Selling an old Toyota T100 pickup

Toyota sold the T100 for model years 1993 to 1998. The newest one is now 28 model years old, so the questions are about clutches, rust and steering parts, not warranties. Each is covered below, with every NHTSA complaint and recall count.

One generation, three engines

Hino Motors built the T100 for Toyota at Hamura, in Tokyo, from August 1992 to July 1998. The engine lineup changed twice:

• 1993: a 3.0-liter 3VZ-E V6 rated at 150 hp, the only engine at launch.
• 1994: a 2.7-liter 3RZ-FE four joined the V6.
• 1995: the 3.4-liter 5VZ-FE V6, at 190 hp, took over from the 3.0.

Each came with a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. For 1996, fueleconomy.gov lists the two-wheel-drive T100 with the four or the 3.4 V6, and the 4x4 with the V6 only. A 1996 4x4 with the V6 and manual is rated 15 mpg city and 18 highway.

The Tundra replaced it. Toyota calls the Tundra the first full-size pickup built in North America by a Japanese automaker, with production starting in May 1999 at its Indiana plant.

Where T100s give out

NHTSA's records, pulled October 10, 2026, supply every figure in this section. The truck has 320 complaints in all. Power train leads with 73, then structure (57), seat belts (29) and steering (26).

The clutch pedal bracket and the firewall

Owners of manual 1995 and 1996 trucks describe a clutch pedal bracket that cracks, taking the firewall it bolts to with it. Once that happens the clutch can't be worked, and the truck won't change gears or restart. One 1996 owner says the repair was done four times. On the 1993, 1995 and 1996, NHTSA files more T100 complaints under power train than under anything else. No recall, bulletin or warranty extension was found for the bracket, so these are owner reports.

Rust under the truck

Complaints on the 1996 describe frames, control arms and bumpers rusted badly enough to fail a safety inspection. Structure then becomes the top area on the 1997 (19 of 71) and the 1998 (7 of 26). There is no T100 rust recall.

The one recall: the steering relay rod

Recall 05V389, filed in September 2005, covers every T100 year. Repeated hard steering, the kind that comes from twisting the wheel all the way while parked, can fatigue the relay rod until it cracks. If the rod fractures, a crash becomes more likely. Dealers replace the rod; the recall began October 5, 2005. Its count of about 977,839 vehicles takes in other Toyota pickups and SUVs too, not just T100s.

Driver air bags going off by themselves

Air bags are the second-biggest complaint area on the 1995, at 13 of 75. Most describe a driver air bag that deployed with no crash, once in a parked truck. NHTSA's recall files hold no T100 air bag recall.

Head gaskets on the 3.0 V6

Toyota's Special Service Campaign V06 stretched head gasket coverage on 3VZ-E V6 engines in Compact Pickups, 4Runners and T100s built from late 1990 to early 1995, decided by VIN. Toyota's 1996 policy set the limit at eight years or 100,000 miles, the earlier of the two, with a 12-month allowance after the owner's notice. The dealer packet now carries an EXPIRED watermark dated September 24, 2018.

T100 complaints and the recall, by model year

The single recall campaign touches every year, so each row shows 1. We ignored the unknown-or-other label when picking each year's top area.

The 1992 row is one complaint filed under a model year before the T100's first.

Fix the T100 or sell it?

Compare the repair quote with what a running T100 like yours sells for. If the quote comes close, letting the T100 go as is tends to make more sense. Before paying anyone:

1. Check the relay rod recall against your VIN on nhtsa.gov.
2. Clutch won't work on a manual truck? Ask for a quote that covers both the bracket and the firewall around it, since owners report the two failing together.
3. Frame or control arms rusted? If that is why it failed a state check, failed inspection explains the options.
4. Overheating or white smoke on a 3.0 V6? The old head gasket coverage is over. Blown engine helps you weigh a rebuild against selling.

Curious how a dead truck gets valued? Read what a junk car is worth.

Selling a T100 as it sits

1. Have the VIN and mileage ready, plus the engine, whether it's 2WD or 4x4, and what's wrong.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Describe the spot, say beside a barn, at the curb or inside a shop, and whether it can be pushed. A truck stuck in gear needs different equipment, so mention it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave it complete. The wheels, tailgate and catalytic converter should stay on the truck. A part that's already gone is worth mentioning when you ask, as it affects the number.
5. The day the truck comes, have the T100's title and a photo ID on hand. Whether the plates come off depends on your state; after you sell has the rules.

Missing the title? Junk car with no title is the place to start. Other Toyota pickups: the Tundra, the compact Pickup and the Tacoma, or all Toyota models.