2018 Toyota Tacoma reported problems

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“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. Problem was reported to Toyota dealership and Toyota Corporation. A case was logged 07/10/2026 as Case # 260710001840. The resolution offered was ordering and replacing parts. All parts required for repair and on backorder. Hundreds of orders for these parts in their system. Carpet and under mat had been replaced 05/02/2025 due to a Toyota recall campaign 21TD03.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“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 approximately $2,000 out of pocket to have an independent body shop repaint the affected panels, as Toyota corporate declined to assist after the repair had already been performed. The clear coat is now cracking again at approximately 48,925 miles, this time on the cab in the pillar/trim area between the tops of the doors and the roofline. The vehicle and affected areas are available for inspection upon request. SAFETY IMPACT: This is a cosmetic exterior paint/clear coat defect. I have not identified any impact on vehicle operation, structural integrity, or visibility, and I am not aware of any safety risk to myself or others resulting from this issue to date. I am reporting it to document a recurring defect pattern on this vehicle. REPRODUCED/CONFIRMED BY A DEALER OR SERVICE CENTER: The 2024 occurrence was inspected and repaired by an independent body shop (not a Toyota dealer). The current occurrence has been reported to Toyota corporate (Toyota Brand Engagement Center) along with photographs, but has not been physically inspected by a Toyota dealer. INSPECTED BY MANUFACTURER, POLICE, OR INSURANCE: Toyota corporate reviewed photographic evidence of the current issue through my correspondence with the Toyota Brand Engagement Center, which I have asked to be linked to prior case #241028000714. Toyota has not physically inspected the vehicle. This is not a crash-related issue, so no police or insurance inspection has occurred. WARNING LAMPS OR PRIOR SYMPTOMS: Not applicable. This is a cosmetic paint/clear coat defect rather than a mechanical or electronic system issue, so there were no dashboard warning lamps or system messages”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“The cabin pressure vents, located at the rear of the cab below the rear window on the body frame have failed. The seal on the exterior of the vents has dry rotted. This has caused an extensive amount of water intrusion that is undetectable until it has been present long enough to cause mildew issues. Being that water enters below the vehicle carpet and padding you cannot see it, your first warning sign is smell. When I began to assess the issue I pulled up my carpet to find standing water and mold. This is supposed to be a safe environment where I can transport myself and my family and I now I have to be concerned about mold inhalation each time my toddler sits in my truck. Toyota needs to do an immediate recall to the cabin vents and replace them with a product that can actually with stand the elements. Additionally they need to replace all the carpet, twill, and padding that has been compromised.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal odor coming from the inside of the vehicle. While the vehicle was being serviced, the dealer discovered that the inner padding on the front passenger side, the rear passenger side, and the rear driver side was soaked with water, and due to the water accumulation, there was mold forming on the floor. The contact had placed towels to soak up the water while driving; however, the contact later discovered that the mold had spread to the towels as well. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the rear cabin pressure bin needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Paint has been peeling from door handles and front bumper”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“The 3rd generation Tacomas rear cabin vents (2 vents) allow water to enter the cabin because they are not tight to the body or sealed properly. The water leaks down the back wall and forward onto the floor soaking the carpet and padding underneath. The water in the carpet/padding has yielded mildew/mold throughout (water goes all the way to the front of the truck). The water also leaks through a floor grommet into a section where the cab mount bolts are and significant rust develops. Not only is the exposure to mold a health hazard, but the corrosion/rust on the cab mount bolts is a significant structural concern. There are many online posts with this problem, and i have just recently found this on my Tacoma. My vehicle has had the 3rd brake light recall, and this issue is completely separate from that recall. Toyota has a history on these vehicles not sealing them as they should. 1. The 2 rear cabin vents fail to keep water from entering the cab. I am happy to provide the vehicle for inspection. 2. Exposure to toxic mold is a health concern. Significant structural damage to the cab mount bolts is a concern if the vehicle were to be in an accident. 3. Numerous people online have confirmed this issue, and they have indicated dealerships are well aware of the issue. I put a garden hose to the back of my truck myself and saw water entering the vehicle. 4. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance, etc. 5. Unknown when water leak first started. In the past 2 years i have started to notice a mildew smell after a rainy day. I am happy to provide additional photos, but the internet is full of this very issue. Please see the following sites with photos/videos/descriptions of other Tacoma owners having the exact same issue. Thank you very much for your time. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“The clear coat on the exterior paint of the truck has failed. This has left the base coat paint exposed which means the metal frame is susceptible to rusting now.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“Electrical overstress The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment.  FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW.  These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes.  An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.   In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU.  This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation.  The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage.  There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation.  The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU.  If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC.  Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC.  All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled.  In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024.  With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“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. Reduced brake performance can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. 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.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“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 and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. 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.”

The records describe a possible crash, fire, injury, or loss of control.

“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 IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. 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 expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.”