Over 100,000 Toyota Tacomas Have Been Recalled Because of Mud

• Over 100,000 Toyota Tacomas have been recalled.
• The root cause is that, and you might not believe this, the inside of the wheels can get too dirty and the rear brake hoses may get worn through.
• Toyota will issue notices by early April and replace the brake hoses with those of an improved design.

The Toyota Tacoma is one of the most popular cars in America, but over 100,000 of them have just been recalled because they can literally get too dirty. According to a filing by the NHTSA, exactly 106,061 examples of the 2024 and 2025 model year Tacomas have just been recalled because their real brakes can stop working properly. The reason isn't a mechanical issue, but because if certain models are equipped with four-wheel drive, the 16-inch brake package and 17-inch wheels get too dirty, the rear brake lines may wear, leak, and that can increase the risk of a crash.

Toyota is issuing the recall, which means the automakers wasn't forced to do so by the NHTSA. According to the documentation supplied by the NHTSA, Toyota first started receiving reports from dealerships in July of 2024. Toyota technicians noticed that some rear brake hoses were worn through and that the rear brake hose was "able to rub against mud and dirt that was built up on the inside of the rear wheels." Toyota was able to replicate the issue, but only on models with four-wheel drive, the 16-inch brake package and 17-inch Toyota wheels. The root cause was that, despite the brake line design following the proper routing, the clearance between the brake system itself and the lines was different in this configuration than in other models. Toyota says it continues to investigate whether the issue affects 2024-2025 Tacomas with other wheel and brake size specifications.

Digging into the Tacoma's spec sheet, it's clear that no Tacoma has rear brake discs that big. That's an important distinction — while the assembly that holds the brakes might be 16 inches, the rear discs themselves are smaller. However, because the NHTSA's documentation says that "Tacoma vehicles equipped with 17-inch brakes are of a different brake system design and are not affected by this issue," it's logical to assume this recall applies specifically to some non-hybrid SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport and Limited models with the 17-inch wheels, as they are the only models with the smaller rear brake specification. All hybrid-powered Tacomas (be it the TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro, Trailhunter or other models that can be had with the hybrid) have larger rear brakes.

If your Tacoma has this specific design and you happen to get it dirty and muddy, the rear brake hoses can be worn through and that means ample pressure can't be applied to the rear brakes. That would increase your stopping distances, which can raise your risk of having a crash. As of this writing, only 12 warranty claims have been filed regarding the issue, but in any case, Toyota is recalling any Tacoma with this configuration. The solution is for dealers to replace both rear brake hoses with improved ones. Affected owners will receive a notice of the recall by April 7, 2025, but proactive owners can head to the NHTSA's website and enter their VIN to see if their car is potentially affected.