The 2005 Toyota Tacoma is a pickup truck that came with a choice of 2.7L 4-cyl and 4.0L 6-cyl engines. At 21 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD, Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD |
|---|---|
| Engines | 2.7L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic 4-spd, Manual 5-spd, Automatic 5-spd, Manual 6-spd |
| Drive | Rear-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 14–18 city / 18–25 highway / 16–21 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $3,200–$4,200 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 423–555 grams per mile |
| Versions tested by EPA | 7 configurations: Tacoma 2WD, Tacoma 4WD |
| Age | 21 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 10 safety recalls covering the 2005 Toyota Tacoma. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner and 4x4 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, to October 11, 2010. In the affected vehicles, one of the leaf springs may fracture due to stress or corrosion. While being driven, the broken leaf could move out of…
Risk: If the fuel tank leaks fuel from being punctured, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured September 14, 2004, through March 29, 2010; and model year 2011 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured July 1, 2010, through September 7, 2011. If the access doors are repeatedly and forcefully closed, the screws that attach the seat belt…
Risk: If the seat belt pre-tensioner detaches from the seat belt assembly, the seat belt pre-tensioner will not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in a severe crash.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Tacoma vehicles, manufactured from september 14, 2004, through august 29, 2008. Over time, steering wheel vibration may damage the spiral cable assembly (clockspring) that powers the driver's air bag module. If damage occurs, the air bag warning lamp will illuminate and the air bag may…
Risk: In the event of a crash, the driver's side air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of personal injury.
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 between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.
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 sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Risk: Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
On certain vehicles, due to improper assembly of the air bag inflator, which is used in the side air bag, the curtain shield air bag, and the knee air bag assembly, some inflators were produced with an insufficient amount of the heating agents necessary for proper air bag deployment. In this condition, the expansion force of the gas…
Risk: This may increase the risk of injury to the occupant in the involved seating position in the event of a crash.
On certain regular cab pickup trucks equipped with a bench seat, the seat position and seat belt buckle sensor connector pins are incorrectly positioned due to a wire harness manufacturing process error.
Risk: In this condition, the seat position and seat belt buckle sensor may not function as designed, affecting the adaptive air bag deployment, which if the vehicle is involved in a crash, could result in improper occupant restraint.
On certain pickup trucks equipped with an automatic transmission, there is a possibility that the parking brake pedal cable lock nut may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification. In this condition, the lock nut may loosen and come off, which will reduce the effectiveness of the parking brake.
Risk: This condition could allow the vehicle to roll if the transmission is not placed into the "park" position and the vehicle is parked on a slope, thus raising the possibility of a crash.
Owners have filed 707 complaints about the 2005 Toyota Tacoma with NHTSA. 47 reports involved a crash and 4 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 16 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
Manufacturers have filed 337 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2005 Toyota Tacoma. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
Some 2005 - 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to r
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle o
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the whe
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. As a heavier vehicle, its scrap weight adds to the offer. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2005 Tacomas that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 10 recalls for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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