Most common 2006 Toyota Tacoma problems
Share of the 782 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Tacoma complaints by model year
Best Tacoma years: 2014, 2015, 2020. Years to avoid: 2024, 2016, 2025, 2012, 2017. Compare all years →
2006 Toyota Tacoma recalls (11)
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010…
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016.
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.
Suspension › Rear › Springs › Leaf spring assembly › Leaf
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.
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.
Seat belts
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.
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…
Air bags › Frontal
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 driver's air bag module.
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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
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.
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.
Show 5 more recalls
Equipment › Other › Labels
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.
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.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
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.
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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
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."
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.
Air bags
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.
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.
Tires › Bead
On certain pickup trucks, the bead of the tire May be damaged due to improper assembly of the tires onto the wheels.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tires and replace if necessary free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2006. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2006 Toyota Tacoma:
Sudden and uncontrolled acceleration
The petitioner owns a model year (my) 2006 Toyota tacoma equipped with a v6 engine and automatic transmission.in a petition sent to NHTSA's office of defects investigation (odi) dated January 10, 2008, he alleges he experienced two incidents of unwanted acceleration while driving his tacoma.the petitioner reported that during both incidents, while applying the brake, the engine speed increased of its own accord…
What 2006 Toyota Tacoma owners say
Body & structure all 242 →
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that he was made aware that the sub frame of the vehicle was rusted badly when the vehicle was taken to the dealer for faulty brake lines. The dealer informed the contact that they could not perform the brake line repair due to the sub frame rust. The contact was informed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The contact stated that another dealer Germain Toyota of Columbus (5711 Scarborough Blvd, Columbus, OH 43232) had sealed and plugged the frame which caused the frame to rust from water damage. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic for the brake line repair and remained at the mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while having the vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic, he was informed that there was severe corrosion to the sub-frame of the vehicle. Prior to the discovery, the contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where the frame was sprayed with a rust inhibitor to prevent corrosion. Over the years, the contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer on multiple occasions to have the frame checked. On each visit, the contact was informed that the sub-frame was in good shape. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that the vehicle was out of warranty but offered no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
Suspension all 154 →
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for front brake repair, she was informed that the front side of the subframe and the passenger's side and the driver's side subframe were severely corroded. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she would need to pay for the repair because an unknown Extended Warranty related to the failure had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that his father had taken the vehicle to a dealer to have NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V604000 (Suspension) serviced. Upon inspection, his father was informed that the recall could not be performed due to the extensive corrosion on the frame of the vehicle. He was also informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and was given an estimate of $16,000 for the repair. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
Speed control & acceleration all 147 →
On December 1, 2019 I was backing into a gas station fill up spot. As I let off the gas to apply pressure to the brakes the truck revved up and started accelerating in reverse. I applied as much pressure to the brakes as possible only to continue accelerating in reverse. I could fill the truck's brakes attempting to stop the vehicle but the truck's back tires are squealing over powering the brakes. I finally come to a stop on one of the poles that protects the gas pumps after hitting another vehicle. I have contacted Toyota and they sent a third party company to pull the information from the event data recorder. I was told I would get a report over what they said happened within 30 days after the third party has inspected the vehicle. It has now been 37 days and Toyota is refusing to give me any information. I have done all the recalls that have been issued on the 2006 Tacoma. …
Tl contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to loose control of the vehicle and make contact with a guard rail before crashing into a brick wall. During the incident, the vehicle sustained significant damage to the front end but the air bags did not deploy. The driver suffered an injury to the left eye. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
2006 Toyota Tacoma engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 24 / 21 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 21 / 18 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Toyota Tacoma a good car?
Based on 782 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Tacoma rates avoid: 3.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Tacoma at the same age. It is one of the Tacoma years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Toyota Tacoma?
The body & structure — 242 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the suspension (154) and speed control & acceleration (147).
How many recalls does the 2006 Toyota Tacoma have?
There are 11 recalls for the 2006 Toyota Tacoma, the most recent from June 2, 2016 (seat heater/cooler). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Tacoma?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2015 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2016, 2025, 2012 and 2017. See the full Toyota Tacoma years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota Tacoma problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 35% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.