2010 Toyota Tacoma Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
87/100
#3 most-complained of 16 Tacoma years
The 2010 Toyota Tacoma ranks 3rd worst of 16 model years, with a Complaint Index of 87 and 286 NHTSA complaints. Suspension, Wheels & Tires issues dominate at 35% of complaints, and 12 recalls have been issued. It is rated Avoid relative to other Tacoma years.
- Complaints
- 286
- Recalls
- 12
- Crashes / fires
- 10 / 7
- Injuries / deaths
- 9 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 18
- 17 city / 21 hwy
Top 2010 Toyota Tacoma problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires100 (35%)
- Engine38 (13%)
- Electrical System31 (11%)
- Structure & Body29 (10%)
- Other28 (10%)
- Transmission & Powertrain25 (9%)
- Brakes23 (8%)
- Steering19 (7%)
- Airbags16 (6%)
- Seat Belts9 (3%)
What owners report
- Daytime running light lenses overheat, crack, discolor, or shatter on the driver and passenger side, sometimes on multiple occasions.
- The HVAC blower fan electrical connection burns and melts, producing a smell of burning and blackened wires while driving.
- Some owners report the vehicle unexpectedly moved or failed to slow when the brake pedal was applied at low speed, resulting in a collision.
- Frontal airbags failed to deploy in a head-on tree collision, though side airbags deployed.
- The clutch has burned up repeatedly at low mileage, requiring multiple shop visits and replacement of components.
2010 Toyota Tacoma recalls
12 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
- NHTSA 14V743000Nov 19, 2014Structure & Body3,233 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
- NHTSA 14V604000Sep 29, 2014Suspension, Wheels & Tires710,711 vehicles
Suspension:rear:springs:leaf spring assembly:leaf
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner and 4x4 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, to October 11, 2010. In the affected vehicles, one of the leaf springs may fracture due to stress or corrosion. While being driven, the broken leaf could move out of position and contact surrounding components including the fuel tank, possibly puncturing the tank and causing a fuel leak.
Risk: If the fuel tank leaks fuel from being punctured, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will install new rear leaf spring assemblies. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
2010 Toyota Tacoma fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 21 MPG
- Combined
- 18 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,600
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2010 compared with other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2010 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
- Compared to other Tacoma model years, the 2010 ranks 3rd worst out of 16 years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 87 and 286 NHTSA complaints, so it is rated Avoid relative to other years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2010 Toyota Tacoma?
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires complaints make up 35% of all reported issues, the largest share of any problem area, with a median failure mileage of 44,946 miles.
- Does the 2010 Toyota Tacoma have recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 12 recalls for the 2010 Tacoma, covering areas including Structure & Body, Suspension, Airbags, and Seat Belts, though none are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2010 Tacoma compare to other years?
- The 2010 Tacoma's Complaint Index of 87 is worse than most other years, such as 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2020, which are rated Best, while only the 2024 (100) and 2025 (93) score higher.