Two problems related to front suspension wheel bearing have been reported for the 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2005 Toyota Tacoma based on all problems reported for the 2005 Tacoma.
2005 prerunner sr5 had grinding sound from right front at about 40mph when turning left. No sound when turning right. Dealer checked and determined left front wheel bearing was bad. Replaced left front wheel bearing ($516. 32). When leaving dealer lot after picking up the truck I noticed the sound still came from the right front wheel . Brought back to dealer who checked again and determined right front wheel bearing was bad. Also said left rear may be going bad. Cost to replace right front wheel bearing $337. 01 (dealer didn't charge labor this time). About 1 year after bearings replaced the grinding sound has returned. Vehicle now has about 107k miles. Reluctant to return to dealer and pay another $800-$1000 to repair wheel bearings that appear to be either poor quality or installed incorrectly. Dealer claims replacing wheel bearings at 80k miles is not abnormal.
Back in June 2005 I observed a significant "rubbing" noise coming from the front end of my 2005 Toyota Tacoma. Upon taking the vehicle to the dealership for warranty repair I was informed that the left front wheel bearing was bad. On October 24th 2005 I returned to the dealer experiencing a similar "rubbing" noise and was told on this occasion that both the left and right front bearings had failed. This vehicle only has 20 thousand miles on it. I was informed that they must be poorly manufactured bearings. I'm concerned that this may be an ongoing problem as well as a safety issue.