There are 13 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2008 Toyota Tacomain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE TACOMA TRUCK STARTED ACCELERATING REDLINING THE BRAKES HELD BUT FELT MUSHY I TURNED CAR OFF. I TURNED ON HEATER COMPRESSOR BUTTON WAS ON. I HAD IT TOWED TO TOYOTA FORT WORTH WHERE THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AS IT STARTED ACCELERATING WHILE BRAKING. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD A KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD. TOOK IT INTO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. AT FIRST IT WAS JUST THE CAM THAT HAD BROKEN ON THE LEFT SIDE. AND THEY WERE CHARGING $6,000 A WEEK LATER THEY CALLED AND SAID THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE OVERHAULED AND IT WOULD COST $12,000. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND THEY WOULD CONTACT TOYOTA FOR HELP. TOYOTA IS STATING SINCE I DO MY OWN OIL CHANGES THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP ME AND THAT IT HASN'T HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE SO I AM OUT OF LUCK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE ERRONEOUSLY BEGAN TO RACE AS THE RPMS INCREASED WITHOUT THE CONTACT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FLAMES WERE ALSO SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT USED SNOW TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE BALANCED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED HIS VEHICLE RESPONDED WITH MINIMAL POWER. WHENEVER HE MADE A TURN THE VEHICLE WOULD IDLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD FOR ABOUT TWO TO THREE SECONDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FOUR TOYOTA DEALERS WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A CLAIM WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO INFORMED HIM THEY WOULD SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE BUT NO ONE NOTIFIED HIM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.
FUEL FILLER NECK FLAP BROKE OFF AND FELL INTO THE TANK.GAS MILEAGE IS TERRIBLE. LEFT TURN SIGNAL STAYED ON AND AIR CONDITIONER WAS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO CHAMPION TOYOTA ON 10-15-09. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT FLAP INSIDE TANK IS NORMAL... THEY REPAIRED TURN SIGNAL AND STATED THAT THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE A/C TO NOT WORK PROPERLY. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT WIRES WERE BURNT TOGETHER CAUSING THE TURN SIGNAL TO STAY ON. RECEIVED VEHICLE BACK ON 10-20-09. ALSO, I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP A FEW MONTHS PRIOR TO THE 10-15-09 INCIDENT CONCERNING A/C NOT WORKING, THEY SAID THEY CORRECTED PROBLEM. ALSO, TAILGATE HAS BOWED AFTER MOVING A LIGHT DRYER. DEALER STATES THAT TAILGATE IS NOT RATED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLES RPM LEVELS INCREASED ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN GEAR. WHEN THE VEHICLE SPEED WAS 70 MPH AND THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO 5TH GEAR, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 95 MPH WITHOUT HIM PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000. UPDATED 03/30/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE DOESN'T GO BACK TO IDLE IN BETWEEN GEARS; ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 4TH AND 5TH GEAR. AND A SLIGHT TO MODERATE DOWN HILL THE RPM'S DON'T GO TO IDLE. UPDATED 08/18/10
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE THROTTLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY WENT WIDE OPEN WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND AVOID ANY CRASHES. WHEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AND NO FAILURE OR CODES SHOWED UP ON THE DEALER'S SYSTEM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 13,000.
2008 TOYOTA TACOMA, JUNE 16, 2008 I TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERS GARAGE AND TOLD THEM THAT THE PICKUP MOTOR WAS ENGINE SPEED WOULD RACE WHEN I WAS AS A STOP, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND THAT MY FUEL MILES HAD DROP 5 MILES A GALLON. ALSO THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLAM IN AND OUT OF LOW GEAR GOING UP AND DOWN A HILL. THEY CLAIM THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND IT DID NOT SHOW ANY ERROR. SO THAT THE TRUCK IS FINE, THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY FROM WHEN MY AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON I TOLD THEM I DON'T RUN MY AIR CONDITIONER. BUT THE TOLD ME TO JUST WATCH IT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.
THE TRUCK WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT ANY PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT PRIMARILY OCCURS WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR SITTING STILL. MOST OF THE TIME IT IS SUBTLE (APPROXIMATELY 200-400 RPM) BUT HAS GONE OVER 1200 RPM ON OCCASION. I AM NOW DRIVING WITH ONE HAND ON THE GEAR SHIFT SO I CAN SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WHEN THIS OCCURS AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A RECURRING CONDITION THAT TOYOTA SAYS IS NOT A PROBLEM BUT THEY HAVE OFFERED NO HELP IN RESOLVING THE ISSUE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE RPMS INCREASED RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT WAS NOT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO LUNGE FORWARD. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT LEAST FOUR TIMES AND THEY STATED THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN CAUSED THE SURGES AND INCREASED RPMS. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,515. UPDATED 4/6/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SURGE ON ITS OWN. EVEN WHEN HE SHIFTED GEARS THE TRUCK WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE AS WELL. UPDATED 06/09/09.*JB UPDATED 03/19/10.*JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE PREPARING TO MAKE A TURN AT A STOP LIGHT, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE RPM'S INCREASED. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WOULD SURGE. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN HE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THE CONTACT HAS SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 6,900.
2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE EXPERIENCES LACK OF RETURN TO IDLE IN 4TH AND 5TH GEAR. *TGW THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AT RANDOM TIMES. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO ACHIEVE A STEADY SPEED. HE STATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO THE SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MPH. HOWEVER, THE SPEED WENT TO 56 MPH INSTEAD. UPDATED 08/10/10. UPDATED 05/10/11 THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DOESN'T RETURN TO IDLE AND CONTINUES TO GO AT THE SAME RPM WHEN TRYING TO STOP. UPDATED 08/23/11 .*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A NON-REINFORCED VACUUM TUBE. THE LINE FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE TO A SENSOR COLLAPSED. IT THEN LOCKED THE SENSOR WITH OBSOLETE INFORMATION. THE CONSUMER REPLACED BOTH LINES WITH A SEMI-RIGID HIGH TEMP EMISSION VACUUM LINE. UPDATED 10/14/11
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026