2001 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. SHE NOTICED CORROSION ON THE FRAME OF HER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO ADVISED HER TO CONTACT BOTH NHTSA AND THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO A SAFETY CONCERN. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT YET RETURNED HER CALL. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE FRAME ON THE VEHICLE HAS CORROSION AND THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER SIDE NEAR THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE MAIN FRAME WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 109,000.

THE FRAME ON MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA IS RUSTED THROUGH IN SEVERAL PLACES. TOYOTA HAS OFFERED TO REPLACE THE FRAME FOR FREE, BUT IS OFFERING OWNERS OF 1995 - 2000 TACOMAS TO BUY THEIR TRUCKS FROM THEM FOR 1.5 X THE KELLEY BLUE BOOK VALUE, AT THE "EXCELLENT CONDITION" RATE REGARDLESS OF THE VEHICLE'S CONDITION. SO THE OWNERS OF THE OLDER TRUCKS REAP A CASH BENEFIT OF OVER 50% OF THE TRUCK'S VALUE, WHILE WE OWNERS OF 01-04 TACOMAS END UP DRIVING REBUILT VEHICLES. A TOYOTA REP TOLD ME THAT THEY'RE BUYING THE OLDER ONES BACK BECAUSE THEY CAN NO LONGER GET REPLACEMENT FRAMES FOR THEM. IF THAT'S THE CASE, IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, OWNERS OF TRUCKS LIKE MINE WILL BE GETTING THE 150% BUYBACK AND THE REST OF US WILL BE DRIVING OUR ORIGINAL (REBUILT) TRUCKS WITH THE REPLACEMENT FRAMES. MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER INSPECTED MY FRAME YESTERDAY, TOLD ME IT FAILED, AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. THE VEHICLE CAN'T BE SAFE - IT WON'T PASS THE STATE INSPECTION WITH HOLES IN THE FRAME. I DRIVE ABOUT 12,000 MILES A YEAR. THE TRUCK HAS 134,000 MILES ON IT. UNLESS THEY'RE BUILDING THE REPLACEMENT FRAMES DIFFERENTLY, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE NEW FRAME WILL ROT OUT BEFORE THE TRUCK WEARS OUT OTHERWISE. FOR A COMPANY WHOSE REPUTATION IS BUILT ON RELIABILITY, YOU'D THINK THEY'D WANT TO TREAT ALL THE OWNERS OF THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES THE SAME. *TR

I AM FILING A COMPLAINT ON A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH A RUSTY PERFORATED FRAME. WE HAVE DOCUMENTS AND PICTURES OF TWO HOLES AND FLAKING ON OUR FRAME. MANY MECHANICS HAVE TOLD US THAT OUR FRAME WAS UNSAFE, BUT WHEN BROUGHT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS WE ARE TOLD THAT IT PASSES THEIR 2001-2004 RUST PERFORATION PROGRAM AND THEY SENT US AWAY. WE ARE LEFT WITH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE AND WE KNOW THAT IT CONTAINS PERFORATION IN THE FRAME. WE HAVE REQUESTED TO SEE THE TOYOTA REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTH TEXAS, BUT WE ARE GETTING THE RUN AROUND. WE REQUESTED TO SEE THE REP A MONTH AGO AND HAVE HEARD NOTHING SINCE. WE DO HAVE A CASE MANAGER AND # BUT OUR CASE KEEPS GETTING CLOSED AND OUR CASE MANAGER DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT PICTURES OF THE PERFORATION OR TO CONTACT THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. WE WOULD APPRECIATE A FACE TO FACE TALK WITH A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE WHO COULD EXPLAIN WHY OUR HALF DOLLAR SIZED PERFORATION DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION BY TOYOTA. *TR

2001 TOYOTA TACOMA RUSTED FRAME. CALLED THE SERVICES DEPT WHERE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK AND THEY SAID THAT THERE'S NO RECALL OR ANYTHING TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM. THAT MY YR DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RUSTED FRAME ISSUE. MY INSPECTION STATION SAID THAT IT'S SO RUSTED THAT HE SHOULDN'T PASS ME. THAT HE WOULD FOR THIS YR BUT FORGET FOR NEXT YR. *TR

RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE LETTER FOR MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA (LETTER STATED VEHICLES COVERED WERE 2001-2004). THE REASON WAS TO INSPECT FRAME FOR RUST PERFORATION. UPON INSPECTION THE VEHICLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE THE PERFORATION. THEIR OFFER OPTION WOULD BE TO HAVE THE FRAME REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT WOULD COME WITH A WARRANTY OF THE FRAME FOR AN ADDITIONAL 15 YEARS(...ON THE NEW ONE.....FRAME ONLY...) BUT NO OTHER WARRANTY OF THE AFFECTED COMPONENTS REMOVED, HANDLED, OR REPLACED DURING THE FRAME REPLACEMENT WOULD BE WARRANTIED. I HAVE OPENED A CASE WITH TOYOTA STATING THAT I WOULD BE BETTER SERVED WITH THE OPTIONAL BUYOUT, MENTIONED IN THE RECALL LETTER, WHICH IS AVAILABLE AT THEIR OPTION. IT IS UNDER REVIEW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT 15 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE BALL JOINTS FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE WHEEL TO DETACH AND THE AXLE TO FAIL. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THE BALL JOINT FAILURE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED, THE INSURANCE COMPANY NOTIFIED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V225000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. HE BELIEVES THAT THE RECALL SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED HIS VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 134,000.

2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH DIAGNOSED RUST PERFORATION TO FRAME. TOYOTA INSTITUTED A BUYBACK PROGRAM FOR 1995 THROUGH 2000 FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT WILL NOT HONOR THIS COMMITMENT TO VEHICLES POST THIS WINDOW THAT EXPERIENCE THIS SAME SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA WILL ONLY REPLACE FRAMES AS COUNTERMEASURE TO THIS ISSUE AND WILL NOT WARRANT THIS TEARDOWN/REASSY PROCESS THAT WILL BE PERFORMED AT DEALERSHIPS (NOT RETURN TO FACTORY FOR REWORK) WHICH WILL LEAVE THE CONSUMER OPEN TO ADDITIONAL VEHICLE (SAFETY) CONCERNS AND NO COMMITMENT FROM TOYOTA THAT THIS PROCESS WILL NOT AFFECT RESALE VALUE AS WELL. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSAFE STANCE. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE AND ASSIGNED CASE NUMBER 0904119004 AND AWAITING FEEDBACK. *TR