VehicleVerdict

1998 Toyota Tacoma airbags problems

The 1998 Toyota Tacoma has 47 airbags complaints filed with NHTSA — 13% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

47

Airbags complaints

13%

Share of year

43

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Airbags complaints by year

Tacoma airbags complaints by model year77 complaints1995: 10 complaints1996: 17 complaints1997: 5 complaints1998: 47 complaints1999: 38 complaints2000: 25 complaints2001: 20 complaints2002: 19 complaints2003: 27 complaints2004: 15 complaints2005: 48 complaints2006: 77 complaints2007: 45 complaints2008: 29 complaints2009: 13 complaints2010: 16 complaints2011: 15 complaints2012: 9 complaints2013: 10 complaints2014: 10 complaints2015: 11 complaints2016: 5 complaints2017: 13 complaints2018: 2 complaints2019: 3 complaints2020: 4 complaints2021: 7 complaints2022: 8 complaints2023: 7 complaints2024: 2 complaints2025: 1 complaints
Tacoma airbags complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

98V188000AirbagsAugust 6, 1998 · 84,323 units

Defect

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STATEMENT REQUIRED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL THAT "...THE ON-OFF SWITCH SHOULD ONLY BEN USED WHEN A MEMBER OF A PASSENGER RISK GROUP IDENTIFIED IN THE REQUEST FORM IN APPENDIX B......IS OCCUPYING THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEATING POSITION..." IS MIS-STATED. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."

Consequence

IF THE AIR BAG SWITCH IS "OFF," THE SEAT OCCUPANT WHO IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE PASSENGER RISK GROUP WOULD BE SUBJECT TO INCREASED INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy

OWNERS WILL BE SENT A CORRECTED OWNER'S MANUAL.

What owners report

“WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY NOT PROTECTING THE OCCUPANT IN THE CRASH. THE DRIVER SEATBELT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO GO THRU THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING INJURIES TO OCCUPANT. MFR STATES THE AIRBAG AND SEATBELT SYSTEM WORK…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · June 5, 1999 · crash

Common questions

How many airbags complaints does the 1998 Toyota Tacoma have?

NHTSA has 47 complaints about the 1998 Toyota Tacoma airbags — 13% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 1998 Toyota Tacoma airbags?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the airbags: 98V188000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.