2011 Toyota Tacoma Exterior lighting Problems

1.) Headlights are yellowing. 2.) Hard to see at night. 3.) Everyone has the same problem. The government should mandate going back to glass headlights for safety reasons. Buffing them only lasts a short period of time and the elderly can't afford to buy new OEM headlights every 6 years as they are very, very expensive. This is a safety issue, as yellow lenses equal more nighttime accidents, fact. This should have been addressed years ago.

NHTSA ID

11555787

Incident

Nov 17, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger's side headlights were inoperable. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the headlight assemblies were extremely hot and had melted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver's and passenger's side headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

NHTSA ID

11480199

Incident

Jul 1, 2022

Mileage

210,000 mi

MY DAYLIGHT RUNNING LIGHT KEEPS BURNING OUT AND SPLITTING THE LENS. IT'S THE SECOND SET OF LIGHT I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THEM.

NHTSA ID

11383014

Incident

Feb 12, 2020

BOTH LEFT SIDE AND RIGHT SIDE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHT LENS INSIDE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY ARE BURNED AND DISCOLORED. HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY LENS ARE CRACKED.

NHTSA ID

11375750

Incident

Nov 21, 2020

Mileage

53,300 mi

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY HEADLIGHTS 4 TIMES IN TWO YEARS.

NHTSA ID

11268724

Incident

Aug 15, 2019

Mileage

148,000 mi

THE RUNNING LIGHTS ARE RUNNING TOO HOT BURNING THE HEADLAMP AND BURNING THE CONNECTING WIRES

NHTSA ID

11132222

Incident

Sep 27, 2018

DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS BUBBLING AGAIN AFTER RECALL AND REPLACEMENT. NOTICED IT YESTERDAY (8/15/18). THE TRUCK HAS 80,812 MILES AND THE RECALL NOTICE SAID WARRANTY ONLY GOOD UNTIL 5 YEARS OR 70,000 WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. SEEMS TO ME THEY PUT NEW BAD ONES IN WHEN THEY REPLACED THEM UNDER THE RECALL. NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN THEY STARTED BUBBLING AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11120365

Incident

Aug 15, 2018

Mileage

80,812 mi

HEADLIGHTS ARE FORMING CRACKS IN LENSES, AND THEY ARE GROWING.

NHTSA ID

11098374

Incident

Jan 1, 2016

Mileage

20,000 mi

THIS IS A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA. I BOUGHT MY 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA PRE RUNNER SPORT BRAND NEW. THIS IS A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA. I BOUGHT MY 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER SPORT BRAND NEW. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I NOTICED MY AMBER "DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS" WERE BECOMING DISCOLORED, IT HAD THE APPEARANCE OF THE BULB BECOMING HOT, MELTING AND DISCOLORING MY AMBER LENSES. AT THAT TIME IT WAS JUST STARTING TO TURN COLORS. LAST WEEK A MAN AT THE GAS STATION POINTED AT MY DRIVERS SIDE RUNNING LIGHT AND SAID I SHOULD HAVE THAT LOOKED AT BEFORE IT BURNS THROUGH OR CAUSES A FIRE. UPON HIS COMMENT I NOTICED IT HAD BECOME NOTICEABLY WORSE, TO THE POINT I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE RUNNING LIGHTS ON, YOU CAN NOT TURN THEM OFF DURING DAYTIME DRIVING, IT IS A SAFETY MATTER. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE REP IN TRACY, CA, TRACY TOYOTA, HE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND GAVE ME THE TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE 800 NUMBER. TODAY I TALKED TO TWO EMPLOYEES WHO WERE SYMPATHETIC BUT ULTIMATELY SAID NOTHING CAN BE DONE BY THEM AND I WAS TOLD BY THEM A LETTER WAS MAILED OUT REGARDING THIS DEFECT, THE LETTER CONFIRMS IT AS A KNOWN DEFECT AND THE LETTER SHOWS TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED IT AS SUCH. MY WARRANTY HAS SINCE EXPIRED. I NEVER RECEIVED THE LETTER AND THEY REFUSE TO PAY TO REPAIR FOR THIS DEFECT. THIS PROBLEM STILL EXISTS FOR 2011 TOYOTA TACOMAS. I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHT RUNNING LIGHT ASSEMBLIES, I AM REQUESTING TOYOTA TO REIMBURSE ME THE COST AS I WILL KEEP THE RECEIPT AND ASK FOR THE DAMAGED PARTS. THIS DEFECT DIMINISHES THE SAFETY FUNCTION OF A DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT AND COULD CAUSE A FIRE AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11092384

Incident

May 7, 2018

Mileage

58,000 mi

THE INNER DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT/TURN SIGNAL LENS BECOMES DISTORTED AND BUBBLED WITH A BROWN, SCORCHED RESIDUE WHICH OBSCURES AND/OR DIMINISHES THE RUNNING LIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL FUNCTIONS TO ON-COMING TRAFFIC. ADDITIONALLY, THE INNER LENS IS CRACKED AND/OR SEPARATED. TOYOTA DID OFFER A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THIS DEFECT SO IT HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS A PROBLEM. THIS WARRANTY EXTENSION HAS SINCE EXPIRED ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS FOR THESE VEHICLES.

NHTSA ID

11078773

Incident

Mar 10, 2018

Mileage

65,282 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS BECAME REALLY HOT. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS TURNED BROWN AND MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED TEMECULA VALLEY TOYOTA AT (951) 694-0575 (26631 YNEZ RD, TEMECULA, CA 92591) AND WAS INFORMED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT HAD EXPIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000. *TT *TR

NHTSA ID

11076649

Incident

Mar 6, 2018

Mileage

93,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED, THE CONDENSATION ON THE HEADLIGHTS SPLIT AND MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (PREMIER TOYOTA , 5601 NATIONAL RD E, RICHMOND, IN 47374) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. *TT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11076376

Incident

Jan 7, 2015

Mileage

25,000 mi

MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS QUIT WORKING BECAUSE THEY GOT TOO HOT AND BURNED THE LENS AND BULB SOCKET. THIS CAUSED MY FRONT AND REAR RIGHT BLINKERS TO CEASE WORKING AND COULD HAVE HAD DISASTROUS RESULTS.

NHTSA ID

11045356

Incident

Nov 1, 2017

Mileage

75,000 mi

PURCHASED NEW TOYOTA TACOMA 2011 FROM LOCAL DEALER. PROBLEM IS WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS GETTING TOO HOT AND BURNING AND CRACKING LENS. CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THEY SENT OUT WARRANTY POLICY BULLETIN (POL14-03) , BUT I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE. THEY ALSO SAY BOTH WARRANTIES THEY CREATED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, HAVE EXPIRED, AND WILL NOT PAY FOR REPAIRS. I AM WORRIED THEY MAY START A FIRE BECAUSE OF THE OVERHEATING.

NHTSA ID

11025324

Incident

Mar 26, 2015

Mileage

35,000 mi

[XXX] LIGHTNING/ELECTRICAL I WANT TO REPORT SAFETY ISSUES WITH MY TOYOTA TACOMA. WHEN I BOUGHT TACOMA IN SAN ANTONIO, BRAND NEW IN 2011, A FEW MONTHS LATER THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT (DRL) AND TURN SIGNAL LENS BECOME DISTORTED, BUBBLED, AND CRACKED. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH, AND IT WAS AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE WITH MANY OWNERS COMPLAINTS. I TOLD MY DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS "NORMAL" AND I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED. EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN I WAS AT MOUNTAIN STATES TOYOTA IN DENVER TO GET THE OIL CHANGE, I INQUIRED ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. THE EMPLOYEE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A VERY COMMON ISSUE, AND THAT TOYOTA WILL FIX IT FOR FREE. I WAS TOLD THAT A LETTER WAS MAILED OUT TO EVERY PERSON THAT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A TIME LIMIT TO GET IT DONE AND IT ALREADY ALREADY PASSED. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA. IN ADDITION, MY TRUCK HAS ALWAYS HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK. INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN I DRIVE MY TRUCK, EVERY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND LIGHTS, INCLUDING FROM THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL WOULD SHUT DOWN AND INSTANTLY START BACK UP, AND MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOMENTARILY LOCK UP. I CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTER, AND THE LADY I SPOKE TO SAID THAT THERE WAS A TIME LIMIT WHEN I COULD GET IT FIXED, AND THAT IT HAS NOW EXPIRED. AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING SHE CAN DO ABOUT IT. I ONLY WANT TOYOTA TO FIX THIS ISSUE FREE OF CHARGE, BECAUSE I NEVER RECEIVED THAT LETTER THEY TOLD ME THEY SENT OUT, AND I DO NOT KNOW WHY THEY PUT A TIME LIMIT ON IT. IF TOYOTA REFUSES TO GET IT FIXED, I WANT TO PUT TOYOTA ON NOTICE THAT I WANT TO INITIATE ARBITRATION WITH TOYOTA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

NHTSA ID

11022801

Incident

Jan 28, 2017

MY HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY LENS WERE DISTORTED AND BUBBLED ON BOTH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS TWICE ON THE RIGHT & 1 ON THE LEFT. NOW THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS DISTORTED AND BUBBLED AGAIN AND TOYOTA REFUSED TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE IT IS OUTSIDE THE 5 YEARS/70,000 MI WARRANTY. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND A DEFECT FROM THE DESIGN. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PICTURE FOR REFERENCE.

NHTSA ID

11020006

Incident

Jun 1, 2017

Mileage

80,000 mi

DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE TOO HOT. THE BULBS HAVE MELTED AND BUBBLED THE PLASTIC HOUSING. CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT A NOTICE WAS SENT OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED. TOOK MY TRUCK TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT ANY ISSUE. TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER ANY REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENTS.

NHTSA ID

11006740

Incident

Jul 21, 2017

Mileage

52,000 mi

THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT HOUSING OVER THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS MELTING / BUBBLING. THE TRUCK HAS ONLY 40,000 MILES. TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE OR REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT. POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD.

NHTSA ID

11004273

Incident

Jul 7, 2017

Mileage

40,000 mi

THE RUNNING LIGHT LENS ON DRIVER'S SIDE IS FOGGED AND CRACKED. TOYOTA ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL AND SENT ME A LETTER THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE PART UP TO 5 YEARS OR 70,000 MILES. I HAVE 65,000 MILES BUT MY TRUCK IS GREATER THAN 5 YEARS OLD, AND THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE PART AFTER I CONTACTED THEM. ACCORDING TO MY LOCAL DEALER THIS WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN TO THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11001301

Incident

May 1, 2017

Mileage

65,000 mi

THE BULBS IN THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE MELTING THE LENSES.

NHTSA ID

10991610

Incident

May 22, 2017

REAR LEAF SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN AND THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT COVERS HAVE CRACKED.

NHTSA ID

10934900

Incident

Mar 1, 2012

Mileage

10,000 mi

MY 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS APPARENTLY HAS HAD A DESIGN FLAW SINCE EVEN BEFORE 2009 IN THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL HOUSING. THE DESIGN FLAW CAUSES THE LENSE TO MELT FROM EXTREME HEAT BUILD UP IN THE HOUSING CAUSING THE BULB TO BURN OUT AND ULTIMATELY THE SOCKET TO CHAR AND IN MY CASE DEFORM TO THE POINT I COULDN'T REPLACE THE BULB. TOYOTA HAS IN SEPTEMBER 2011 RELEASED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN INSTRUCTING THERE TECHS ON HOW TO REMEDIATE THE OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW. THERE WAS NO NOTICES SENT OUT TO OWNERS EVEN THOUGH THEY APPARENTLY KNEW BEFORE THEY EVEN BUILT THE 2011 TRUCKS THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. TO DO THIS AND NOT MAKE US AWARE IS CRIMINAL TO SAY THE LEAST BECAUSE IN THE CAB IT IS TELLING YOU THAT IT IS WORKING AND YOUR NOT AWARE THAT YOUR FRONT SIGNAL IS NOT WORKING. THINK OF ON COMING TRAFFIC NOT KNOWING THAT YOUR GONNA TURN AND YOU THINK THEY DO. THIS IS CRIMINAL. IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. JUST GO TO YOUTUBE.

NHTSA ID

10934539

Incident

Sep 1, 2015

Mileage

65,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED BURN MARKS ON BOTH FRONT HEAD LAMPS CAUSED BY THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD LAMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THAT A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THE FAILURE HAD EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

NHTSA ID

10888711

Incident

Jul 31, 2013

Mileage

25,000 mi

WRONG RUNNING LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED AT THE FACTOR. NOW THE HEADLIGHTS ARE CRACKED AND FOGGY AND THE LIGHT IS WEAK AND DEFUSED MAKING IT DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. T DEALER THAT I TOOK IT TO TOLD ME THE TIME LIMIT FOR REPAIR HAD EXPIRED AND THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR.

NHTSA ID

10821664

Incident

Oct 1, 2011

THE RUNNING LIGHTS AREA DEVELOPED CRACKS AND A ROUND SHAPE CLOUDY AREA IN FRONT OF THE LIGHT BULB LIKE IT MELTING THE PLASTIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10704483

Incident

Apr 8, 2015

Mileage

38,564 mi