Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Around 150,000mi my drivers side sun visor started hanging lower until eventually it hangs straight down in the way (hard plastic shell underneath the cloth covering is cracked which allows less tension on the spring plate and it sags down. Around 190,000mi the passenger side started to fail.
Sun visors will not stay up part way. They drop completely and block the drivers view.I had the same problem with my other toyotas: 2006 corolla, 2007 corolla, and 2010 corolla. The visor would drop at all times when in use.
The drivers side sun visor made a cracking sound when I rotated it down to block the sun. Attempts to push it forward to the windshield failed and it dropped down vertical blocking my vision of the road. I was unable to move the sun visor back to its stored location so I had to pull off the road and remove the sun visor with a screwdriver. The exact same thing happened to our 2010 Toyota camry. And we had to remove the visor on the road. There is an extended warranty on the 2010 so it was repaired. Removing the fabric on the Tacoma sun visor I found a metal plate on the rotating arm that was frozen and it had split the plastic housing. I found the same design with the camry sun visor. And it was also frozen and would not freely rotate. Toyota refuses to acknowledge that they have a design flaw with the sun visors. …
The sun visors, first on the driver's side, then on the passenger side, made a crunching sound when pulled down to block the sun and, afterward, would not hold itself in its upward position. At first, it was merely annoying, since it didn't block much of my view out of the windshield, but within a month it would not hold itself up at all, which blocked a significant amount of my forward view out of the windshield. The 2 local Toyota dealerships were not interested in replacing them, as my Tacoma had 50,000 miles on it (standard warranty expired at 36,000). I eventually removed both sun visors, since it was unsafe to drive with them blocking 50% or more of my forward view. Replacements from Toyota cost $100 each, I did not replace them, mainly because they were of the same design and I have no confidence they would last any longer. …
I own a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. When driven at freeway speeds, the front windshield seals begin to vibrate and create an exceedingly loud squeal along the top of the front windshield. This noise sounds like a siren and is very startling. The first time this happened, I almost drove off the road. It sounded like I was in the path of an emergency vehicle or had just hit some type of animal. Toyota motor corp. Is aware of this condition, but will not fix it. They have issued a service bulletin, nv006-07, but stated that I was responsible for the repair. I am afraid that others will swerve, crash , or be injured by this noise.
My wife took our 05 Tacoma in to have a windshield replaced that should be covered under warranty. They looked at the cracks and said it was caused by a rock from the outside, I might have agreed had my wife not watched my youngest son press his thumb against the inside of the windshield causing the glass to crack. After looking up problems with Toyota's I came across several sites stating that in 03,04 and 05 Toyota made the windshields thinner and in turn made them more brittle.
The outside review mirrors vibrate excessively especially on windy days, so much that vehicles or any other object is indisernable. I have taken my problem to two different dealerships, the dealer where I purchased from swapped my mirrors with another vehicle to no avail. I believe this to be a safety defect and should be fixed by Toyota by engineering a better outside rear view mirror free from vibration.
The sun visors in my truck will not keep in the up position. It stays hanging blocking my view. I have asked Toyota to repair it, but since it is past the warranty period, they will not repair it. It is a great danger to have my vision blocked by this object. I strongly feel the materials used in the arm of the sun visors are defective.
Toyota Tacoma 2005 windshield had problems with buzzing noise, Toyota replace it a couple times due to improper installation of windshield sublet. Buzzing noise is minimal and rarely happens but now sealant was not secure and during rain cause water damage to underside of carpet. My concern is mold from the water damage.
05 Toyota Tacoma prerunner, (50,000 miles) driver's side sun visor fell into driver's line of sight while driving. Visor has been somewhat loose but holding just out of sightline. Visor has never held anything but itself and small garage door holder.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2005 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2005 Toyota Tacoma, 3% of the model year's 707 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Tacoma window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma, though it has 10 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 2005 Toyota Tacoma window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
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.