39 complaints reported

2005 Toyota Tacoma Air Bags

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

Reports
39
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Mar 2011

MY AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON FOR NO REASON - NO SERVICE OR IMPACT TO TRIGGER THE SENSOR. I PAID A TOYOTA DEALER $112 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND THEY FOUND CODES B1660 & B1801, REQUIRING ME TO REPLACE THE SPIRAL CABLE. THE COST WAS ABOUT $570 BEFORE TAX. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THE REPAIR, SO THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON. THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT FUNCTION IN A CRASH IF THIS WAS NOT REPAIRED. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY TOYOTA WHETHER I AM UNDER WARRANTY OR NOT BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE, AND OTHER MECHANICS WILL NOT WORK ON AIR BAGS. *KB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2011
Feb 2011

MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON AFTER I START MY 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA ACCESS CAB. MY TRUCK HAS APPROXIMATELY 73 000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND FOR CLOSE TO $100 THEY TOLD ME IT WAS INDICATING SPIRAL CABLE FAILURE. THIS MEANS THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT (I AM NOT SURE IF IT MEANS THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY WHEN NOT IN AN ACCIDENT). THE QUOTE BEFORE TAXES WAS OVER $600. I AM VERY CONCERNED SINCE THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS TO OCCUR (NO ACCIDENT, NOT EVEN BUMPED OR TAPPED). THEY CAN REPLACE IT WITH A 1-YEAR WARRANTY (BUT SINCE THERE WAS NO CONCRETE REASON FOR IT TO HAPPEN WHO'S TO SAY IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN IN 1 1/2 YEARS!). THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN COMMENTED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND SINCE IT IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE THINK TOYOTA SHOULD PUT A RECALL OUT FOR THESE TRUCKS. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2011
Dec 2010

ON FEBRUARY 22 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 A.M. PST, I NOTICED MY AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON AND STAY ON. I CALLED THE DEALER IN SANTEE CA., AND ASKED WHAT THIS WAS BEING THE MANUAL IN MY TRUCK SAID TO "CONTACT DEALER IMMEDIATELY". I WAS INFORMED THAT IT MEANT THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IF I WAS TO BE IN A WRECK. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN ON THE 23RDBEFORE WORK ABOUT 5:15 A.M. PST. LATER ABOUT 8:00 A.M., I GOT A CALL SAYING THE WIRE HARNESS HAD A SHORT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE I CAN GET IT BACK DUE TO IT BEING A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP WITH MY SPOUSE, WE WERE TOLD THIS WAS BY NO FAULT BY US , BUT THEY HAVE CHANGED HUNDREDS DUE TO A SHORT IN THE HARNESS ITSELF WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THE PART WAS REPLACED BY SAID DEALER, BUT THE OLD PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO ME. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2010
Dec 2010

AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF REGARDLESS OF "FIXES" ON MY 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2009
Oct 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WHEN IT WAS TURNED ON THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED A SECOND TIME; THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CABLE SUB ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34699. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65910.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Mar 2008
Sep 2010 Crash Injury

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE AIR BAGS INVOLUNTARILY DEPLOYED, KNOCKING THE DRIVER UNCONSCIOUS AND RESULTING IN A SINGLE CAR CRASH. A POLICE WAS TAKEN. THE DRIVER WAS REPORTED INJURED; HOWEVER, WHEN THE AMBULANCE ARRIVE HE WAS NOT TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EXAMINED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AND IT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 32,800.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2010
Jun 2010

I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH MY 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA RE: THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT EVENTUALLY GOES OUT. THE VEHICLE HAS 49,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT IN TO TOYOTA AS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I DO NOT WANT TO PAY $ 80/HR. TROUBLE SHOOTING CHARGES. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: May 2007
May 2010

SRS LIGHT IS ON AT ALL TIMES WHEN VEHICLE IS ON. THERE WAS NO CAUSE, IT SIMPLY CAME ON. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO EFFECT THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER, I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT MY VEHICLES SAFETY FEATURES ARE FAULTY AND MAY NOT PROTECT ME IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE ISSUE OTHER THAN RESEARCH ONLINE AND COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE. THERE ARE MANY OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS PROBLEM AND I FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE A SAFETY RECALL BY TOYOTA. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2010
Feb 2010

MY 05 TACOMA,DASH LIGHT WENT ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY "OH YEA, THAT'S BEEN A BIG PROBLEM WITH THOSE MODELS". TURNED OUT IT WAS THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT, AFTER 85,000 IT CAME ON. IT COST ME $800.00 DOLLARS TO FIX, THEY SAID IT WAS A 5 HOUR JOB, BUT IT ONLY TOOK 2 HOURS BUT CHARGED ME THE $800.00 ANYWAY.THE PART IS CALLED THE SPIRAL CABLE, AND IT ATTACHES TO THE AIR BAG, THEY SAID THEY HAD TO PULL MY WHOLE DASH APART TO FIX. I LATER ASKED THEM "IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM,THEN WHY HASN'T IT BEEN RECALLED"? SERVICE SAID , MUST NOT BEEN THAT IMPORTANT ! I HAVE LOGGED MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS , BUT NEVER HEARD A WORD BACK FROM ANYONE. IF I CHOSE TO NOT HAVE IT FIXED, WHAT WOULD OF HAPPENED IF I HAD BEEN IN A HEAD ON CRASH WITH NO AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY, THAT'S WHY I PURCHASED THE TACOMA, FOR IT'S APPARENT SAFETY. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Mar 2009
Apr 2009

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE CHECKED OUT AND IT WAS A DEFECTIVE SPIRAL CABLE. 81,000 MILES AND 787.00 REPAIR BILL NOT UNDER A WARRENTY. I HAD TO PAY AND THEN THE SERVICE TECH TELLS ME THIS HAS BEEN A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH TACOMAS LATELY. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2009
Feb 2009

WARNING LIGHT FOR AIRBAG SYSTEM CAME ON. MANUAL SAID TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. THEY RAN A CHECK AND FOUND THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. (B1801) I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET $798.44 TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS TO ME, SOUNDS LIKE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, AND NOT SOMETHING THAT IS CAUSED BY WEAR AND TEAR FROM THE OWNER. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH IF THIS IS COMMON AND HE SAID, "OH YA, THIS IS VERY COMMON". MY RESPONSE WAS THEN WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL PART. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2009
Oct 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE INDICATOR REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO A SHORTAGE IN THE SPIRAL CABLE FOR THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,500.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2007
Aug 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V096000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY AT ANYTIME IF A CRASH OCCURRED OR FOR NO REASON AT ALL. THERE WAS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY AT ALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,600. UPDATED 3/25/08 *CN

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Oct 2007
Aug 2005

NOTED PAIN IN BACK WHILE DRIVING. AFTER REPEATED CLOSE INSPECTION OF DRIVER'S SEAT, NOTED VERY SLIGHT PROTRUSION IN SEAT BACK. TOOK TO MILLER TOYOTA IN MANASSAS, VA AND SERVICE AGENT HAS REPORTED THAT A SPRING HAD COME LOOSE AND THAT IT HAD ALSO CUT THE WIRE TO THE SIDE AIR BAG, WHICH MADE THE AIR BAG INOPERATIVE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2005

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2005 Toyota Tacoma has 39 Air Bags complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.