Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling 5960 model-year 2025 Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid vehicles. The front driveshaft constant-velocity (CV) joint may deform and break.
“The subject vehicles are equipped with front driveshaft assemblies that include a constant-velocity joint (CV joint), which uses a ball cage in a bearing sub-assembly. A specific supplier [GKN Driveline Mexico – AutoCrat] used incorrect material during a specific production period that did not meet the specification for the ball cage. Under normal driving conditions, the ball cage could deform or break,” Toyota said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning.
“If the ball cage deforms or breaks, a driver may experience limited steering rotation and may not be able to complete a turn as intended. If the vehicle isa full-time 4WD model and the ball cage breaks, the vehicle may also move while the transmission is in “Park” if the Electronic Parking Brake is not applied. These conditions may increase the risk of a crash,” Toyota said.
Chronology
- February 2025 – March 2025: Toyota received a dealer report where the customer alleged hearing a loud popping noise and having reduced ability to turn the steering wheel. The dealer replaced a front driveshaft joint, but the part was not recovered. Toyota received three additional dealer reports. Each reported that there was a popping or grinding sound, with one report indicating difficulty turning. Toyota was able to recover these parts and send them to the front drive shaft supplier for investigation.
- April 2025 – May 2025: During the investigation of the recovered parts, the supplier found that the ball cage of the CV-joint in each part had been cracked. Various testing was performed. Hardness testing indicated that these parts did not meet the required hardness specification. Metallurgical testing found that the parts were not manufactured with the specified material. Further investigation of the ball cage sub-supplier found that, during a certain tube cutting process, the incorrect tube material was used. Based on production records, the parts were fabricated with the wrong material on January 10, 2025.
- June 2025 – September 2025: Based on the results of this investigation, Toyota began performing engineering analyses and performance testing to understand the potential impact these incorrectly manufactured parts could have on vehicles with different drivetrains The engineering analysis suggested that the driving force for the full-time four-wheel drive vehicles could be impacted and the steering could be limited by binding of the parts on both part-time and full- time four-wheel drive vehicles. Based on these assessments, Toyota began vehicle performance testing. From the performance tests conducted, Toyota found that under normal driving conditions, the ball cage, fabricated from the incorrect material, could deform or break. Toyota also found that, if the vehicle is equipped with full-time four-wheel-drive and the ball cage breaks, a driver may experience a loss of driving force from a stop. Toyota did not find this condition to be an unreasonable risk to safety. Additional performance testing indicated that, if the ball cage is deformed or broken, a driver may experience limited steering rotation and may not be able to complete a turn as intended. Also, if the vehicle is equipped with full-time four-wheel-drive and the ball cage breaks, the vehicle may also move while the transmission is in “Park” if the Electronic Parking Brake is not applied. Toyota determined that these conditions could present an unreasonable risk to safety and increase the risk of a crash.
- September 25, 2025: Based on the results of the above investigation, Toyota decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall campaign. As of September 25, 2025, based on a diligent review of records, Toyota’s best engineering judgment is that there are five Toyota Field Technical Reports and 69 warranty claims that have been received from U.S. sources that relate or may relate to this condition in the involved vehicles, and which were considered in the decision to submit this report.
Notifications to owners of the affected vehicles will occur by November 30, 2025. This Toyota Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid recall 25TB11 / 25TA11.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Toyota Tacoma Recall for Bad Driveshafts
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling 5960 model-year 2025 Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid vehicles. The front driveshaft constant-velocity (CV) joint may deform and break.
“The subject vehicles are equipped with front driveshaft assemblies that include a constant-velocity joint (CV joint), which uses a ball cage in a bearing sub-assembly. A specific supplier [GKN Driveline Mexico – AutoCrat] used incorrect material during a specific production period that did not meet the specification for the ball cage. Under normal driving conditions, the ball cage could deform or break,” Toyota said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning.
“If the ball cage deforms or breaks, a driver may experience limited steering rotation and may not be able to complete a turn as intended. If the vehicle isa full-time 4WD model and the ball cage breaks, the vehicle may also move while the transmission is in “Park” if the Electronic Parking Brake is not applied. These conditions may increase the risk of a crash,” Toyota said.
Chronology
Notifications to owners of the affected vehicles will occur by November 30, 2025. This Toyota Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid recall 25TB11 / 25TA11.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.