Owners have filed 259 complaints on the Toyota T100, covering 1993–1998. The system named most often is Power Train (54 reports). Worst years by volume: 1996, 1995, 1997; cleanest: 1994, 1993, 1998. 6 reports describe a crash, 2 a fire. On average the car was 8.4 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Toyota T100
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 259 T100 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Power Train 54 Read
The left rear axle was spraying oil onto the left rear wheel well and brake assembly while driving. Vehicle was towed to the dealer, who resealed the axle. Within 100 miles the problem recurred
Twice I have had to replace the rear axel seals due to them leaking. When I had the rear axel seals replaced I have also had to replace the rear brakes due to the oil getting on the brakes. I discovered where the seals were all but gone when I had my tires replaced. I was told that I did not have any rear brakes due…
Speedometer failure
Structure 42 Read
1998 toyota t100 rusted frame issues. Filed a complaint to toyota, had frame inspected by gene reed and failed. But corporate refused to address issue even though they did for the sister trucks with similar parts the tacoma and tundra. Dealer said vehicle is not safe, told the corporate office it was not safe and…
I have a 1998 toyota t100 with 143k miles on it. The frame is now broke under the bed near the front leaf spring shackle, beside a bed mount. The other side is also cracked bad and is about to break. I also noticed the cross-member that the carrier bearing attaches too is also cracked on one side and all but cracked…
The contact owns a 1998 toyota t100. The contact stated that the entire frame of the vehicle had severe corrosion. The contact observed brake fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,300
Steering 29 Read
While driving 25 mph, the vehicle started veering to the left, the vehicle then hit an embankment and turned over. The tie rod was severed through. The manufacturer stated that the tie rod broke when the vehicle tipped over
The contact owns a 1995 toyota t100. While driving various speeds, the vehicle veered to the left and right and all the warning lights illuminated. In addition, while driving various speeds, a loud cracking noise emitted from the steering relay. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed,…
The contact owns a 1993 toyota t100. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 05V389000 (steering:linkages:rod:relay:connecting) in august of 2007. He immediately scheduled an appointment to have the vehicle repaired, but the dealer did not have the parts. In november, the dealer stated that…
Suspension 28 Read
At 40 mph, vehicle was forced to swerve off road. Vehicle struck a culvert and flipped over onto its roof. Both driver and passenger were wearing seatbelts. Passenger said she was thrown all over the vehicle in the rollover and ended up in the rear seat. Driver doesn't remember much of accident but ended up outside…
Vehicle vibrates violently while driving between 35 and 60 mph
The frame has extensive rust/damage
Seat Belts 22 Read
We have a toyota t-100 sr 5, extend cab 4x4 truck. We have been having problems with the driver's side seat belt. The belt will not lock in place and is loose. I have asked at dealers and I am told they are not aware of any safety warranty. We had a vehicle that was less than 10 years old and it had a seat belt…
The driver's seat belt latch was defective. The buckle will not latch. The consumer stated it was a state law that the seat belts were to be worn while driving. *ak the seat belt would not retract. *sc
The contact owns a 1998 toyota t100. The contact stated that the seat belt locks, but becomes loose when driving. The seat belt fails to retract when the failure occurs, but the seat belt warning indicator light illuminates. The current mileage is 105,000 and failure mileage was 100,000
Engine And Engine Cooling 16 Read
While driving 55 mph vehicle stalled. Consumer tried to restart vehicle, but was unable to do so. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the head gasket needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. Driver informed the mechanic that this problem occurred more than on…
Head gasket defective, causing coolant to leak onto engine
Head gasket failed causing loss of all engine coolant. Replacement gasket not available due to backorders and redesigned version not being available
Air Bags 15 Read
Arriving at stop light, vehicle in front stopped short, toyota's front brakes locked up, slid into/rearended vehicle in front, air bag did not deploy
No deployment of air bags
My drivers side airbag deployed without any warning on saturday, october 19,2019. I was not involved in any accident or collision. The vehicle was already in the park position and the motor shutoff. I was pulling into my driveway with my son and beforei could remove my keys from the ignition and exit my truck, the…
Tires 11 Read
Rear tire blew out. (dunlop 265/70r16 1115). Yh
Tires on vehicle are not authorized for vehicle by manufacturer. However spare tire was not full sized tire, although the vehicle's specifications and sticker provided for one
The vehicle has experienced two (yokoyama super digger)tire failures,first tire experienced a blowout and was replaced by the dealer the second tire failed and caused damage to the vehicle which required 12 day of repair, of the two remaining tires one had a bulge in it and the other could not be balanced
T100 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 1997 | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — | |
| 1996 | Air Bags | 2 | 1 | |
| 1995 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 1994 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 1993 | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 162 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.6 |
| Worst single series | 5 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 8.4 years |
A model average of 1.6 hides a worst series at 5. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the T100?
By complaint volume, 1996, 1995, 1997 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which T100 years are the cleanest?
1994, 1993, 1998 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Toyota T100 have?
259 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1993–1998. Of those, 6 describe a crash and 2 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.