2000 Toyota Tacoma

BROKEN DRIVER SIDE REAR LEAF SPRING. INSPECTING UNDERBODY TO ASSESS PARTS LIST AND FOUND THE VEHICLE FRAME RUSTED THROUGH IN A 2 -3 FOOT SPAN FROM JUST AFT OF THE DRIVER SEAT TO THE REAR LEAF SPRING BRACKET. HEAVY FLAKES AND PIECES OF RUST BREAKING OFF AND FRAME ALMOST RUSTED AWAY NEAR THE LEAF SPRING BRACKET THAT HAS CRACKED AND NEAR FALLING OFF. *TR

I PURCHASED MY TACOMA NEW IN 2001 AND RECENTLY I HEARD OF A RECALL CONCERNING THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE, SO I TOOK MY TRUCK TO GLENN TOYOTA IN FRANKFORT KY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME WAS BAD AFTER THEY CHECKED THE FRAME BY HITTING IT WITH A HAMMER AND PUTTING A HOLE IN THE FRAME. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD BUY BACK MY TRUCK FOR 1.5 TIMES THE BLUE BOOK VALUE. WE DONE SOME PAPER WORK WHEN THEY REALIZED MY TRUCK WAS A 2001 INSTEAD OF A 2000. I WAS THEN TOLD THEY WOULD NEITHER BUY BACK MY VEHICLE NOR FIX MY TRUCK THEY PUT A HOLE IN. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA AND I WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT HAVE TO FIX OR BUY BACK MY TRUCK BECAUSE IT WAS A ?VOLUNTARY RECALL?. THIS ALLOWED THEM TO NO LONGER HONOR ANY PART OF THIS RECALL WHICH INCLUDES NOT FIXING NOR BUYING BACK THE TRUCKS WITH FRAME PROBLEMS THAT ARE NEWER THEN 2000. I WAS ALSO TOLD I HAD WAITED TOO LONG FROM THE TIME THE RECALL WAS FIRST ISSUED. I WAS IN THE MILITARY DURING THE ISSUING OF THIS RECALL. DURING MY MILITARY OBLIGATION I SPENT A YEAR IN AFGHANISTAN AND A YEAR IN IRAQ. CLEARLY I WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO HEAR OF THE RECALL NOR BRING MY VEHICLE INTO A DEALERSHIP. NOT ONLY IS THIS BUSINESS PRACTICE NOT FAIR (DOING ONE THING FOR ONE CUSTOMER AND NOT OFFERING THE SAME DEAL TO THE NEXT), BUT TOYOTA CLEARLY KNOWS THERE IS UNSAFE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD AND DOES NOT WANT TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE. TOYOTA HAS MADE THE DECISION THAT IF THE VEHICLES FROM THE YEARS RANGING 1996-2000 FAILED THE SAME TEST THAT MY VEHICLE FAILED IT WAS UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE BOUGHT BACK. I KNOW THAT THIS MUST BE A SAFETY CONCERN OR TOYOTA WOULD NO LONGER TEST THE VEHICLES FROM 1996-2000 STILL. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED HOW TOYOTA HAS HANDLED THIS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE I WORK FOR TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING OF KENTUCKY (TMMK), AND I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE VEHICLES THEY ARE SELLING. *TR

MY 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS "EXTENSIVE" RUST DAMAGE TO ITS FRAME AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THIS TRUCK WAS PURCHASED IN KANSAS AND HAS SINCE MOVED WITH ME DOWN TO GEORGIA. I NOTICED ON THE WEB THAT THE RUST ON THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK IS A COMMON CONCERN/DEFECT FROM TOYOTA. I AM INQUIRING TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS AND HOW I SHOULD GO ABOUT TRYING TO GET THIS FIXED. THE ENGINE AND ALL OF THE VITAL COMPONENTS WORK FINE, IT SEEMS A SHAME TO GET RID OF A VEHICLE THAT IS STILL IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION, OTHER THAN THE RUST PROBLEM THAT IS. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA AND HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY A RECALL. THE RECALL IS FOR EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE. CAN I PRESS FOR A REPAIR AND REFUSE A BUY BACK? I CALLED THE DEALER FROM MY CELL PHONE APPROX A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND THEY STATED NO RECALL EXISTED FOR THE 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE ISSUE IS SIMILAR TO NHTSA REFERENCE NUMBER: 10379995 WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER TO HAVE A CORROSION RESISTANCE PRODUCT APPLIED TO THE FRAME THE TECHNICIANS NOTICE THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. *TR

FRAME RUST PERFORATION PER TOYOTA 1995 THROUGH 2000 TOYOTA FRAME RUST CORROSION PERFORATION WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT (CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM) WAS CONDUCTED ON MY TRUCK LAST YEAR (SEPTEMBER 2010). THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INSPECTED AND SAID IT WAS OK. TODAY THEY CONDUCTED ANOTHER FRAME INSPECTION AND SAID THE FRAME WAS PERFORATED AND WOULD NOT PASS THE SAFETY INSPECTION. I ASKED TO SEE A DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FRAME DAMAGE AND WAS TOLD NONE WERE AVAILABLE. NO OFFER WAS MADE TO PUT THE TRUCK ON THE LIFT FOR ME TO SEE FOR MYSELF. I DROVE HOME VERY CAREFULLY, PULLED THE TRUCK IN THE GARAGE AND HAD A LOOK, DOES NOT LOOK SAFE TO ME. APPEARS THE LEFT FRONT REAR AXLE LEAF SPRING MOUNT / CHASSIS FRAME COULD FAIL CAUSING THE AXLE TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. PERHAPS THIS IS MORE SERIOUS THAN A "CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM"! *TR

LAST SUMMER, 2009, NOTICED THAT MY BRAKES, WHICH WERE ONLY A YEAR OLD, SEEMED TO NOT BE OPERATING EFFICIENTLY. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE I DISCOVERED GEAR OIL HAD BEEN COMING OUT OF THE REAR AXLE, SPRAYING ALL OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE BRAKES AND TIRE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR AXEL SEAL AND RUINED BRAKE SHOES. BOUGHT THE VEHICLE TOYOTA CERTIFIED USED IN DECEMBER OF 2003. RECENTLY IN 2010 I NOTICED THAT MY FRAME APPEARED AS THOUGH IT HAD A LOT OF DIRT ON IT, SO I TRIED TO SPRAY IT OFF WITH A HIGH POWERED WASHER, IT TURNED OUT TO B RUST NOT DIRT. I RECENTLY MOVED TO CALIFORNIA AND I AM STILL SETTLING IN, WHEN I HEAR A LOUD BANGING SOUND COMING FROM SOMEWHERE UNDER MY TRUCK. I WONDERED IF IT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RUST SO I TYPED IN RUST AND TOYOTA ON GOOGLE AND DISCOVERED A CUSTOMER WARRANTY PROGRAM ISSUED BY TOYOTA ON 1995-2000 MODEL TACOMAS FOR RUST PERFORATION. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND MY CAR IS STILL REGISTERED IN ONE OF THE APPLICABLE STATES, PENNSYLVANIA. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TOOK THE CAR TO BE INSPECTED, THE DEALER SAID MY CAR PASSED RUST PERFORATION TEST BUT COULD NOT LOCATE NOISE. I WAS SHOCKED AS THE NOISE IS UNMISTAKABLE. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER I TOOK THE CAR TO A FRIEND WHO KNOWS A LITTLE MORE ABOUT VEHICLES THEN ME, WE CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK AND HE WAS ABLE TO POINT OUT A BROKEN LEAF SPRING THAT APPEARED TO BE RUSTED AND GRINDING HEAVILY INTO MY PASSENGER SIDE SHOCK. THE DEALER LET ME DRIVE OFF THEIR LOT WITH MY TRUCK LIKE THAT AND THE LEAF SPRING IS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME WHICH THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE INSPECTED! NOT ONLY THIS BUT THE TECH ALSO CHECKED OFF SUSPENSION AS GREEN! THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, WHAT IF THE BROKEN LEAF SPRING HAD SWUNG IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND JABBED INTO MY TIRE? TOYOTA IS NOT OFFERING TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER THE WARRANTY DESPITE THE FACT THIS BROKEN LEAF SPRING ISSUE IS WELL DOCUMENTED ACROSS THE NATION. *TR