2001 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE SEVERELY RUSTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME RUSTED THROUGH AT THE SHOCK ABSORBERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PRIME TOYOTA - BOSTON (1605 VFW PKWY, WEST ROXBURY, MA 02132), AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 175,000.*DT *BF *TR THE CONSUMER PROVIDED PHOTOS. *TR

I HAVE REPLACED THE LOWER BALL JOINTS FIVE TIMES IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. THREE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND TWICE ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. TWICE I WAS IN SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY TWICE I WAS TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY AND ONCE I WAS TURNING A CORNER. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO HOWEVER I NEVER REAPONDED AT THE TIME. NOW WHEN I LOOK ON THIS WEBSITE IT SAYS THERE WAS NO RECALL SO I AM UNSURE HOW TO PROCEED.

I'M WRITING YOU BECAUSE I HAD MY 2001 TACOMA INSPECTED FOR THE FRAME RUST RECALL IN 2010. AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD THAT MY TRUCK WOULD BE SPRAYED WITH AN INHIBITOR TO PREVENT RUST. THE VEHICLE FRAME HAS SINCE RUSTED AND IS MOST LIKELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE SPRAY INHIBITOR OBVIOUSLY DID NOT WORK OR WAS APPLIED INCORRECTLY. THE SHOCK MOUNT HAS RUSTED FROM THE FRAME WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET.

INITIAL PROBLEM 12/08/2009: IN DECEMBER OF 2009, I DROPPED MY TOYOTA TACOMA OFF AT MY LOCAL DEALER (LEXINGTON TOYOTA, (MA) FOR A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. LEXINGTON TOYOTA CALLED ME AND STATED THAT MY 2001 TACOMA HAD A SERIOUS FRAME RUST PERFORATION PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FRAME AT NO COST TO ME AND THEY ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER. THE TOTAL COST TO ME WHEN THE JOB WAS COMPLETED WAS $1,717.77 (SEE-ATTACHED INVOICE [XXX].) THE FRAME REPAIR INVOICE WAS DATED 12/22/2009. FAST FORWARD TO 12/10/2018: ON 12/10/2018, I BROUGHT MY 2001 TACOMA INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF LEXINGTON TOYOTA FOR SOME BRAKE WORK. LATER THAT DAY THEY CALLED AND SAID THAT MY FRAME HAD SELECTED ROT AND WOULD NOT PASS THE NEXT STATE INSPECTION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THEY HAD REVIEWED THE SITUATION WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I EXPLAINED THAT THE FRAME HAD BEEN REPLACED IN DECEMBER OF 2009 AND THAT THE SERVICE ADVISOR ([XXX]) HAD STATED TO ME THAT THE NEW FRAME WAS WARRANTIED FOR FIFTEEN YEARS. I JOKING REPLIED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY LAST LONGER THAN I WOULD. I GUESS I WAS WRONG. I HAVE ALL OF MY REPAIR WORK AND YEARLY STATE INSPECTION WORK DONE AT LEXINGTON (MA) TOYOTA. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS SITUATION WAS NOT IDENTIFIED EARLIER WHEN IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH BEFORE GETTING TO ITS CURRENT STATE. I BELEIVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THE FRAME FAILS WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. IF THIS HAPPENED TO ME, HOW MANY TACOMA?S AND OTHER TOYOTAS ARE OUT THERE THAT HAD FRAME REPLACEMENTS THAT ARE NOW DEFECTIVE. IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE TOYOTA USED THE SAME SUBSTANDARD FRAMES FOR THEIR REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I SPOKE WITH [XXX], CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. ON 01/09/19 [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

AFTER A MUFFLER SHOP POINTED OUT SERIOUS HOLES IN THE FRAME OF MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA (WITH 174,000 MILES), I CONTACTED KINGS TOYOTA AND TOYOTA MANUFACTURING. THEY SAID THE TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I TOOK IT TO HAMILTON BODY SHOP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE LIFE OF THE TRUCK.I CONTACTED PERFORMANCE TOYOTA WITH MY VIN # AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL IN THEIR DATA BANK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE TRUCK IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK FRAME INSPECTED AT KINGS TOYOTA TWICE IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THEY SAID THE FRAME WAS OK AT THAT TIME. MY TRUCK IS IN MECHANICALLY GOOD CONDITION, BODY LOOKS FINE TOO. WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT SEVERAL MORE YEARS. WOULD APPRECIATE HELP DETERMINING IF THERE IS, IN FACT , A RECALL AND HOW DO I GO ABOUT GETTING THE INFORMATION I NEED TO GET THIS FRAME REPAIRED.

EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST PERFORATION ON 1ST GENERATION TACOMAS WILL CAUSE THE FRAME TO BREAK LEADING TO AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION INCLUDING HANDLING ABILITY, ROLLOVER, LACK OF IMPACT PROTECTION, AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF LIFE. KEY AREAS ARE BY THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS AND CLOSE TO THE FRONT SWAY BAR. TOYOTA DID OFFER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FRAME, BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION THAT THE FRAME WAS DETERIORATING FROM THE INSIDE OUT OR THAT ALL THE FRAMES WERE MANUFACTURED WITHOUT PROPER CORROSION PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT AT DANA CORP, NOT JUST THOSE IN THE LISTED NORTHERN STATES.TOYOTA'S LETTER OF EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT LIST THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOR DID IT RECOMMEND AN INITIAL OR ANY FOLLOWUP FRAME INSPECTION BY A QUALIFIED TOYOTA MECHANIC FOR THE NON-NORTHERN STATES, NOR DID IT MENTION THE NHTSA AS BEING INVOLVED. THE LETTER MENTIONS "A SMALL NUMBER OF 2001 THROUGH 2004 MODEL YEAR TACOMAS OPERATING IN SEVERE COLD CLIMATE AREAS WITH HIGH ROAD SALT USE..." . ALL TACOMA'S IN ANY ROAD-SALT STATE HAVE THE ISSUE. MANY STATES THAT DO USE ROAD SALT HAVE NOT BEEN INSPECTED, EVER. WHEN SOMETHING IS UNDER WARRANTY, PEOPLE TEND TO KEEP USING THINGS UNTIL THEY BREAK. UNDER A SAFETY RECALL, PEOPLE TEND TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED QUICKLY. THE TACOMA FRAMES ARE NOT ACTUALLY "BREAKING" DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD BUT THEY ARE BECOMING "DEFECTIVE" DURING THE PERIOD. MANY PEOPLE ARE DRIVING OLDER TACOMAS AND HAVE NO IDEA THE TRUCK IS ABOUT TO SNAP IN HALF. THIS FRAME RUST ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS A SAFETY ISSUE BY EITHER TOYOTA OR THE NHTSA. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH FOR TACOMA FRAME RUST WILL REVEAL HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS OF PICTURES OF PERFORATED AND DANGEROUS FRAMES. INTERESTINGLY, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TIRE CARRIER WHICH SUFFERED FROM RUST AS A DIRECT RESULT FROM THE FRAME RUST. THE LETTER CLEARLY STATES THAT IN THE NON-EFFECTED STATES, "YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING AT THIS TIME".

FRAME RECALL: WHEN I RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL I TOOK IT TO A DEALER IN SLC, UT AND HAD IT CHECKED ON 9/22/08. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS FINE AND THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO IT. NOW 8 YEARS LATER, MY TRUCK HAS TURNED INTO A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE FRAME IS SO RUSTED OUT, I CAN'T EVEN GET MY BRAKE LINE THAT RECENTLY BROKE REPAIRED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS PARTICULAR RECALL EXPIRED IN 2014. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A RECALL CAN EXPIRE. NOR DO I UNDERSTAND THAT IF MY FRAME WAS FINE IN 2008, HOW IT COULD HAVE RUSTED AWAY TO THIS EXTENT SO QUICKLY. THE STATE OF THE CURRENT RUST WAS POINTED OUT TO ME IN 2016. I UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE TRUCK FOR 16 YEARS; HOWEVER, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE AND I HAD HOPED TO DRIVE IT TILL THE ENGINE DIED. PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS RECALL COULD EXPIRE WHEN IT DID AND WHY TOYOTA WON'T ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPLACING THE FRAME.