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Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2020 Toyota Tacoma

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 87 safety complaints about the 2020 Toyota Tacoma with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 7 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the gasoline fuel system.

The most complained-about system is the fuel and propulsion system, named in 21 complaints, 24% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 5,000 miles, the median across the 44 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers July 2019 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

87 complaints on file

87

Complaints

6

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

7

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 36% year on year: 15 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 11 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 21 · 24%
POWER TRAIN 15 · 17%
ENGINE 14 · 16%
SERVICE BRAKES 12 · 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 · 9%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 8 · 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 · 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 8 · 9%
AIR BAGS 4 · 5%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 · 3%
STEERING 3 · 3%
STRUCTURE 3 · 3%
0 12 23

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 87.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 21.

24 18 12 6
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2020 Toyota TACOMA, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test PU/CC 2WD PU/CC 4WD PU/EC 2WD PU/EC 4WD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 14.7% 19.1% 14.7% 19.1%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

20V682000 · November 4, 2020

The defect
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.
The risk
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 1,525,742 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

Was driving doing 35mph and some one ran stop sign T boned Car who ran stop sign my air bags didn't deploy all air bags of other car deployed. My car was totaled . None of the air bags deployed according to recall my vin is not in takata recall. I was tosses all over car

NHTSA complaint 11510076. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

2 injured · crash

the person run away, she left, i took a pic of the car and vin problale she left because doesnt have DL

NHTSA complaint 11558666. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 3,600 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH ON A SNOW ROAD, HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN BUT DUE TO THE ICY CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE SLID OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A DITCH. THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG DEPLOYED AT AN ANGLE WHICH HIT HIM IN THE RIGHT EYE AND CAUSED IMMEDIATE BLINDNESS. THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG ALSO TRAPPED HIM IN BETWEEN THE SEATBELT AND THE AIRBAG. THE CONTACT WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL ONCE THE AUTHORITIES ARRIVED AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PERMANENT RIGHT EYE BLINDNESS. THE CONTACT ALSO SUFFERED MINOR ABRASIONS TO THE FACE, THE THREE OTHER PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. DUE TO THE

NHTSA complaint 11382875, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · crash · towed · 2,527 miles

VEHICLE HAD A FRONT/RIGHT COLLISION WITH THE TREES ON A ROAD DURING THE RAINY EVENING. VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY OUR CAR INSURANCE COMPANY ADJUSTER. THE AIRBAGS HAVE NEVER DEPLOYED THEREFORE THERE WERE SERIOUS INJURIES AND FRACTURES AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. WHY DID THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOY? WAS THERE A BREAKS OR OTHER SAFETY MALFUNCTIONING?

NHTSA complaint 11394568. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
The wiper motor does not move fast enough to keep the windshield clear in heavy rain. Yes it is available to be inspected. Unable to see while driving even after slowing down. Only when encountering heavy rain. No No

NHTSA complaint 11757586. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The Clutch in the Manual Transmission makes a "creaking" noise, and you can feel it when driving too, when depressing the clutch pedal... The creaking noise is annoying, but the feel of the creaking is very distracting when driving the manual transmission, depressing the creaky clutch can distract you from the road because you can feel it; and it only get's worse when left alone. This is a recurring issue on my 2020 Tacoma. It was "fixed" by the dealer in 2022, I think, and now it's happening again... same "creaking" issue that starts out small and gets louder and more violent (you can feel the "creaking" in the pedal more) with time. This really seems like a parts failure and not a lube

NHTSA complaint 11754665, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting a safety-related failure of an aftermarket bull bar / grille guard purchased through Amazon. The bull bar detached from the vehicle while the vehicle was in motion on a public road. After detaching, the bar was dragged on the road and was only partially held by the fog light wiring. This created a road hazard and could have caused loss of control, damage to other vehicles, or injury to pedestrians or other drivers. The failure appears to be at or near the welded joint / mounting area, suggesting a possible manufacturing or weld defect rather than normal wear. The product was installed on the vehicle before the incident and failed during normal driving. Product: - Product

NHTSA complaint 11742928, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Fluid weeping/leaking/staining on differential housing

NHTSA complaint 11730338. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On Sunday, March 15,2026, I was driving from Houston, TX to Pharr, TX at the speed of 75mph on the left lane to pass an 18 wheeler, with another 18 wheeler behind me, and my truck started idling erratically. I lost speed and my service engine light came on. My truck slowed down and I almost got in a car accident with the 18 wheelers because the truck did this. The truck behind me slowed down on time and it went immediately to the right lane to avoid hitting my truck. I feared for my life. All the vehicles behind me and the 18 wheelers also went to the right lane to avoid me. By this time, the TRAC light had already come on also. I managed a space of no vehicles and steered towards the right

NHTSA complaint 11725081, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
This is a safety issue and a known issue. Toyota is reporting that it is wear and tear and denying my goodwill repair but it is a technical service bulletin TSB #0082-21 - so it is a safety issue. I emailed and called and have case number with Toyota - 260225002292

NHTSA complaint 11723258. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota Tacoma

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 100 5 1
2024 151 5 —
2023 54 4 —
2022 59 3 —
2021 80 0 1
2019 218 4 —
2018 206 3 —
2017 239 5 —
2016 323 4 —
2015 101 4 —
2014 93 4 —
2013 125 6 —
2012 295 7 —
2011 186 9 2
2010 294 13 —

Other 2020 Toyota models

RAV4 635 Highlander 317 Corolla 306 Camry 274 C-HR 64 Tundra 46 Sienna 38 4Runner 33

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Toyota on this site — 281 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst