2005 Toyota Tacoma Reliability
The 2005 Toyota Tacoma has 707 owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about body structure and suspension. Compared with nearby Tacoma model years (2003–2007), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Tacoma's typical year.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
707
NHTSA owner complaints
10
Recall campaigns
47
Complaints citing a crash
4
Complaints citing a fire
2005 Toyota Tacoma complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 model year, filed between 2004 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Body structure | 260 | 37% |
| Suspension | 137 | 19% |
| Speed control / throttle | 93 | 13% |
| Steering | 61 | 9% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 57 | 8% |
| Air bags | 46 | 7% |
| Unknown or other | 42 | 6% |
| Tires | 26 | 4% |
2005 Toyota Tacoma recalls
10 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2005 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05V050000 | Feb 11, 2005 | Parking brake | On certain pickup trucks equipped with an automatic transmission, there is a possibility that the parking brake pedal cable lock nut may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification. In this condition, the lock nut may loosen and come off, which… |
| 05V302000 | Jun 28, 2005 | Air bags | On certain regular cab pickup trucks equipped with a bench seat, the seat position and seat belt buckle sensor connector pins are incorrectly positioned due to a wire harness manufacturing process error. |
| 06V096000 | Apr 3, 2006 | 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… |
| 09V223000 | Jun 15, 2009 | 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… |
| 09V388000 | Oct 5, 2009 | Speed control / throttle — 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. |
| 10V035000 | Feb 3, 2010 | 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… |
| 10V036000 | Feb 3, 2010 | 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… |
| 12V092000 | Mar 7, 2012 | 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 drivers air bag module. If… |
| 13V337000 | Aug 7, 2013 | 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. If the access doors are… |
| 14V604000 | Sep 29, 2014 | 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… |
How the 2005 compares with nearby Tacoma years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Tacoma analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 372 | 5 | Body structure | Caution |
| 2004 | 415 | 5 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2005 (this page) | 707 | 10 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2006 | 782 | 11 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2007 | 541 | 10 | Suspension | Avoid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2005 Toyota Tacoma
- Body: look under the car for rust or damaged subframe and rocker areas, and check panel gaps for signs of repair.
- Suspension: listen for clunks over bumps, look for leaking struts and uneven tire wear.
- Throttle and speed control: check for surging, hesitation or a reduced-power warning, and test cruise control.
- Steering: check for a steering warning light, heavy or notchy steering and clunks over bumps; power-steering faults show up at low speed.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 10 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2005 Toyota Tacoma can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2005 Toyota Tacoma reliability FAQ
Is the 2005 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
The 2005 Toyota Tacoma has 707 owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about body structure and suspension. Compared with nearby Tacoma model years (2003–2007), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Tacoma's typical year.
What are the most common 2005 Toyota Tacoma problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma are body structure (260), suspension (137), speed control / throttle (93), steering (61). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2005 Toyota Tacoma have recalls?
NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma, including 05V050000 (parking brake) and 05V302000 (air bags). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2005 Toyota Tacoma compare with the 2004 and 2006 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2004 has 415 complaints and 5 recalls (avoid); the 2006 has 782 complaints and 11 recalls (avoid). The 2005 has 707 complaints and 10 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2005 Toyota Tacoma?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Toyota Tacoma research
Other Toyota Tacoma model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2005 Tacoma, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.