The 2008 Toyota Tacoma has 5 recalls, the most serious involving a rear leaf spring that can fracture and puncture the fuel tank, creating a fire risk.
On certain Pre-Runner and 4x4 trims, stress or corrosion can crack the leaf spring, and if the broken spring strikes the fuel tank, fuel can leak near potential ignition sources. Separately, on vehicles equipped with aftermarket heated seats, the copper heating element in the seat cushion can short circuit and start a fire. Two recalls address the driver's airbag: steering wheel vibration can damage the spiral cable assembly that powers the airbag module, and a flexible flat cable in the steering column can also lose connectivity to the module, either way leaving the driver's airbag inactive in a crash. This vehicle only covers the spiral cable issue for the 2009-2010 model years, so only one of those two airbag concerns applies here. Finally, on Access Cab models, repeatedly slamming the rear doors can gradually loosen the screws holding the front seatbelt pretensioner in place, and if it detaches fully, the belt will not tighten properly during a crash.