2018 Toyota Tacoma problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (35) · Fuel/Propulsion System (32) · Fuel System, Gasoline (22)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Tacoma model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
92 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2020-11-04 · campaign 20V682000 · 1,525,742 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus I
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2020-01-13 · campaign 20V012000 · 1,830,752 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder 2018-12-13 · campaign 18V888000 · 44,121 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tacoma vehicles. Improper machining of the brake master cylinder may result in internal damage of one of the seals, affecting brake performance.
Risk: Reduced brake performance can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. The recall began January 28, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J16/J06.
Service bulletins (294)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Structure:body 2025-11-11 · 23TE08 · Service Campaign
toyota has received some reports of paint peeling along the exterior door window frames, front inner fenders as can been seen with the hood open, and on the a-pillars on certain tacoma vehicles with 040 super white paint color. although the vehicle paint is covered by toyota’s new vehicle limited w
Electrical System 2025-08-20 · T-TT-0790-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using bluetooth hands free. this is caused by the phone hands free volume being too low.
Structure:body 2025-07-31 · 23TE08 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
customer support program 23te08 paint repair process job aid
Structure:body 2025-07-31 · 23TE08 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical instructions for customer support program 23te08 coverage for paint peeling on exterior door frames, front inner fenders and a-pillars certain 2016-2022 model year tacoma
Structure:body 2025-07-31 · 23TE08 · Service Campaign
toyota has received some reports of paint peeling along the exterior door window frames, front inner fenders as can been seen with the hood open, and on the a-pillars on certain tacoma vehicles with 040 super white paint color. although the vehicle paint is covered by toyota’s new vehicle limited w
Showing the 6 most recent of 294 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-13 · Visibility/Wiper“ i have been having issues with an intermittent rain smell in my vehicle for the past few months not realizing the smell was due to water intrusion in the cabin of my truck. i own a 2018 toyota tacoma. as of recently the situation has been getting exceedingly worse due to stormy and rainy weather during the month of september. at this point i notic…”
2026-10-08 · Unknown Or Other“cab air vents behind rear seat leaks causing mold to form under carpet. …”
2026-10-06 · Fuel/Propulsion System“2018 toyota tacoma sr 4wd double cab, 3.5l v6 (2gr-fks). at about 87,000 miles the check engine light came on with code p11ec, cylinder 1 air-fuel ratio imbalance (port). cylinder 1 failed compression. leakdown and coolant tests had passed earlier; borescope did not show heavy scoring. the toyota dealer said replacing the direct injectors would fix…”
2026-09-24 · Unknown Or Other“rear cabin air vents not sealed properly from factory. water leaks in and soaks interior carpet and gets moldy. …”
2026-09-21 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 8,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard, and the vehicle continued moving forward. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was repaired under nhts campaign number: 18v888000 (service brakes, hydraulic); but the contact had evidence that the r…”
2026-09-18 · Structure:body“i have a clear coat bubbling issue on my mirrors and also multiple clear coat stains on the hood that just developed on my toyota tacoma off road-inferno orange paint after two years that i own it. i called toyota, there is no recall on my paint color, but i've viewed an online post someone has placed a lawsuit for the same reasons, but a different…”
2026-09-08 · Structure:body“i own a 2018 toyota tacoma sr, manufactured 11/2017, with factory paint code 1g3 magnetic gray metallic. the factory clear coat is experiencing extensive delamination/failure on the hood and roof. this isn't isolated stone damage or normal cosmetic wear. the clear coat is failing extensively across the horizontal panels. i'm aware toyota has previo…”
2026-07-22 · Unknown Or Other“ vehicle hits a bump in the road and the check engine light comes on, followed by the gas pedal being non-responsive and an error code on the instrument panel saying “brake override system malfunction. check with dealer.” and “pre-collision system malfunction. visit your dealer. ” when this occurs, have to coast the vehicle to a safe place, turn …”
2026-07-19 · Unknown Or Other“the cab vents failed causing water to soak the carpet and pad from the back wall to the front of the cab. mold was growing through out the the cab. carpet & pad had to be removed. this is a known problem by dealerships and owners of toyota tacoma. because the water was under the seats, trim and weather mats it went undetected exposing us to mold. …”
2026-07-13 · Structure:body“what failed: the clear coat finish on the exterior paint of my 2018 toyota tacoma has failed (cracking) in two separate locations on the same vehicle, indicating a manufacturing defect rather than normal wear. in late 2024, i discovered clear coat cracking on the roof and hood. i reported this to toyota (toyota case #241028000714) and paid approxim…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.