Most common 2008 Toyota Tacoma problems
Share of the 449 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 →
2008 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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale.
Remedy: For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard.
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.
Show 5 more recalls
Tires › Pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 fj cruiser, Land cruiser, tacoma, sequoia and tundra vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: For the Land cruiser, sequoia, tacoma and tundra vehicles, the dealer will re-calibrate the tire pressure monitoring system on affected vehicles and install an updated tire and loading information label at no charge.
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.
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.
What 2008 Toyota Tacoma owners say
Suspension all 125 →
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the subframe of the vehicle was significantly corroded. The contact stated that the passenger's side of the vehicle was warped, which made the vehicle unsafe to drive. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had passed inspection when an unknown recall repair was previously performed on the vehicle in 2016. The failure mileage was approximately 243,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change, the independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with 50% frame loss. The contact referred the failure to TSB: VH6 (Subframe Corrosion). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,500.
Speed control & acceleration all 85 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while coming to a complete stop, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle accelerated independently. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. A police report was filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 09V388000 (vehicle speed control). In 2015, the unexpected acceleration recurred. The dealer had an inspector diagnose the vehicle, who was unable to locate a problem. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. Updated 4/29/15 updated 11/10/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 5 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to slow down and caused the contact to crash into two trees. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that required medial attention. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000. Updated 2/4/16
Body & structure all 79 →
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for the State inspection, the dealer informed the contact that the subframe was severely corroded, and there was a large hole in the front leaf spring shackles. The dealer determined that the subframe needed to be reinforced at an auto body shop. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that two extended warranty letters related to the failure were sent to the vehicle owners. The manufacturer informed the contact that the Extended Warranties had expired; however, the contact never received the letters. The failure mileage was approximately 107,811.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while his wife was entering the vehicle on the passenger's side, the sidestep was stepped on, and there was an abnormal crunching sound coming from the step. The contact went to the passenger's side front door and yanked on the sidestep, which caused the sidestep to almost separate from the sub frame. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and observed severe corrosion extending the length of the passenger's and driver's side. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic due to the extent of the corrosion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,807.
2008 Toyota Tacoma engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 20 / 25 / 22 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 20 / 18 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 20 / 18 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 18 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Toyota Tacoma a good car?
Based on 449 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Tacoma rates avoid: 2.3× 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 2008 Toyota Tacoma?
The suspension — 125 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front. Next are the speed control & acceleration (85) and body & structure (79).
How many recalls does the 2008 Toyota Tacoma have?
There are 11 recalls for the 2008 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 2008 Toyota Tacoma problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 57,000 miles; 47% 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.