive.
Body complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2001 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 228 complaints about the body & structure of the 2001 Toyota Tacoma, 58% of the model year's 396 complaints. The component named most often is body (104 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Toyota Tacoma body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2001 Toyota Tacoma, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Toyota Tacoma body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 144,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.