1999 Toyota Tacoma

TAKATA RECALL- MY HUSBAND HAD A SEIZURE WHILE DRIVING. HE CROSSED OVER TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HE HIT ONE CAR, WENT OVER A CURB AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND ENDED UP HITTING THE BACK OF A SUBWAY. HIS CAR WENT THROUGH THE WALL INTO THE SUBWAY. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. POLICE DID FILE A REPORT AND HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN AN AMBULANCE. HIS CAR WAS TOTALED.

DEC 13, 2015, WHILE BENDING DOWN TO PICK UP MY READING GLASSES IN THE DRIVEWAY, I NOTICED A CLEAN THROUGH FRACTURE OF THE FRAME, REAR PASSENGER SIDE, JUST IN FRONT OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER FITTING. A FEW DAYS EARLIER I HAD WONDERED WHY THE BED WAS TILTED UP PINCHING THE BACK OF THE CAB. THE VEHICLE HAD PASSED STATE INSPECTION YEAR AFTER YEAR AND HAD BEEN SEE BY MY REGULAR MECHANIC LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO AND NO ISSUES WITH FRAME DETERIORATION WERE FOUND OR BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND JUST YESTERDAY WAS TOLD, SORRY ABOUT YOUR "RUST" ISSUE, BUT THE WARRANTY HAS LONG EXPIRED. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING DEFECT TIED TO IMPROPER PREP BY TOYOTA FRAME CONTRACTOR DANA HOLDING CORP. THE VEHICLE WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL AND NOW IT IS UN-DRIVEABLE. IF THE VEHICLE HAD COME APART AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY OR FATALITY. THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AS A FIXED INCOME RETIREE. THERE'S NO JUSTIFIABLE REASON A VEHICLE FRAME SHOULD FAIL LIKE THIS ONLY TO HAVE TOYOTA TELL ME THEY WILL DO NOTHING. MY TROUBLES ASIDE, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY RISK AND A RISK TO ALL SERVICE PERSONNEL, OWNERS, THEIR PASSENGERS AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD IN THEIR VICINITY. IT WAS ONLY BY SHEER LUCK THAT I DISCOVERED THIS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED.

TOYOTA SENT A RECALL A FEW YEARS AGO TO CHECK AND FIX A PROBLEM WITH RUST ON THE VEHICLE FRAME. I TOOK IT IN FOR THE 'FIX', NOW (11/19/15) I FIND OUT MY FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS A POPULAR TRUCK AND THERE ARE ALOT ON THE ROAD, SOME MAY BE IN THE SAME SITUATION I AM IN. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE WAS' WE CAN'T HELP YOU'. AFTER THE 'FIX' I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, A LOUD POP SOUND WAS HEARD AND THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND DETACHED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE WHOLE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE SUBFRAME HAD EXCESSIVE RUST AND FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE LEAF SPRING FELL INTO THE FRAME AND PUNCTURED THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

MY 1999 TACOMA HAS JUST BEEN DECLARED UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME (I BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP TO HAVE SOME A/C WORK DONE). AS PART OF THE TOYOTA SERVICE PROGRAM, THE TRUCK WAS INSPECTED LAST IN OCTOBER 2013, AND PASSED THE CORROSION TEST. AT THAT POINT THE TRUCK HAD 106,000 MILES. I HAD PURCHASED THE TRUCK AFTERWARDS, BASED ON THIS INSPECTION BEING DONE BY TOYOTA AND PASSING. THE TRUCK NOW HAS 119,000 MILES ON IT, AND IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY STATED THAT SINCE THE TRUCK IS NOW OUTSIDE THE 15-YEAR COVERAGE PERIOD, I HAVE NO OPTIONS. I SHARED THAT THE TRUCK WAS INSPECTED BY THEM AND THAT IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR A TRUCK TO GO FROM NO RUST ISSUE TO SIGNIFICANT RUST ISSUE IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS AND LESS THAN 14,000 MILES. SHE (PHYLLIS) AGREED WITH ME AND SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE FRUSTRATED ALSO AND THAT IT MAKES SENSE THAT THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED, BUT IT IS NOW OUTSIDE OF THE PERIOD SO I HAVE NO OPTIONS.

THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED DUE TO CORROSION IN THE FRAME BENEATH THE LEAF SPRINGS. THE REPAIR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED IN JULY 2011 BY SPRAYING ANTI-CORROSION CHEMICALS. HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT SATISFY THE PROBLEM AS THE REAR IS SO RUSTED OUT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. NEITHER THE TOYOTA DEALER NOR THE TOYOTA COMPANY WILL FIX THIS NOW AS PART OF THE RECALL BECAUSE IT IS "EXPIRED" SINCE THE CORROSION NOW IS SO COMPLETE, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE "FIX" IN 2011 DID NOT WORK. THE TRUCK HAS LESS THAT 125,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT BE RUSTED OUT.