The Lemon Index2009 Toyota Tacoma.
The 2009 Toyota Tacoma is one of the worst years by owner complaints: 194 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 210, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, it has 13 recalls, and it gets 16 to 22 mpg combined. The best Toyota Tacoma year is 2022.
Lemon alert. 2.1× the average car's complaints.
Best year 2022
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 519 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Toyota Tacoma year. 2009 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 5K to 76K miles on the car (378 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- suspension complaints mostly came at 50K–103K miles
- lights complaints mostly came at 35K–60K miles
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 0K–15K miles
Recalls 13
- seats 2016
The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
- seats 2014
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
- suspension 2014
In the affected vehicles, one of the leaf springs may fracture due to stress or corrosion.
Show all 13 recalls
- equipment 2014
The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard.
- airbags 2014
In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly, which includes a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC).
- seat belts 2013
If the access doors are repeatedly and forcefully closed, the screws that attach the seat belt pre-tensioner to the seat belt retractor can loosen over time.
- airbags 2013
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk…
- airbags 2012
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2009 TACOMA VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 14, 2004, THROUGH AUGUST 29, 2008.
- tires 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE P…
- equipment 2010
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETW…
- equipment 2010
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE S…
- speed control 2009
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- equipment 2009
TOYOTA IS RECALLING 27,080 MODEL YEAR 2005 THROUGH 2010 PASSENGER CARS BUILT FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 TO MAY 4, 2009.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Toyota told dealers about
Toyota sent dealers 314 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Automatic transmission/transaxle
- 2009-2010 tacoma
- Information on installing manual transmission shift lever or park neutral position switch
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2900–4000 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.7L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Manual transmission clutch difficult engaging. Slipping feeling in forward gears and reverse. The center section of the clutch disk have separated from the friction material section of the clutch disk. Defective clutch.
2009 Toyota Tacoma owner · NHTSA complaint 10439433
More owner reports
While braking at intersection, truck accelerated striking vehicle in front, causing that vehicle to strike car in front of them. Foot was on the brake.
NHTSA complaint 10255120
We were going to park the Toyota Tacoma truck in our garage and it all of a sudden accelerated ,increasing the speed which caused us to hit a tree and the neighbors cement wall.
NHTSA complaint 10302566
Quick answers
Is the 2009 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
No, it is one of the worst by government complaints. It drew 2.1× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 210; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Toyota Tacoma year by this measure is 2022.
What are the most common 2009 Toyota Tacoma problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (31%), speed control (25%) and lights (18%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2009 Toyota Tacoma have?
13 safety recalls (latest: seats). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2009 Toyota Tacoma get?
16 to 22 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2009 Toyota Tacoma problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 5,000 and 76,000 miles. The middle report was at 36,000 miles, from 378 complaints.
Does the 2009 Toyota Tacoma have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 31% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2009 Toyota Tacoma cost in fuel a year?
About $2900 to $4000 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2009 Toyota Tacoma have?
2.7L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl.
What Toyota Tacoma year is better than the 2009?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2022, 2014 and 2021.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works