1998 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED NEAR THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SPRING SHACKLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 287,000.

HELLO, MY VEHICLE IS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. IT HAS APPROX. 152,000 MILES ON IT. THE ISSUE I AM HAVING WITH THE VEHICLE IS PRIMARILY FRAME RUST, THE FRAME IS BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE "SWISS CHEESE." THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE, THE SPARE TIRE EVEN FELL OUT DUE TO RUST. I CALLED TOYOTA TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE FRAME RUST AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY TO COVER THIS. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND IT SAYS THAT 1995-2000 TOYOTA TACOMA'S WERE UNDER RECALL FOR FRAME RUST BECAUSE THE RUST WOULD MAKE THE VEHICLES UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE COMPROMISED. SO I SEARCHED AROUND AND FOUND THAT MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS OLD AND THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT RUST IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND TAKES SEVERAL MONTHS/YEARS TO DEVELOP, IT IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH OCCURS OVERNIGHT. THE RUST LOOKS MAINLY TO BE SURFACE RUST ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IN REALITY THE RUST HAS DEVELOPED FROM THE INSIDE-OUT AND ROTTED THE FRAME OUT, THEREFORE IT WAS NOT CAUGHT EARLIER. I HOPE THIS RECALL IS EXTENDED, THERE ARE MANY RUSTED TOYOTA TACOMAS LISTED FOR SALE FROM THE 1995-2000 MODEL YEAR, WHICH ALSO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THE ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY TOYOTA'S 3RD PARTY SUPPLIER NOT PROPERLY RUST PROOFING THE FRAMES, THEREFORE MAKING THEM HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUST. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA DOES SOMETHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR

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.

I STARTED MY TRUCK AND WAS SLOWLY DRIVING DOWN A DRIVEWAY, AS I CHANGED FROM 2ND GEAR TO 3RD GEAR MY VEHICLE ACCELERATION WENT FROM 15MPH TO 67MPH WITHIN JUST A FEW SECONDS AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I COULD DO BUT SWERVE TO MISS THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE ENGINE ROARED OUT OF CONTROL. AS A SWERVED TO MISS THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, I WAS FORCED INTO A DITCH AND THE TRUCK ROLLED OVER. *TR

NOT LONG AFTER MY BASIC WARRANTY EXPIRED, I HAD FRAYING IN MY SEAT BELT THAT WAS TO THE POINT IT DIDN'T PASS INSPECTION. I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER IN WACO, TEXAS, AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE BELT FREE DESPITE THE MILEAGE. ALMOST A YEAR LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I WENT BACK TO THAT DEALER AND THEY REPLACED IT FREE EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OBLIGATION. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME OCCURRED. I HAVE MANAGED TO GET THE TRUCK INSPECTED BUT I NEED BADLY TO REPAIR THE BELT, BUT I CANNOT AFFORD IT. ALTHOUGH THE WEAR IS NEAR THE WAIST, WHERE ONE FIGURES ANY FRAYING MIGHT TAKE PLACE, BELT AFTER BELT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. ALSO, MY FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CAME LOOSE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND IT OCCASIONALLY WILL BUNCH UP AND HIT MY ACCELERATOR AND WILL ON OTHER TIMES BUNCH UP UNDER MY CLUTCH AND I AM UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT INSIDE THE VEHICLE WOULD BOUNCE UP AND DOWN WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME HAD RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

MY TRUCK WAS TRAVELING IN MIDDLE LANE OF INTERSTATE WHEN TRAFFIC ON THE RIGHT WAS SLOWING DOWN TO EXIT AND ANOTHER TRUCK IN THE LANE NEXT TO ME ON THE RIGHT DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND SWERVED INTO THE MIDDLE LANE FAILING TO YIELD CAUSING MY TRUCK TO STRIKE HIS TRUCK CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND TOTALING MY TRUCK. DURING THIS ACCIDENT THAT CRUSHED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR