Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was totally aware of the recall for these year models of Tacoma and I brought the truck in several times to have the frame inspected and asked for it to be replaced. The folks at Dorschel Automotive group turned me away saying it did not meet the "rust perforation standard." Lo and behold, when Dorschel was bought by Bob Johnson Auto Group, the first time I took it in they recognized that the frame was entirely rotted and would not pass inspection. At this point, I called Toyota Customer Service and they said they would not honor the recall as it is outside the window of time. Yet this is not a matter of me not taking proper action. I did. I did my due diligence and I am being harmed by the negligence of the service managers at Dorschel. I made Toyota aware that the frame inspection was not done properly. I could see visible rust and I made mention of that. …
The entire chassis is rusted underneath. This vehicle is only 14 years old and the brake lines are completely rusted, the rear bumper cross arm that holds the frame from side to side is rusted. Multiple parts under the rear are having to be replaced due to the rust!
After a couple of months I started experiencing a loud "squeak" coming from the rear of the vehicle and a "whistle" at speeds of 65-80mph. I contacted dealer and took it in for them to troubleshoot the issues. After about 4 months of ownership along with the above mentioned problems I started noticing a heavy vibration at slow speeds. I bought new tires, front end alignment, and had tires balanced as per my dealers recommendation. Then the acceleration issues started..... I took it back to my dealership and they performed the "floor mat fix". The vibrations just kept getting worse and the constant visits to my dealer and calls to Toyota's corporate office always ending with the "that's normal for these trucks" saying. …
Sunday after 2009 christmas, we went to church. As we pull into the church parking lot and getting ready to back in one of the parking lot and our car Toyota Tacoma accelerate all of sudden with rapid speed and slam into the rear bumper of another parked vehicle (Honda accord). No one was hurt but our Tacoma front bumper and Honda's rear bumper was damaged. After that our truck brake light remain blinking and we can hear some clicking noise. We called police and reported the incident. We also left a note for Honda's owner to call police for further claim to fix they bumper. The following Monday, we took our truck to nearest Toyota dealer (lakenorman Toyota dealer over huntersville, nc) to have them check on our truck. The technician had to adjust something with brake and he told us that, the accident was likely caused by brake or gas pedal being stuck. …
After driving on the highway for a few minutes at ~70 MPH, the ABS light run red on. When the light turned on the computer thought the car was in a bad situation and locked the brake pedal. This caused the brakes to not function and made the car almost impossible to stop. Whenever the car was able to be slowed down to about 19 MPH, the light would turn off and the brakes would start to function normally. This happened once a week for 3 weeks in 2015 and again in February of 2016. It happened again in April 2016. This problem did not happen at low speed and it would not happen twice in the same day, even during the same conditions. I went to wolfchase Toyota to fix the problem. They decided not to do anything about it. I went to principal Toyota and they said they had never seen the problem before. They said that they could reset the computer or put in a new one ($3000). …
Moving very slowly downhill on a snow-covered driveway. Depressed brake pedal, but ABS failed to engage. Brakes locked-up instantly, causing an approximately 200ft slide, hitting utility pole and guard rail. About one week later, brakes locked again (ABS failed to engage), but I was ready for it and immediately let off and reapplied pressure. This time ABS did engage. I have since tested the brakes on slick surfaces in safe zones. Only three times did ABS fail, and the two times that I let off and re-applied the brakes, the ABS engaged at that point in time. Each time the ABS failed, it was while moving downhill. The issue for me is that I do not know how to react when braking in critical situations: do I pump the brakes as for w/o ABS, or steadily hold brakes as one would with functioning ABS. I took the vehicle (2007 Toyota Tacoma) to dealer, but they said brakes looked OK.
2007 Toyota Tacoma accelerated aggressively when approaching a left turn after slightly pressing the gas. It continued to accelerate after taking foot off the gas and applying brakes. Was unable to slow truck sufficiently to make it around the corner and struck a light pole. Truck was totaled. Injuries were fairly minor - shoulder/neck stiffness, scratches, bruises, etc. Incident occurred in torrance, california (torrance collision report). Reported to Toyota customer service - case #1001122516. I did not follow up on a complaint at the time because the Toyota accelerator problems were not published and I was unaware of how to escalate the issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, she suddenly depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle did not stop and caused the contact to crash into another vehicle. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred a few years later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200. Updated 3/31/14 the consumer stated she pressed the brake pedal while exiting but the vehicle did not stop and crashed into a pole. The driver was injured during this accident.
Tl contact owns a 2007 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 50 MPH, the contact applied the brakes at a red light and the vehicle failed to stop. This was the first time the brakes failed. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The front end and the doors were destroyed. The insurance adjuster has not made a determination at this time. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 25,000. The consumer stated the driver of the SUV he hit was injured. The consumer vehicle was totaled. Updated 09/18/08.
2007 Tacoma 4x4 4 door trd. Driver approached red light attempted to step on brakes to stop and they did not work. Driver ran through red light and noticed black smoke from engine compartment, then flames. Took about a mile, while the engine was on fire, to stop the vehicle by downshifting and e-brake. Had no prior brake problems with vehicle. Insurance is doing investigation at this time. Fire department advised the heaviest fire damage was located near the brake line and master cylinder area.
Brake complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2007 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the brakes of the 2007 Toyota Tacoma, 8% of the model year's 541 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Toyota Tacoma brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2007 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 2007 Toyota Tacoma brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 13 crashes, 2 fires and 6 injuries to brakes 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.