2001 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE BECAME SEVERELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CAB FRAME BRACKET CONNECTED TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS AFFECTED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE HOLES IN THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. A DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 117,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. HE PARKED THE VEHICLE, CHECKED UNDERNEATH, AND FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS RUSTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME BE REPLACED. THE FRAME WAS RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,000.

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.

BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW FROM DEALER IN AUSTIN,TX. CARRIED IN YESTERDAY FOR TIRE ROTATION AT AMERICAN TIRE AND WAS TOLD THE TRUCK HAD THE WRONG LUG NUTS ON THE WHEELS AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE FROM SHOP. I PURCHASED NEW WHEELS SO I COULD SAFELY DRIVE THE TRUCK. I CALLED TOYOTA AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER. I WAS TOLD I NEED TO CARRY IT TO A DEALER AND LET THEM SEE THE WHEELS ALSO. THE IN MODESTO CA AGREED THAT THE TRUCK HAD THE WRONG LUGS ON IT BUT SAID THE WHEELS WAS PROBABLY OK TO USE AS LONG AS THEY HAD THE PROPER LUG NUTS ON THEM. I CALLED TOYOTA BACK AND ASK THEM TO MAKE THE TRUCK RIGHT AND THAT I WAS QUOTED $341.49 FOR CORRECT PARTS AT MODESTO, CA DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA TOLD ME THEIRS NOT ENOUGH HISTORY ON THE TRUCK OF DEALERS MAINTAINING IT AND WITH THE AGE OF THE TRUCK THEY WASN'T WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.MY FAMILY AND I HAVING BEEN DRIVING THIS TRUCK FOR YEARS AND COULD HAVE HAD A TIRE COME OFF WITH THE WRONG LUG NUTS. ALL I ASK FOR WAS TO MAKE THE TRUCK SAFE AND REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF THE AFTER MARKET WHEELS WHICH WAS $150.00.

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".