IllustrationTHE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT STARTED FRAYING AND AFTER WHILE LOCKED UP ,WOULD NOT RETRACTED OR PULL OUT. NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE IS FRAYING AND NOW IT IS LOCKED UP, IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THE ENGINE IS RUNNING OR NOT IT WILL NOT RETRACTED OR PULL OUT.
1998 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Toyota Tacoma do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 228.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tacoma years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
425–50K
1350–75K
1375–100K
35100–150K
52150K+
119 reports with mileage · 181 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 98 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
49 crash reports0 fire reports25 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
23 reportsTHE WIRING HARNESS CABLE FROM THE SENSORS TO THE COMPUTER BURNOUT AND THE SEATBELTS DOESN'T RESPOND RIGHT ESPECIALLY WITH HIS UNRAVELING AND DOESN'T LOCK GOOD OR POOL AND THE MASTER CYLINDER IT'S NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY EITHER IT'S LIKE IT'S NOT STOPPING THE BRAKES ARE NOT STOPPING I KNOW THE VEHICLE IS OLD BUT STILL THIS IS A DE…
Read full complaint
THE WIRING HARNESS CABLE FROM THE SENSORS TO THE COMPUTER BURNOUT AND THE SEATBELTS DOESN'T RESPOND RIGHT ESPECIALLY WITH HIS UNRAVELING AND DOESN'T LOCK GOOD OR POOL AND THE MASTER CYLINDER IT'S NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY EITHER IT'S LIKE IT'S NOT STOPPING THE BRAKES ARE NOT STOPPING I KNOW THE VEHICLE IS OLD BUT STILL THIS IS A DEFECT AND VERY HAS FOR THE DRIVERS OF ALL THE VEHICLES MY 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA SR5 2.4 LITER 2 WHEEL DRIVE
SEAT BELTS ARE FRAYED AND LOCK UP. SR5 EXTRA CAB- DRIVERS SIDE AND REAR SEAT BELTS ARE NOT WORKING
SEAT BELTS LOCK UP AND WILL NOT RELEASE AND WILL NOT RETRACT AND THE STRAP IS COMING APART.
EXCESS FRAYING BOTH DISES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER, FRONT PASSENGER, AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO BUCKLE AND REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AN…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER, FRONT PASSENGER, AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO BUCKLE AND REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT HAVE VARIOUS PROBLEMS - FRAYING, JAMMING, TOO SHORT, NOT RETRACTING, NOT EXTENDING. DEALER WANTS $500 TO REPAIR THE DRIVER'S SIDE ALONE. THIS IS TOO MUCH. THEY SHOULD FIX IT FOR FREE OR A REASONABLE PRICE CONSIDERING NIT IS FAULTY AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. *TR
I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN MARCH 2014 AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER SEAT BELT SHREDDING OR FRAYING AND BECAUSE OF THAT I CANT PULL THE SEAT BELT THROUGH TO HOOK IT. I ALSO NOTICE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS ALSO STARTING TO COME APART TO. I CALLED TOYOTA MAIN OFFICE AND THEY SAID THEY CANT DO NOTHING ABO…
Read full complaint
I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN MARCH 2014 AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER SEAT BELT SHREDDING OR FRAYING AND BECAUSE OF THAT I CANT PULL THE SEAT BELT THROUGH TO HOOK IT. I ALSO NOTICE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS ALSO STARTING TO COME APART TO. I CALLED TOYOTA MAIN OFFICE AND THEY SAID THEY CANT DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I WANT TOYOTA TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS . I HAVE SEEN A FEW COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE DRIVER SEAT BELT ON THIS WEB SITE.. I HAVE HAD ONLY TOYOTA CARS AND TRUCKS FOREVER. *TR
MY SEAT BELT ARE DEFECTIVE. I AM SO USED TO WEARING THEM. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED AND HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE SEATBELT. I WOULD LIKE THEM REPLACED FOR SAFETY REASONS IF POSSIBLE . THANKS *TR
NOT LONG AFTER MY BASIC WARRANTY EXPIRED, I HAD FRAYING IN MY SEAT BELT THAT WAS TO THE POINT IT DIDN'T PASS INSPECTION. I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER IN WACO, TEXAS, AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE BELT FREE DESPITE THE MILEAGE. ALMOST A YEAR LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I WENT BACK TO THAT DEALER AND THEY REPLACED IT FREE E…
Read full complaint
NOT LONG AFTER MY BASIC WARRANTY EXPIRED, I HAD FRAYING IN MY SEAT BELT THAT WAS TO THE POINT IT DIDN'T PASS INSPECTION. I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER IN WACO, TEXAS, AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE BELT FREE DESPITE THE MILEAGE. ALMOST A YEAR LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I WENT BACK TO THAT DEALER AND THEY REPLACED IT FREE EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OBLIGATION. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME OCCURRED. I HAVE MANAGED TO GET THE TRUCK INSPECTED BUT I NEED BADLY TO REPAIR THE BELT, BUT I CANNOT AFFORD IT. ALTHOUGH THE WEAR IS NEAR THE WAIST, WHERE ONE FIGURES ANY FRAYING MIGHT TAKE PLACE, BELT AFTER BELT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. ALSO, MY FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CAME LOOSE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND IT OCCASIONALLY WILL BUNCH UP AND HIT MY ACCELERATOR AND WILL ON OTHER TIMES BUNCH UP UNDER MY CLUTCH AND I AM UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. *TR
Official recalls
198V188000 · Air BAGS:ON-OFF Switch Assembly
Aug 6, 1998
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 & remedy
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.