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Research · Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD

2003 Toyota TacomaRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 372 owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota Tacoma. Most complaints involve structure (182) and suspension (66). The EPA rates it 16–22 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
16–22mpg
EPA · 9 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
5campaigns
Latest Nov 2012
Owner complaints
372
Top: structure
Fuel cost / yr
$2,850est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

5 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Tires: temporary

Free remedy

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.

TiresReported Nov 23, 2012NHTSA 12V542000

Exterior lighting

Free remedy

CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Exterior lightingReported Jul 17, 2006NHTSA 06E065000

Exterior lighting

Free remedy

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Exterior lightingReported Mar 23, 2006NHTSA 06E026000
See all 5 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

372 complaints filed with NHTSA · Feb 2003 – Oct 2026
  1. Structure182
  2. Suspension66
  3. Vehicle speed control29
  4. Air bags28
  5. Power train22
  6. Tires21
  7. Engine and engine cooling16
  8. Fuel system, gasoline13
  9. Steering12

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Tacoma model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
1996257
1997134
1998310
1999251
2000221
2001401
2002360
2003372
2004415
2005707
2006782
2007541
2008450
2009520
2010294
2011186
2012295
2013125
201493
2015102
2016324
2017244
2018209
2019219
202090
202181
202259
202354
2024155
2025116
Crashes reported
31
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
22
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Structure

182 reports5 crashes
“While driving at both high speeds (highway) and local road speed limits, Toyota Tacoma's rear passenger side frame split completely in half. While performing maneuvers such as right turns, vehicle wobbled and I, driver, lost temporary control of vehicle. Upon further inspection, rear driver side frame also contains stress fractures which are symmetric to the rear passenger side of truck. Potential for accident has increased exponentially. Pictures provided. Brought evidence of clear safety hazard to local Metro Detroit dealership at 773 S Rochester Rd Unit B, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 on 04NOV25, and called Toyota Corporate on 05NOV25. Toyota Corporate neglected my concerns about safety hazard and potential harm to myself and family. Safety recall needs to be issued immediately. This issue stems from a well known recall from Toyota of Toyota Tacoma's, 1996-2004, which contained an OEM defect of excessive corrasion to the frames, causing premature failure of the frames due to excessive rust build up which impacts frame integrity and increases probability of failures such as observed in my case.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 5, 2025Suspension, StructureODI 11697609

Suspension

66 reports7 crashes
“I took my 2003 Toyota Tacoma and for a tire alignment and was told by an employee of the tire shop that my rack and pinion needed to be replaced and lower ball joints. I checked the VIN number and it said I have zero recalls, but there is a general recall on this make a model that I have what do I do? I also have the steering has a lot of play whenever I go for a bump in the road like the tires catch the road so I kind of swerve a little bit and I feel that it’s very unsafe to me and other drivers.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 22, 2026Steering, SuspensionODI 11719764

Vehicle speed control

29 reports6 crashes
“The contact owned a 2003 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving up the driveway at 5 MPH and turning into the garage, the accelerator pedal was depressed but went down to the floorboard and became stuck. The contact lost control of the vehicle, and the vehicle crashed into the fence gate and the corner of the neighbor's residence. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard, where it was totaled. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V388000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 5, 2023Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11520665
All 2003 Tacoma problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

9 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD, Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
Engines
2.4L 4-cyl · 3.4L 6-cyl · 2.7L 4-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 5-spd · Automatic 4-spd
Drive
Rear-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 10, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Tacoma 2WD
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
202522$2,850404
Tacoma 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
192321$2,950423
Tacoma 2WD
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
172219$3,300468
Tacoma 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
172018$3,450494
Tacoma 4WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
161918$3,450494
Tacoma 4WD
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
162017$3,650523
Tacoma 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
151916$3,900555
Tacoma 4WD
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
151816$3,900555
Tacoma 4WD
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
151816$3,900555
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L
    20 city · 25 hwy · $2,850/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L
    19 city · 23 hwy · $2,950/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    17 city · 22 hwy · $3,300/yr
    19
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L
    17 city · 20 hwy · $3,450/yr
    18
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L
    16 city · 19 hwy · $3,450/yr
    18
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L
    16 city · 20 hwy · $3,650/yr
    17
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    15 city · 19 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    15 city · 18 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    15 city · 18 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 10, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2003 Toyota Tacoma as of Nov 10, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 10, 2026Vehicle 4866Vehicle 4803
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2003 Tacoma questions

How many recalls does the 2003 Toyota Tacoma have?

5 safety recalls as of Nov 10, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2003 Toyota Tacoma problems?

Owners filed 372 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are structure (182), suspension (66), vehicle speed control (29). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2003 Toyota Tacoma get?

The EPA rates the 2003 Toyota Tacoma at 16–22 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (9 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 10, 2026