2015 Toyota Tacoma Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2015 Tacoma most often describe engine and emissions-related faults, airbag non-deployment or unexpected deployment in crashes, brake pedal and rotor concerns, and wind noise or water intrusion around the doors and windshield. Many reports come in at low mileage, often within the first year of ownership, while brake vibration and steering complaints tend to show up later. Complaints describe a mix of sudden events (stalls, unintended movement, airbag deployment) and gradual ones such as rotor warping, rust, and trim deterioration.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake pedal fade, firm-pedal loss and rotor vibration

   • 10 complaints (10%)
   • median 9,000 mi at 1.2 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2022

   Owners describe the brake pedal sinking toward the floor with the engine running, or the brakes seeming to release while the pedal is held, allowing the truck to roll. Others report the steering wheel shaking or jumping when braking from highway speed, with dealers identifying warped rotors, and one owner reported brake fluid leaking from the booster into the cabin. Several say the dealer described the pedal behavior as normal operation. Pedal complaints appear very early, sometimes under 1,000 miles; rotor vibration is reported from about 30,000 to 43,000 miles and up.

   What to check: With the engine running, hold steady pressure on the brake pedal and see whether it sinks; test braking from highway speed for steering wheel shake. Ask whether rotors or the booster have been replaced and check for fluid residue around the booster.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sitting at a dead cold stop. After approximately 3 minutes - brakes just released with me standing on the pedal - allowing me to roll into the vehicle in front of me. My vehicle impacted the rear of the vehicle in front of me at approximately 5mph. I was literally screaming and standing on the brake pedal - zero effect. I felt no loss of hydraulic pressure or mechanical feedback through the pedal at anytime. It's as if the calipers all just released with me on the pedal the whole time.”

   NHTSA complaint #10809540, filed 2015-12, 4,500 miles

   “Took truck in for 25,000 maintenance ,dealership said brakes are 50% remaining. At 30,000 miles breaks are metal to metal,dealership refused to tow or do repairs and now are stating I declined towing and repairs.vehicles has been in a wreck, I believe the result of the brakes.called dealership 6 times trying to get repairs done correctly but never received a call back.I believe they committed fraud in maintenance and negligence and telling me the vehicle was safe to drive. Vehicle is still under factory warranty.”

   NHTSA complaint #10864282, filed 2016-05, 31,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying, or deploying unexpectedly

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 47,500 mi at 2.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   A number of owners describe frontal or side impacts where the airbags did not deploy, and in a few cases curtain or side airbags deployed with no impact at all. Complaints mention moderate-speed collisions, animals or other vehicles struck head-on, and one report of deployment while cruising on the interstate. Owners say dealers or the manufacturer inspected the vehicle and in some cases reported no fault found. Note that the input includes no Takata-related recall for this model year. Spread from about 5,000 miles to 130,000 miles, with events occurring in collisions at highway speeds as well as one no-impact deployment.

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has been in a collision and whether the airbag system was inspected afterward; a scan for airbag control module codes and a check for stored crash data can reveal past events.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While traveling approximately 60 MPH, I collided into a large free range animal in the middle of the road. Upon impact none of my airbags deployed and as a result I suffered life threatening injuries, was flown to the nearest hospital and had open heart surgery to repair my aorta which ruptured upon impact. Due to complications from the surgery I had to undergo a second major surgery in may of 2019, and am currently recovering. My passengers only suffered minor injuries.”

   NHTSA complaint #11266799, filed 2019-10, 130,000 miles

   “Takata recall -- I was involved in a front end auto collision yesterday, I was going on speeds in excess of 45mph when I struck a car that had cut me off, my car became completely inoperable. The airbags had not deployed which makes me feel there is a safety issue involved with the vehicle. The vehicle I had struck was going roughly 10mph. The framing of my car is completely bend and most of the force was excreted towards the engine on the passenger side of the my 2015 Tacoma.”

   NHTSA complaint #10820461, filed 2016-01, 12,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration or engine surging at low speed

   • 11 complaints (11%)
   • median 7,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2023

   Owners describe the truck lunging forward or revving sharply while stopped or nearly stopped with the brake applied, sometimes into a building or another vehicle. Some report the engine revving past 5,000 rpm in drive and needing neutral to bring it back down. In other cases dealers replaced the brake actuator and master cylinder, cleaned or replaced the throttle body and fuel injectors, or found no cause at all. Reported from very low mileage (under 1,000 miles) through about 86,000 miles, typically during parking maneuvers or stopped in traffic.

   What to check: During a test drive, come to a full stop with the brake held and watch the tachometer for rising idle or lurching. Ask whether the throttle body, intake, or brake actuator have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While pulling into a parking space at work. I was almost at a stop with my foot on the brake when suddenly the truck accelerated at a high rate of speed. I hit the building in front of me and my truck was totaled luckily no one was injured . Most people say well you must have hit the accelerator my mistake that is not the case my foot was already applying the brake to stop a”

   NHTSA complaint #11246173, filed 2019-08, 1 miles

   “My stepson was pulling into the driveway, he stopped, then the Toyota Tacoma lunged forward crashing into our garage. I had noticed since leasing the truck in july of 2015, that once in a while I would come to a stop and it felt like I just got rear ended but nobody was behind me.”

   NHTSA complaint #10846031, filed 2016-03, 9,400 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Secondary air injection pump/valve failure

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • median 27,900 mi at 3.1 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2016–2023

   Owners describe the check engine light coming on, sometimes along with VSC and TRAC lights, and the truck dropping into a reduced-power mode where it will not accelerate normally. Several report diagnostic codes pointing to the secondary air injection system and say the pump or one-way valves were the cause. According to the complaints, dealers quoted repair costs in the high hundreds to roughly two thousand dollars, and owners note the part failed well before the emissions warranty period they expected. Reported from under 8,000 miles up to about 63,000 miles, with several failures in the first year.

   What to check: Ask for service records showing whether the secondary air injection pump and valves have been replaced, and scan for stored codes before purchase. A pre-purchase inspection that reads pending codes is worth the cost on this model year.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Secondary air injection system malfunctioned at under 8k miles on a 2015 brand new truck. Did some research and this part seems to fail pretty early and just outside the 3year/36mos coverage and be quite costly to fix or replace. Toyota currently is not doing anything about it on tacomas like they did with the tundras but they are aware that this part is prone to failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10861646, filed 2016-04, 7,800 miles

   “Secondary air injection system (sais) - one way flapper below injector valve sticks either open/closed, throws off whole sais and sets car in limp mode with corresponding check engine light code.”

   NHTSA complaint #11364432, filed 2020-10, 61,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Door and mirror wind noise, whistling and water leaks

   • 9 complaints (9%)
   • median 8,854 mi at 1.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2015–2025

   Owners report loud whistling or screeching from the doors and side mirrors at highway speeds, loud enough in one case to cause a loss of control. Complaints also describe window weather stripping failing and water getting into the door well or cabin, with one owner tracing a leak past the wiper cowl into the cabin air filter. Dealers replaced weather stripping in some cases, and the noise returned after repair for at least one owner. Mostly reported under about 10,000 miles and at highway speeds, often noticed in cold or wet conditions.

   Recall 17V4250003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the truck at highway speed with the windows up and listen at the doors and mirror bases, and check door seals and carpet for dampness. A hood scoop recall exists for accessory scoops held on by adhesive, so confirm whether the scoop has been addressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The wiper blade cowl over time has come away from window and allows water the go into cabin air filter and leak through to the inside of truck. From what I am looking up online many other people has had same issue with same year and all the way back to the early 2000. I fell as this could leak to failure of the blower motor or wires under dash on the passenger side. This has happened when it rains or washing vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11326436, filed 2020-05, 68,500 miles

   “The first time I heard the whistling sound I thought it was coming from the passenger side mirror while I was driving over 55 MPH on the highway. Then I heard same whistling sound coming from the drivers side mirror the next time I was on highway going over 55 MPH. Then it came from both sides of pickup and sounded like noise coming from both outside mirrors on front of my truck. I researched online and found others who reported similar noise while driving pickup at highway speeds. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10859929, filed 2016-04, 1,000 miles

Buying note. Check service history for secondary air injection repairs, scan for stored engine and airbag codes, and test braking feel and highway-speed noise during the test drive. The complaints concentrate on early-life emissions and brake behavior, so records matter more than mileage on this year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.