1999 Toyota Tacoma

I'VE HAD COMPLETE FAILURE OF BOTH SIDES- FRONT BALL JOINTS. I CHALKED UP THE THE DRIVERS SIDE FAILURE TO HAPPENSTANCE, BUT AFTER PASSENGER SIDE RECENTLY HAD THE SAME FAILURE I DID SOME INVESTIGATING AND REALIZED THIS IS A VEHICLE ASSEMBLY ISSUE. THE SAME ISSUE HAD RECALLS FOR THE LATER MODELS 2001-05 TACOMAS, I BELIEVE. NOT SURE WHY THE EARLIER MODELS WERE EXCLUDED, BUT THIS IS SCARY AND DANGEROUS TO HAVE A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE TOWS AND REPAIRS COST OVER $500 IN TOTAL FOR BOTH INSTANCES. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT AS MUCH AS REASSURANCE THAT MY TRUCK IS SAFE TO DRIVE. BOTH INSTANCES OCCURRED ON CITY STREETS. PASSENGER SIDE WAS UNDER 10 MPH TURNING RIGHT TOWARDS MY DRIVEWAY. THE RECENT INCIDENT WAS TURNING LEFT AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WITH A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE TRUCK TIRE CRUMBLED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SLIDE ABOUT 30 FEET TO A STOP ALONG THE CURB.

TRUCK SHAKES AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND CONTINUES TO SHAKE THROUGH HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN LOOKED AT FOR INSPECTION I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY BOTH TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE CENTERS AND INDEPENDENT GARAGES THAT THE PLAY IN THE RACK AND PINION IS CAUSING THE SHAKE AND THE PLAY IS TO SIGNIFICANT TO PASS INSPECTION. AS I WRITE, MY TRUCK IS AT A TOYOTA DEALER HAVING THE 4TH RACK AND PINION INSTALLED. THE SHAKE CAUSES SEALS IN THE RACK TO WEAR AND BREAK. WHEN THESE SEALS BREAK IT WILL QUICKLY EMPTY THE POWER STEERING PUMP OF FLUID CAUSING LOSS OF POWER ASSIST STEERING. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND NOT TO HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *JB

I LEASE A 1999 TOYOTA TOCOMA WHEN I TURNED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AN STARTED TO BACK UP. THE TIE ROD END PULLED OUT OUT OF THE KNUCKLE ON THE RACK AN PINION WITHOUT STRIPPING THE THREADS. DUE TO THE FACT THAT ONE SI SMALLER THAN THE OTHER. THE THREADS ARE THERE THEY ARE WORN ON THE OUTER ENDS OF BOTH PIECES. THE TRUCK HAS 50,100 MILES ON IT. SO FAR I AM TOLD THIS IS MY PROBLEM FOR ME TO FIX. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM TO ME. BECAUSE I DID BUY NEW PARTS TO FIX IT. SO I COULD HAVE MY TRUCK. AFTER TWO AND A HALF WEEKS THIS ALL STARTED 6-18-03 . BUT TO MY SURPRIZE THE NEW PARTS DID NOT FIT MUCH BETTER THAN THE ONE I TOOK OFF. THIS SCARES ME BECAUSE EVEN IF THEY FIX IT. I WOULD NOT FEEL SAFE THINKING THEY MIGHT USE THE SAME KIND OF GENUINE TOYOTA PARTS LIKE I BROUGHT FROM THEM TO FIX IT. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SHAKING IN THE STEERING AND TIRES CONTINUALLY WEARING ON THE INSIDE OF EACH FRONT WHEEL, THESE PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO THE RACK AND PINION UNIT, THERE IS TOO MUCH LATERAL PLAY WITHIN THE UNIT, THIS CAUSES DIFFICULTY WITH THE ALIGNMENT, CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RUBBER ON THE RACK AND PINION IS EITHER TOO SOFT OR IT NEEDS TO BE SHIMMED BEHIND THE SHACKLE SO THERE IS LESS PLAY IN THE UNIT. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A KNOWN RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR MY HOME AND APPROACHING A SLIGHT S-CURVE IN THE ROAD, THE STEERING BEGAN TO NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED. IT HAD WORKED PREVIOUSLY, LESS THAN A MINUTE BEFORE, MOVING THROUGH CURVES IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. AS I APPROACHED THE S-CURVE I ATTEMPTED TO STEER TO THE RIGHT, AND MID-WAY THROUGH THE CURVE THE STEERING BECAME WEAKENED AND LESS RESPONSIVE. THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK TO CONTINUE IN A NEAR STRAIGHT LINE OF DIRECTION TOWARDS A YARD. TO COUNTER THIS LOSS OF CONTROL I RESPONDED BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL MORE TOWARDS THE RIGHT UNTIL IT WAS LOCKED ALL THE WAY RIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE TRUCK WAS STILL NOT TURNING TOWARDS THE RIGHT, AND SENT ME ACROSS MY LANE AND OFF THE ROAD. ONCE MY LEFT-FRONT WHEEL WAS OFF THE ROAD, AND DUE TO IT BEING TURNED TOWARDS THE RIGHT IN FULL, MY TRUCK SWUNG IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LEFT-FRONT WHEEL BACK ONTO THE ROADWAY. WITH THAT SUDDEN EMERGENCY SEEMING TO BE NEARLY UNDER CONTROL I REALIZED I WAS TRAVELING TOWARDS A PARKED CAR. I BEGAN TO STEER TO THE LEFT AROUND THE NEXT CURVE AND FOUND MY STEERING WHEEL WAS STUCK TO THE RIGHT, AND WOULD NOT MOVE TO LEFT AS THOUGH IT WAS SOMEHOW LOCKED OR FROZEN INTO THAT POSITION. IN EXTREME PANIC I RIPPED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE AND BROKE IT FREE OF IT'S LOCKED POSITION, ONLY TO FIND THE WHEEL SPINNING FREELY TO THE LEFT AND STILL ROLLING TOWARDS THE OTHER CAR. ONCE THE WHEEL HAD SPUN TO THE LEFT COMPLETELY AND I WAS STILL GOING IN A FORWARD DIRECTION WITH NO SCREECH OF THE TIRES SO I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES UNTIL I WAS IN A SKID ACROSS THE THE ROADWAYAND HIT THE OTHER CAR. WHEN I LANDED THE TRUCK WAS NOT RUNNING, AND THERE WERE NO DAMAGED ENGINE PARTS. ALSO MY STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT, AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS TOO, BUT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS TURNED OUT TOWARDS THE RIGHT! THE BALL JOINT ON THE TIE-ROD END HAD COME LOOSE ON THAT RIGHT-FRONT WHEEL, BUT HAD NOT BROKE.