Problems · by component
2003 Toyota Tacoma vehicle speed control problems
29 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Tacoma cite vehicle speed control, 8% of all 372 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
29
8% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the vehicle speed control
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
“LOSS OF ACCELERATOR DUE TO BAD THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR/THROTTLE BODY. WHEN YOU EASE OFF THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE ALL THROTTLE RESPONSE. THEN YOU HAVE TO "WORK" THE ACCELERATOR IN AND OUT UNTIL IT STARTS RESPONDING AGAIN. IT HAPPENS ON TAKE OFF OR ANYTIME YOU BACK OFF ON THE ACCELERATOR. IT HAS CUT OFF ON ME TRYING TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND I ALMOST GOT HIT! IT HAS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AND I HAD TO TRY TO WORK MY WAY OVER WITH NO THROTTLE AND TRY NOT TO GET RUN OVER! IT NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. TOYOTA DOESN'T SELL A NEW TPS FOR THIS VEHICLE NOW ( A $40 TO $50 PART)TOYOTA WILL BE HAPPY TO SELL ME A NEW THROTTLE BODY FOR $1400 AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE LABOR. I THOUGHT MANUFACTURERS WERE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PARTS FOR THEIR VEHICLES.”
“I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY EXPERIENCE LOSS OF POWER SUCH AS FUEL PUSH THE THROTTLE DOWN A COUPLE OF TIMES IT PICK BACK UP HAPPENED TO MORE TIMES WITHIN 10 MI1NUTES IT DID NOT THROW A CODE BEEN CHECKING IT MAY RELATE TO A THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM BEEN READING ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE THROTTLE BODY DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT OR HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM”
“INTERMIDIOT LOSS OF THROTTLE RESPONCE, FROM STANDING AT LIGHT OR STOP SIGN AND FROM ACCELERATION. HESITATION DURING ACCELERATION UNTIL PEDEL IS PRESSED FULLY AND OSSULATION WHILE DRIVING AT A STEADY SPEED ON HWY. **NO WARNING CODES PRESENT**”
“I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA ON HIGHWAY 156 DOWNHILL TO HOLLISTER, CA I WAS GOING APPROX 65 MPH AND IT JUST JERKED BACK AND LOST POWER I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GO 40MPH NO HIGHER , THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS NOT TURNED ON AND IT SEEMS I AM GETTING NO KIND OF DIAGNOSTIC ERROR OF WHAT COULD BE WRONG.”
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, I MOVED INTO THE LEFT LANE TO PASS ANOTHER CAR. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR THE NOSE PITCHED FORWARD AND THE ENGINE FELT LIKE IT WAS NOT GETTING ANY GAS. I WAS ABLE TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR NEARLY ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO CONTINUE GETTING POWER TO THE ENGINE, BUT THE FIRST 2/3 OF THE PEDAL STROKE WERE COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE. A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A THROTTLE BODY ISSUE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS SEEMS TO BE A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE ON A NUMBER OF TACOMA FORUMS. THE COST TO REPLACE WILL BE $1400 DOLLARS NEW OR $400 DOLLARS USED. I AM SKEPTICAL TO PURCHASE A REFURBISHED PART DUE TO THE KNOWN ISSUE WITH IT. THIS HAS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES IN 3.5 YEARS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE AND SEEMS TO OCCUR IN COLDER WEATHER. TYPICALLY AFTER PULLING OVER AND SHUTTING THE CAR OFF FOR 30 SECONDS, THE ISSUE IS GONE. IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN.”
Showing 6 of 29 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.