Worst 2003 Toyota Tacoma Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
STRUCTURE:BODY
SUSPENSION
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Toyota Tacoma.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 114 | 4 | — | 147,738 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 48 | 5 | — | 152,258 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS | 29 | — | — | 148,430 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 26 | — | — | 239,901 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 22 | — | — | 122,042 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 22 | 4 | — | 89,218 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 21 | 13 | — | 244,844 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 20 | 1 | — | 107,443 mi | |
| TIRES | 14 | 1 | — | 134,366 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 12 | — | — | 89,288 mi | |
| STEERING | 11 | 4 | — | 81,123 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 9 | 2 | — | 142,706 mi | |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT | 9 | 2 | — | 28,167 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 8 | — | 1 | 97,650 mi | |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 8 | — | — | 114,429 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 7 | — | — | 69,382 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 | — | — | 132,209 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 6 | 6 | — | 31,793 mi | |
| ENGINE | 5 | — | — | 172,349 mi | |
| SEATS | 5 | — | — | 88,750 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 4 | — | — | 39,000 mi | |
| PARKING BRAKE | 4 | — | — | 25,267 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 | — | — | 69,125 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 4 | — | — | 51,560 mi | |
| SEAT BELTS | 4 | — | — | 102,333 mi | |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 4 | — | — | 7,333 mi | |
| TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | 4 | — | — | 100,189 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 4 | 1 | — | 128,333 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 3 | — | — | 49,641 mi | |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 3 | — | — | 134,314 mi |
Recalls for 2003 Toyota Tacoma
1 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~150,000 vehicles.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2004 Tacoma light trucks manufactured from August 28, 2000, through August 27, 2004, and originally sold, or currently registered, in the following cold climate states with high road salt usage: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The spare tire in the subject vehicles is located underneath the rear of the vehicle and held by a spare tire carrier. A lift plate on the carrier is used to help raise, lower and retain the tire. During its manufacture, the lift plate may not have been sufficiently coated with anti-corrosion materials. If the plate is insufficiently coated and the vehicle is operated in cold climate regions where road salts are frequently used, road spray can reach the carrier assembly and corrode the lift plate.
Other Toyota Tacoma Years
Wider context: See the full Toyota Tacoma reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2003 Toyota Tacoma
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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