Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V092000 (Air Bags), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 220,000.
My airbag warning light went off and the horn ceased functioning as well. The dealer charged me $170 to diagnose the problem as a broken spiral cable in the steering wheel. I asked about a recall for this part as there are plenty of other Toyota models with a recall for this same part. I was told that this particular VIN was not part of any campaign (yet). Are they actually different parts on the RAV4 and 4Runners or the same part?? There are plenty of documented failures and testimonials about the Tacoma issue but no recall??? Where does pressure need to come from to initiate one? Another $575 to fix it, what is a glaring safety issue.
Driver side air bag is not operational. Horn doesn't work. There was a spiral cable assembly recall for the 2006 Toyota Tacoma as well as air bag recall. My Vin number was not included but my vehicle is affected. Will this be corrected by Toyota. My vehicle only has 125,000 miles.
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.
Never received recall on the airbags? Safety harness in the back seats where my rand kids ride will not tighten up. Leaf-springs bow up in the middle not down? Have replaced u-joints more times then on my 97 Ford. Plus carrier bearings because of the leaf springs and stopped driving it because it goes back and forth on the road. My rear end howls and needs replaced because the rear end is higher then the tranny but there has been 7 recalls on this model and only found out about them on line. You must be doing a better job or your fired!!! Lol but if you care I thank you but at least make them fix these safety issues, or at least make us aware of them instead of hiding them. Don't let them get away with ripping americans off . To do so is no better then them.
Tl contact owns 2006 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 60-70 MPH he swerved from his lane into the next to avoid a crash which caused his vehicle to flipped approximately six times and slammed head on into an embankment. The contact stated that none of the airbags deployed. The road conditions were clear. The contact sustained bruises, tissue damage and a concussion. The crash caused the roof to cave, the windows to blow out and smashed the front end. The manufacturer stated that type of crash would not have caused the airbags to deploy and requested pictures of the vehicle. A police report is available. The current and failure mileages were 60,000. The consumer provided photos of the vehicle. Updated 09/18/07
The airbag light just turned on. Cruise control on steering wheel is not functioning, audio control on steering not working also and lastly the horn is not working also. Looks like a spiral cable problem based on the symptom and validation of discussion group online. Checked for recall here and seen my VIN number on the range for recall. Why did I not received any recall notice on this. Not sure if the vehicle is unsafe to drive considering the airbag deployed light is on or if this will affect the airbag deloyment if needed. This happened just recently and there are issues similar to my case. Hope it can be fixed by Toyota.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle cruise control failed to engage. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact was also, concerned that the air bags May fail to deploy in the event of a crash. The vehicle was not taken to a dealership to have a diagnostic testing performed. However, the contact feels that the failure was caused by NHTSA campaign number: 12V092000 (air bags). The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 162,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that he was driving approximately 45 MPH when the air bags erroneously deployed, causing him to crash. The contact suffered head trauma, back and neck injuries and a broken sternum. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact had previously taken the vehicle to the dealer for repairs under NHTSA campaign number 12V092000 (air bags) but no repairs were performed because the air bag light was not illuminated when taken for the recall service. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 72,000.
I do not see the recall for the spiral cable assembly on my Tacoma. I read that this VIN is part of a recall for the wiring in the steering wheel that controls my passenger airbag, cruise control and some other functions. It has malfunctioned. Why is it not listed on your website? When I checked on the status of this recall, it shows that my model, according to the VIN does qualify for this. My passenger airbag is not working, and my cruise control is no longer working at speed.
Related recalls
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.
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.
Airbag complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2006 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 76 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 Toyota Tacoma, 10% of the model year's 782 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Tacoma airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-092 (frontal, Mar 7, 2012); NHTSA recall 06V-096 (air bags, Apr 3, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota Tacoma airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to air bags 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.