2001 Toyota Tacoma

I OWN A 2001 TACOMA PICKUP. IT HAS BEEN CONDEMNED BECAUSE OF A RUST ROTTED BODY. I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE IT OFF THE LOT. TOYOTA IS DOING A BUY BACK ON 1995-2000 OWNERS AND GIVING THEM 150% OF THE KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE PLUS $1,000 INCENTIVE TOWARDS A NEW PURCHASE. ALL OF US, AND THERE ARE MANY, 2001 OWNERS ARE ONLY BEING OFFERED 100% OF THE KBB ON OUR NEWER, LESS USED VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. WE HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTAS ATTORNEYS GIVING US 6 MONTHS TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THEIR OFFER. IF I REJECT IT, I GET NOTHING. I FEEL THIS IS UNFAIR AS MY TRUCK WAS NEWER BUT AM BEING GIVEN LESS THAN 2000 OWNERS. CAN YOU HELP? THANK YOU. *TR

TRUCK FRAME RAILS ARE STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND DUE TO SIGNIFICANT CORROSION FROM EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALT. DISCOVERED A CORRODED THROUGH SECTION ON THE LEFT INNER FRAME RAIL (3 TO 4 INCHES WIDTH) AFT OF THE TRANSFER CASE CROSS MEMBER AND FORWARD OF THE REAR SUSPENSION AND GAS TANK. A COMPLETE AND DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE FRAME RAILS HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED CURRENTLY. *TR

2001 TOYOTA TACOMA FRAME RUSTED THROUGH AND VERIFIED BY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA IS BUYING BACK UP TO 2000 YEAR MODELS BUT 2001 MODELS ARE EXCLUDED. WHEN THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH, REGARDLESS OF THE YEAR, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO ADDRESS WITH TOYOTA CORPORATION. ARBITRARILY SELECTING THE YEARS AND LAST VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER TOYOTA WILL COVER IN THE BUY-BACK PROGRAM IS RIDICULOUS AS THIS RUST ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN WHAT TOYOTA HAS ANTICIPATED. WE FILED A CLAIM WITH TOYOTA THEY SAID OUR VEHICLE DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE 150% BUY BACK, HOWEVER THEY WOULD BUY IT BACK FOR THE CURRENT RETAIL VALUE. OUR TRUCK WAS BUILT IN SEPTEMBER 2000 (QUALIFIED THERE), BUT THE VIN NUMBER WAS 4,096 PAST THE CUT-OFF (DIDN'T QUALIFY THERE). TOYOTA BUILDS 3,500 TACOMAS PER WEEK. WHAT MAKES THEM THINK THAT THERE WEREN'T SOME BAD FRAMES STILL IN THEIR INVENTORY AT THE TIME OUR TRUCK WAS BUILT. SOME 2001 TACOMA OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THAT TOYOTA HAS TAKEN THEIR TRUCK AWAY FROM THEM (AFTER INSPECTION) AND HAVE HELD IT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND WON'T GIVE IT BACK TO THE OWNERS AND ARE ONLY OFFERING RETAIL FOR A SETTLEMENT. 2001 TACOMA OWNERS HAVE NO CHOICE...ACCEPT THE CURRENT RETAIL PRICE WE HAVE OFFERED YOU BECAUSE YOU WON'T GET YOUR TRUCK BACK. 2000 TACOMA OWNERS...HERE IS 150% OF THE RETAIL VALUE AND WE'LL TAKE THAT RUST BUCKET OFF YOUR HANDS.*TR

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS COMPLAINT- 10235644 -FRAME ISSUES, 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA- .....ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NEW YORK STATE AND SEVERAL LAWYERS. A LETTER WAS POSTED IN THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO REFUSE TO LOOK AT A 2001 TO 2004 TACOMA THAT SOMEONE BRINGS IN WITH FRAME CONCERNS. IT IS AN INSULT THAT A COMPANY THAT WE LOVED, THAT PRIDES IT'S SELF ON QUALITY SERVICE AND CUSTOMER HAPPINESS WOULD DO SOMETHING SO DISCRIMINATORY TO A TOYOTA OWNER. WE ARE OF THE MIND THAT WE WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA DUE TO THIS EXPERIENCE. WE WANT EVERYONE WHO OWNS A 2001 AND UP TACOMA TO KNOW THAT THEIR TRUCKS ARE POSSIBLY DANGEROUS IF THEY HAVE BEEN IN STATES THAT USE ROAD SALT IN THE WINTER MONTHS. WE WERE DRIVING A TIME BOMB, AND THINK THAT ANYONE WHO OWNS A TACOMA SHOULD JOIN IN A CLASS-ACTION SUIT AGAINST TOYOTA. THEY KNEW WE WERE DRIVING THESE TRUCKS WITH OUR FAMILIES IN THEM. WE WERE DRIVING THESE TRUCKS IN PLACES THAT COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE ELSE. PLEASE HELP US TO GET BACK WHAT IS ENTITLED TO US AND EVERYONE ELSE THEY ARE HIDING IT FROM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

NO-ONE HAS BEEN HURT, INJURED OR KILLED TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, YET. THE TOYOTA CORPORATION IS OFFERING A BUY BACK OF 1995-2000 TACOMAS DUE TO FRAME "FAILURE" AND MANUFACTURER ISSUES WITH THE FRAMES ON THE TRUCKS BUILT IN THOSE YEARS. WE TOOK OUR 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN OCT. OF 2000, TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IN THE BUY BACK RANGE. THE FRAME WAS EXTREMELY RUSTY AND BECAUSE WE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE "BUY BACK" WE WANTED IT LOOKED AT SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE OCT. 2000 MANUFACTURE DATE. WE CONTACTED A LEMON LAW LAWYER AND THEY SAID WE HAVE A CASE, AND GAVE US TOYOTA'S CORPORATE NUMBER. WE WERE TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT IT WOULD BE SENT THROUGH A CLAIMS PROCESS AND THEY WANTED US TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE FRAME LOOKED AT. AT THE APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE TECH LOOKED AT THE FRAME AND SAID THAT A TOYOTA FIELD REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NEED TO BE BROUGHT IN DUE TO THE CONCERNS HE HAD. THE FIELD REPRESENTATIVE CAME IN FROM CALIFORNIA AND LOOKED AT THE FRAME. HE TAPPED IT WITH A HAMMER IN A FEW PLACES AND IT WENT THROUGH. THEY TOLD US WE COULD NOT HAVE OUR TACOMA BACK AS IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION ANY MORE AND ARRANGED A RENTAL. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD GET 150% OF THE RETAIL PRICE FOR BUY BACK BY ONE OF THE TOYOTA EMPLOYEES. WE WERE TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP BY THE REPRESENTATIVES TO KEEP QUIET AND NOT TELL ANYONE ELSE ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH OUR TACOMA, WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS ODD. A MONTH LATER, WE RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FROM TOYOTA SAYING THAT THEY WOULD GIVE US ONLY 12,000 DOLLARS FOR A TRUCK THAT BY THEIR OWN STANDARDS OF 150% OF RETAIL, THOUGH IT WAS THE 2001 MODEL YEAR, WAS WORTH OVER $19,700. THEY TOLD US THAT IT WAS THEIR FINAL LOCKED IN NUMBER AND THAT IT WAS TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT. WE TOLD TOYOTA THAT IT WAS TERRIBLE THAT THEY WOULD TREAT US THIS WAY AND TOLD THEM THEY WOULD HEAR FROM A LAWYER IN SOME CAPACITY. WE HAVE REPORTED OUR EXPERIENCE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NEW YORK STATE ... (CONTINUED). *TR

I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA THAT APPEARS WELL INTO THE INITIAL STAGES OF FRAME PROBLEMS. APPEARS TO HAVE EXCESSIVE RUST FORMATION AND SOME BUBBLING. APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE THAT 95-2000 TACOMAS ARE BEING RECALLED FOR. TOYOTA THOUGH WILL NOT INCLUDE NEWER TACOMAS, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN THEIR BUYBACK PROGRAM FOR THE 95-2000'S AND ARE OFFERING SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WHEN THE FRAMES FAIL. THIS IS BOTH DISCRIMINATORY AND HIGHLY INSULTING TO THE NEWER TACOMA OWNERS. WE SHOULD BE OFFERED THE SAME BUYBACK OPTIONS AND CONDITIONS AS THE EARLIER MODELS. FREE INSPECTIONS TO DETERMINE IF THE PROBLEM EXISTS SHOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED, AS THEY ARE WITH THE EARLIER MODELS. THE FRAME ISSUE EXTENDS WELL BEYOND THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED YEARS AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL TACOMA CUSTOMERS. UNDER THEIR PRESENT PROVISIONS A 97 TACOMA WOULD BE BOUGHT BACK BY THE COMPANY FOR MORE THAN MY 2001, WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT WHEN IDENTIFIED, RENDERS YOUR VEHICLE USELESS AND DECREASES ITS RESALE VALUE TO NOTHING. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE OFFER THE SAME BUYBACK OPTION AND INCENTIVES AS WITH THE 95-2000'S. THEY ALSO NEED TO PUBLICLY ADMIT THAT MANY TACOMAS OF ALL YEARS ARE HAVING THE SAME FAILURE. IT COULD COST SOME UNKNOWING INDIVIDUAL THEIR LIFE, IF THE FRAME FAILED. *TR

WE TOOK OUR 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK TO A MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND HE TOLD US THE FRAME IS SO RUSTED, HE COULD BREAK IT WITH HIS HAND. HE TOLD US IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND TO LOOK INTO CONTACTING TOYOTA, WHICH WE DID. THE DEALER TOLD US THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE ONLY THE 95-2000 MODELS WERE BEING RECALLED. WE CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD US WE WOULD HEAR FROM SOMEONE WITHIN 30 DAYS REGARDING OUR COMPLAINT. *TR