1998 Toyota Tacoma

THE WIRING HARNESS CABLE FROM THE SENSORS TO THE COMPUTER BURNOUT AND THE SEATBELTS DOESN'T RESPOND RIGHT ESPECIALLY WITH HIS UNRAVELING AND DOESN'T LOCK GOOD OR POOL AND THE MASTER CYLINDER IT'S NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY EITHER IT'S LIKE IT'S NOT STOPPING THE BRAKES ARE NOT STOPPING I KNOW THE VEHICLE IS OLD BUT STILL THIS IS A DEFECT AND VERY HAS FOR THE DRIVERS OF ALL THE VEHICLES MY 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA SR5 2.4 LITER 2 WHEEL DRIVE

UPON PURCHASE OF A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA FROM LITHIA TOYOTA OF MISSOULA, MONTANA I WAS PRESENTED WITH AN ODOMETER DISCLOSURE STATEMENT STATING THE VEHICLE HAD 168,143 MILES. WHILE TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE EARLIER ON PAVED HIGHWAY I NOTICED THE ODOMETER READ 168,000 AND SOMETHING MILES, SO SIGNED THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT IN GOOD FAITH OF THE DEALER. I ALSO HAD REQUESTED A VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT. AFTER THE TEST DRIVE, THE SALESMAN HANDED ME AN AUTOCHECK VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT. HE DID NOT EXPLAIN DETAILS OF THE REPORT TO ME, ALTHOUGH IT SEEMED FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD. HEADING THE ODOMETERCHECK SECTION, IN BOLD LETTERS IT STATED "YOUR VEHICLE CHECKS OUT!" IT CONTINUED BY STATING "AUTOCHECK EXAMINED THE REPORTED ODOMETER READINGS REPORTED TO AUTOCHECK FOR THIS 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA SR5(VIN#) AND NO INDICATION OF AN ODOMETER ROLLBACK OR TAMPERING WAS FOUND." BECAUSE I HAD BEEN WARNED ABOUT USED VEHICLES AND ACCIDENTS I FOCUSED ON THE ACCIDENTCHECK AND TITLE AND PROBLEMCHECK IN THE REPORT. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE ODOMETER WENT OUT DRIVING ON GRAVEL A WEEK LATER THAT I REALIZED THE ODOMETER WAS FLAWED. AND IT DOESN'T RECORD THE MILEAGE WHEN IT IS OUT. ON CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT, THERE ARE SIX REPORTS UNDERNEATH THE ODOMETERCHECK SECTION. THE SUSPECT MILEAGE IS BETWEEN THE 2ND AND 3RD MILEAGE REPORTS. THE 2ND MILEAGE REPORTS 15,000 MILES 10/09/98 WITH A NOTATION STATING: "NOT INCLUDED IN ROLLBACK CALCULATION." THE 3RD MILEAGE REPORTS 10,038 12/10/1998. THAT IS A DIFFERENCE OF -4,962 MILES LOST ON THE ODOMETER. I PHONED, THEN BROUGHT THE TACOMA BACK TO LITHIA 8/6/13. THE MAN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CIRCUIT BOARD AT MY EXPENSE. THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, HE REPEATED. I WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA CORP. 8/9/13 AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE BY PHONE 8/20/13. THE ANALYST STOOD BY LITHIA'S DECISION 8/23/13.

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA ENGINE STARTER MOTOR BEGAN TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. AFTER 1-MONTH IN THIS CONDITION, STARTER MOTOR FAILED TO START ENGINE. DEALER SAYS THAT THE CONTACTS ON THE STARTER MOTOR WEAR RESULTING IN THE INTERMITTENT OPERATION. THE ONLY OPTIONS ARE TO REPLACE THE STARTER MOTOR OR OVERHAUL THE STARTER MOTOR. I WOULD NOT EXPECT FOR THE STARTER MOTOR TO FAIL ONLY AFTER 8 YEARS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT MY LEFT TURN SIGINAL DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHEN I PUT IT ON. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE LEFT FRONT TURN SIGINAL LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES. THE RIGHT SIDE TURN SIGINAL WORKED PROPERLY. I BEGAN AN ELECTRICAL INSPECTION: WHEN MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS WERE ACTIVATED MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS WORKED, BUT SO DID MY REAR TAIL LIGHTS WHEN THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS WERE ON. BEING A SAFETY RELATED PROBLEM I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM AND THE SAID THAT THE REAR LIGHT HARNESS WAS FAULTY. THEY WENT TO REPLACE IT AND THEY FOUND THAT THE REPLACEMENT WIRING HARNESS DID NOT MATCH (ALIGN) WITH THE WIRING HARNESS (ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT) THAT CAME WITH MY TRUCK. SO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER CONTACTED TOYOTA NATIONAL, WHO HAD TO RESEARCH THE ITEM TO FIND THE PROPER HARNESS TO MATCH MY TRUCK. TOYOTA NATIONAL SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WIRING HARNESS THAT CAME WITH THE TRUCKS WERE DISCONTINUED DUE TO HARNESS FAILURES (ELECTRICAL SHORTS)! SINCE MY TRUCK HAD THE SUSPECT HARNESS ON IT NEW, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY TOYOTA PRIOR TO DELIVERY OR RECALLED! TO ME THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, IF I DID NOT NOTICE THIS AS QUICK AS I DID, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. SINCE TOYOTA KNEW (WHICH THEY SAID) THERE WAS A POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION WITH THE CABLE THEY THEY SHOULD BE REPLACING THIS CABLE WHEN IT FAILED FOR FREE NOT CHARGING ME $418 . *AK