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Selling a junk Toyota Tacoma

Any Tacoma sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Toyota Tacoma

NHTSA has 10,386 owner complaints on file for the Toyota Tacoma, model years 1995 to 2022, the 43rd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are body and structure (2,187, 21%), suspension (1,564, 15%), transmission and drivetrain (872, 8%). 905 complaints involved a crash, 126 a fire, and 249 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 75,000 miles. The 2006 model year has the most complaints (977). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is body and structure, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling for parts or whole: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Toyota Tacoma by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
1995214Suspension3046174,000
1996321Suspension2416137,345
1997148Body and structure1604143,000
1998358Body and structure5605140,000
1999303Body and structure4715122,345
2000275Body and structure3335136,102
2001504Body and structure5546148,000
2002443Body and structure4185120,000
2003481Body and structure4415115,680
2004545Body and structure3845110,000
2005871Body and structure6441090,000
2006977Body and structure84101175,000
2007677Suspension82131065,500
2008559Suspension6581161,498
2009613Suspension26191345,000
2010349Suspension1281344,946
2011231Suspension146966,141
2012407Engine250758,700
2013170Other1610648,000
2014134Body and structure171428,000
2015143Other232415,850
2016417Transmission and drivetrain47422,379
2017321Transmission and drivetrain2010519,250
2018288Fuel system100315,750
2019311Fuel system202410,000
2020127Fuel system10015,500
2021118Driver assistance1400—
202281Transmission and drivetrain1503—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Toyota Tacoma recalls

NHTSA lists 55 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for equipment (11), air bags (7), tires (6). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2022 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 24V152000, Feb 2024): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturer (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Tacoma vehicles. The axle shaft sub-assembly may separate from the axle housing due to debris causing improperly secured fasteners.
  • 2022 model year, other (campaign 22V520000, Jul 2022): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Tacoma vehicles. One or more of the individual welds in the upper child seat anchors may be insufficient. As such, these vehicles fail to c…
  • 2022 model year, equipment (campaign 22V310000, May 2022): Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can fade, becoming illegible. …
  • 2017 model year, fuel system (campaign 20V682000, Nov 2020): 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 T…
  • 2018 model year, fuel system (campaign 20V012000, Jan 2020): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500,…

What a Toyota Tacoma is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Tacoma on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Toyota Tacoma worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Tacoma gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Toyota Tacoma that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Toyota Tacoma?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Toyota Tacoma numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.