67 complaints reported

1996 Toyota Tacoma Suspension

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
67
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jun 2001

THE MIDDLE LEAF SPRING ON MY TRUCK BROKE IN HALF. I BOUGHT REPLACEMENT SPRINGS AT LEXINGTON AUTO SPRINGS, THE SALESMAN TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE REAR SPRINGS ON ABOUT 30 TACOMA'S (ALL 96 OR 97 MODELS) IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2001
May 2001

REAR MIDDLE LEAF SPRING BROKE IN HALF, CAUSEING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE WHEN DRIVING.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: May 2001
Apr 2001

RIGHT REAR LEAF SPRING SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING IT TO SWING OUT OF ASSEMBLY, WHICH COULD HAVE GOTTEN CAUGHT ON BRAKE LINE OR CAUSED A TIRE TO BLOWOUT. *AK *TT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Feb 2001

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BROKEN LEAF SPRING DUE TO WEIGHT OF TRUCK BED AND UNDERCARRIAGE, AN EX-TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE ALONG WITH 1995-1997 MODELS WERE MADE WITH PASSENGER CAR SUSPENSIONS. *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2000
Feb 2001

I HAVE HEARD A NOISE IN REAR FOR SOME TIME. I DISCOVERED RECENTLY THAT THE MIDDLE OF RIGHT REAR LEAF SPRING WAS POPPED OUT AND RUBBING THE SHOCK. NO USED PART CAN BE FOUND AND NEW PART VERY UNAFFORDABLE CONSIDERING 5000.00 LEFT OWING ON 18000 FOR THE VEHICLE. WORK FOR LOCAL TAG OFFICE AND HAVE HEARD MANY SIMILIAR REPORTS ON SAME PART. REPORTS CAME FROM INDIVIDUALS, MECHANICS, AND DEALERS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2001
Jan 2001

WHILE MAKING TURNS TIRES WERE RUBBING. A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT RIGHT REAR LEAF SPRING BROKE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2001
Jan 2001

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS REAR LEAF SPRINGS BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES BROKE AND SEPARATED.*AK (TIRESIZE: 10.5 30 15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 10.5 30 15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2000
Jan 2001

BOTH REAR LEAF SPRINGS BROKE, CAUSING SPRING TO CUT INTO BRAKE LINE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Nov 2000

REAR LEAF SPRINGS FAILED AT 80,000 MILES, CAUSING A GASH INTO TIRE. MECHANIC STATED THAT TOYOTA WAS SENDING A SPRING WITH 4 LEAFS INSTEAD OF THREE. APPARENTLY INSTALLED WITH WRONG LEAFS. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT PRIOR TO NEW SPRINGS, VEHICLE ROCKED AND ROLLED AND WAS VERY UNSTABLE, MECHANIC INSTALLED A CLAMP ON THE BROKEN SPRING, HOWEVER THE SPRING GRADUALLY WORKED ITS WAY UNDER THE CLAMP CUASING THE BROKEN LEAF TO SWING OUT INTO THE TIRE. *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 1999
Oct 2000

BOTH REAR SPRINGS FAILED. NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2000
Oct 2000

WEAKENED SHOCK ABSORBERS CAUSED THE TRUCK TO BOUNCE TOO MUCH. NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 1999
Sep 2000

NO SUMMARY

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2000
Aug 2000

BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE REAR LEAF SPRINGS HAV DEVELOPED CRACKS. VEHICLE HAS THREE LEAF SPRINGS. CONSUMER NOTED A TSB TO UPGRADE LEAF SPRINGS FROM THREE TO FOUR. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE TSB. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2000
Aug 2000 Crash Injury

FRIST REAL SEAL, REAR SEAL AND BEARING, BEARING AND AXLE, NEW AXLE PUT IN THEN FLEW OFF TRUCK AND CRASHED, 3 WEEKS LATER REAR SEALS AXLE AGAIN HELP

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Aug 2000

AXLE FALLS OUT CAUSING CRASH REAR SEAL KEEPS GOING AND BEARING

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Jun 2000

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT 65 MPH REAR LEAF SPRING BROKE. VEHICLE TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHICH INFORMED CONSUMER THAT BOTH REAR LEAF SPRINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE MANUFACTURER HAD REDESIGNED THE REAR LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY. *AK *ML

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2000
May 2000

REAR LEAF SPRINGS BROKE ON BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
May 2000

CALLE D TOYOTA SALES TO REPORT COMPLAINT. I WAS INFORMED THAT MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE DEFECT IN THE REAR SUSPENSION AND HAS BEGAN CORRECT IT WITH A STRONGER LEAF SPRING LATER IN 1996. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT THEY ARE NOT ISSUING A RECALL.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2000
Apr 2000

I RECENTLY NOTICED THAT BOTH OF MY REAR #2 LEAF SPRINGS WERE BROKEN IN HALF AND HAD SHIFTED OUT OF PLACE. IN TRYING TO FIGUREE OUT WHERE THE CHEAPEST PLACE TO GET THE LEAF SPRINGS WOULD BE I FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN "KNOWN PROBLEM" WITH THE TACOMA. ONE PERSON EVEN KNEW THE PROLEM BEFORE I COULD EVEN TELL HIM ABOUT IT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Mar 2000

BOTH REAR SPRINGS BROKE, CAUSING NOISE IN THE REAR PART OF THE VEHICLE WHICH MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2000
Feb 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: May 2000
Dec 1999

THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE PRESENT DUE TO THE REAR LEAF SPRING BREAKING. DEALER REPLACED THE 3 LEAF SPRING WITH A 4 LEAF SPRING. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Jul 1999

HEARD A METAL-LIKE RUBBING SOUND APPROXIMATELY 3-4 WEEKS BEFORE NOTICING PROBLEM. TWO REAR LEAF SPRINGS BROKE, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A TIRE BLOW OUT AND MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS NEW DESIGN O REAR LEAF SPRING. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jun 1999
Jun 1999

THE VEHICLE HAS BAD ALIGNMENT AND SHIMMIES AT 60MPH. THIS HAS CAUSED THE TIRES TO BE RUINED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
May 1999

LEFT & RIGHT REAR LEAF SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN IN HALF. DEALER HAS ADMITTED THAT THEY ARE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THESE. THEY AGREED TO SPLIT THE COST WITH ME 50-50. HOWEVER, I FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM. I KNOW OF 3 OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT LIVE HERE IN THE SALEM/BLOOMINGTON AREA. THE FAILURE DATE/MILAGE I LISTED IS INCORECT.. SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE SPRINGS ACTUALLY BROKE... I NOTICED IT WHILE LOOKING FOR A SQUEEKING NOISE I WAS HEARING. THANKS! *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 1997

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1996 Toyota Tacoma has 67 Suspension complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.