2008 Toyota Tacoma Reliability
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma has 450 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about suspension and speed control / throttle. Compared with other Tacoma model years, 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
450
NHTSA owner complaints
11
Recall campaigns
48
Complaints citing a crash
6
Complaints citing a fire
2008 Toyota Tacoma complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 model year, filed between 2007 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 125 | 28% |
| Speed control / throttle | 85 | 19% |
| Body structure | 79 | 18% |
| Unknown or other | 44 | 10% |
| Steering | 41 | 9% |
| Service brakes | 30 | 7% |
| Air bags | 29 | 6% |
| Electrical system | 27 | 6% |
2008 Toyota Tacoma recalls
11 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2008 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 11V148000 | Mar 4, 2011 | 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. 138, "tire pressure monitoring system (tpms)." when… |
| 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… |
| 14V475000 | Aug 4, 2014 | 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. The affected vehicles may… |
| 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… |
| 14V743000 | Nov 19, 2014 | 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,… |
| 16V396000 | Jun 2, 2016 | 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… |
How the 2008 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 782 | 11 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2007 | 541 | 10 | Suspension | Avoid |
| 2008 (this page) | 450 | 11 | Suspension | Avoid |
| 2009 | 520 | 13 | Suspension | Avoid |
| 2010 | 294 | 13 | Suspension | Caution |
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.
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma on the used market
- 83 of 256 2008 Toyota Tacoma listings in CarWhere's lifespan study showed 200,000 miles or more.
What to check on a used 2008 Toyota Tacoma
- 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.
- Body: look under the car for rust or damaged subframe and rocker areas, and check panel gaps for signs of repair.
- 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 11 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 2008 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.
2008 Toyota Tacoma reliability FAQ
Is the 2008 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma has 450 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about suspension and speed control / throttle. Compared with other Tacoma model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Tacoma's typical year.
What are the most common 2008 Toyota Tacoma problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2008 Toyota Tacoma are suspension (125), speed control / throttle (85), body structure (79), unknown or other (44). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2008 Toyota Tacoma have recalls?
NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2008 Toyota Tacoma, including 09V223000 (equipment — other / labels) and 09V388000 (speed control / throttle — accelerator pedal). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2008 Toyota Tacoma compare with the 2007 and 2009 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2007 has 541 complaints and 10 recalls (avoid); the 2009 has 520 complaints and 13 recalls (avoid). The 2008 has 450 complaints and 11 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2008 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 2008 Tacoma, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.