1995 Toyota Tacoma

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR WRANGLER SRA TIRES, SIZE P265/60R18. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SEVERE BALANCING ISSUES WITH HIS TIRES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION. REPAIRS WERE MADE ON THE VEHICLE TO REMEDY THE VIBRATION. ANOTHER SHOP STATED THAT THE VIBRATION WAS DUE TO THE TIRES AND WERE DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE TIRES TO THE DEALER AT LEAST FIVE TIMES TO BE BALANCED AND INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 230,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 222,000.

I PURCHASED A TOYOTA TACOMA FROM A DEALER ON 9-17-2002. THE TRUCK WAS A SALVAGE VEHICLE WHICH WAS RECONSTRUCTED BY THE DEALER. I PAID $8,650.80 FOR THE VEHICLE. IT HAD IT HAD 87,631 MILES WHEN I PURCHASED IT. I WENT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER (KINDERHOOK TOYOTA) ON 4/28/08 TO GET NEW SHOCKS PUT ON THE FRONT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR 6 YEARS AND IT NOW HAS 129,119 MILES ON IT. THEY TOLD ME THE VEHICLE HAD A DEFECTIVE FRAME AND WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT TOYOTA WOULD GIVE ME A CHECK FOR THE BOOK VALUE OF THE VEHICLE PLUS 50%. I GOT A CALL FROM TOYOTA ON 5/10/2008 TELLING ME THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANYTHING FOR THE TRUCK BECAUSE IT WAS REGISTERED AS A SALVAGE VEHICLE. I WOULD NEVER HAVE BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE IN 2002 HAD I KNOW IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THERE WAS NO INTENT ON MY PART TO DEFRAUD ANYONE. I FEEL I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR BUYING A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE, IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT PERIOD. NOW I HAVE A TRUCK I CAN NOT DRIVE. I FELL AS THOUGH I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BY TOYOTA. *TR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING HEADLIGHTS: THE HEADLIGHTS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY,FLASHING FROM LOW BEAM TO HIGH THEN OFF AND BACK ON. I AM AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, AND I STARTED DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, FINDING NO GROUND TO THE HEADLIGHTS. FOLLOWING THE WIRING DIAGRAM, THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE DIMMER SWITCH PORTION OF THE COMBINATION SWITCH ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAD FAILED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE BLACK/WHITE GROUND WIRE FOR THAT SWITCH ON THE WIRING HARNESS SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR UNDER THE DASH WAS BLACKENED FROM EXCESS HEAT. ALSO THE TERMINAL INSIDE THE CONNECTOR WAS ALMOST MELTED. THE WIRE FROM THE SWITCH ITSELF TO THE CONNECTOR IS A 16 GAUGE WIRE, BUT THE WIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR, GOING INTO THE WIRING HARNESS TO GROUND IS ONLY A 20 GAUGE WIRE. EACH HEADLIGHT IS FUSED AT 10 AMPS, WITH A POSSIBILITY OF A 20 AMP DRAW ON A 20 GAUGE WIRE. THE NOMINAL CURRENT DRAW FOR THE HEADLIGHTS WAS ALMOST 10 AMPS, WHICH IS CERTAINLY TOO MUCH FOR SUCH A SMALL WIRE. FOR SOME TIME I HAD BEEN SMELLING AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR AT TIMES WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND NOW I KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. THE WIRE WAS BLACKENED, AND THE TERMINAL MELTED, SO A FIRE WAS A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY. *JB

ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2005, THE SEAT BELT ANCHOR COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT ON MY 1995 TOYOTA TACOMA 4X4 EXTRA CAB AND HAS RENDERED THE SEAT BELT USELESS. TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS IN STOCK AND SAID IT WOULD BE MONTHS BEFORE THEY COULD HAVE THEM. THEY REFERRED ME TO A JUNK YARD, WHICH ALSO DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX IT. ONE OF THEIR TECHNICIANS TIED THE SEAT BELT TO THE SEAT TRACK. I AM NOW FORCED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THIS WAY AS I NEED TO GET TO WORK. *JB

1. TRUCK PRIMARILY USED AS A PASSENGER VEHICLE. ONLY INFREQUENT USE TRULY AS A TRUCK. 2. WHILE CARRYING A MODERATE LOAD ON THE HIGHWAY, A GRATING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE SPRING. THE LOWER LONG LEAF (2 LEAF + HELPER) HAD BROKEN OFF FORWARD OF THE DIFFERENTIAL AND DISLODGED ITSELF FROM THE ASSEMBLY SUCH THAT IT WAS RUBBING AGAINST GAS TANK SEAM. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR LEAF SPRING WAS ALSO BROKEN BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY DISLODGED. BOTH HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE THE BROKEN ENDS WERE WELL RUSTED. 3. WAS APPROX. 200 MILES FROM HOME AND FORTUNATELY HAD A HAMMER TO FREE THE BROKEN SPRING FROM THE TANK. STOPPED EVERY 30 MILES TO CHECK IT. THE PROBLEM IS NOT YET CORRECTED AND STILL INSTALLED ON VEHICLE. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED A FIRE IF THE TANK WAS RUPTURED. TOYOTA WAS CALLED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS ISSUE. THEY TOOK MY VIN NUMBER AND SAID THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT MY PARTICULAR VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. IN TRYING TO OBTAIN USED PARTS FROM AUTO RECYCLERS, MORE THAN ONE HAS STATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW INQUIRIES FOR USED SPRINGS FOR TACOMAS. AND AFTER SEARCHING THE NHTSA DATABASE, I BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN IS REPORTED TO TOYOTA OR THE NHTSA.

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE USED 1995 TACOMA, UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE MIDDLE REAR DRIVER'S SPRING APPARENTLY BROKE AND CAME IN CONTACT WITH SHOCK, CAUSING HARD SQUEAKING. CHECKING WITH LOCAL SUSPENSION REPAIR SHOPS AND JUNKYARDS, ALL PARTIES INDICATE HOW COMMON AN OCCURANCE THIS IS. SEVERAL JUNKYARDS STATED THEY CANNOT KEEP ENOUGH OF THESE REPLACEMENT SPRINGS IN STOCK.*AK

TOM SCOTT MOTORS OF CALDWELL IDAHO SOLD ME A USED VEHICLE THAT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IN CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT RESOLVED AND THEY ARE WAITING TO SEE IF THEY CAN PURCHASE THE PARTS FROM A WRECKING YARD. THE DEALERSHIP KNEW THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED NEW LEAF SPRINGS ON THE REAR OF THE TRUCK( THIS IS EVIDENT BECAUSE THEY UNDER COATED THE BROKEN PARTS) THEY DID NOTHING TO FIX IT BEFORE SELLING IT AND ALLOWED ME TO PURCHASE IT AND DRIVE FROM CALDWELL IDAHO TO LA GRANDE OREGON WHICH IS ABOUT 140 MILES ONE WAY. *JB