2002 Toyota Tacoma

I BOUGHT A USED 2002 TACOMA FROM A GOOD FRIEND. HE TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF THE TRUCK, IT WAS MINT. AFTER I BOUGHT THE TRUCK I ASKED ABOUT THE FRAME RECALL, BUT HE SAID WHEN HE TOOK IT IN THAT THEY COULDN'T DO IT AND HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO TAKE IT BACK. NO NEGLIGENCE, JUST DIDN'T SEE RUST AND DIDN'T TAKE IT IN FOR THE UNDER COATING. I TRIED TO GET IT DONE BUT TOYOTA WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THE WARRANTY. TWO YEARS LATER AND I HAVE A SOME PRETTY BAD FRAME RUST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I REALLY CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER PAYMENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM.

FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AND HAS BEEN TREATED WITH CORROSION RESISTANT COATINGS. THE COATINGS ARE OBVIOUSLY VISIBLE BUT DID NOT PREVENT THE FRAME FROM RUSTING TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION. THE PREVIOUS OWNER BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN FOR OTHER RECALLS THAT ARE RECORDED IN ITS HISTORY. THIS ONE FOR THE FRAME IS NOT RECORDED HOWEVER YOU CAN SEE THE COATING HAS BEEN APPLIED. THE WARRANTY EXTENSION IS LISTED FOR 15 YEARS. THE TRUCK IS 13 YEARS OLD BUT, A PERSON REPRESENTING TOYOTA SAYS IT'S EXPIRED WITH NO EXPLANATION OF HOW THAT IS. SO FAR SHE PUT ME ON HOLD FOR 20 MINUTES WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE INFORMATION TO EXPLAIN TO ME. *TR

I PURCHASED A TACOMA TRUCK DECEMBER 2014 WITH AN UNDERCOATED FRAME, AND WAS UNAWARE THE FRAMES IN THESE TRUCKS ROT OUT, IT IS NOW APRIL I LOOK UNDER THE TRUCK AND SEE THE FRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTEN OUT TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS HOLES EVERY WHERE AND YOU CAN POKE YOUR FINGERS HOLES WILL DEVELOP, I CONTACTED TOYOTA THEY DON'T WANT TO EVEN TOUCH THE TRUCK, I FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING THE TRUCK. *TR

PURCHASED THIS TRUCK 4 MONTHS AGO FOR $10,900. FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF RECALLS ON THIS TRUCK ON CARFAX AND TOYOTAS RECALL WEBSITE. IT IS A GREAT TRUCK IN PRISTINE CONDITION. HOWEVER, AFTER TALKING TO A FRIEND WHO HAS A 2004 TACOMA HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND THAT HIS FRAME WAS SPRAYED TO PREVENT CORROSION. I CALLED UP TOYOTA TO SEE IF IT HAD BEEN DONE ON MINE AND THEY SAID NO. I ASKED WHY THEY WERE SPRAYING THEM AND THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THE FRAME WILL CORRODE. I ASKED IF IT COULD BE DONE TO MINE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY STOPPED DOING IT AT THE END OF 2011. I HAD JOSEPH TOYOTA INSPECT IT YESTERDAY AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE FRAME HAS A HOLE IN IT AND WOULD ONLY HAVE 2 YEARS LEFT. I ASKED TOYOTA IF THEY WOULD REPAIR THE FRAME OR BUY THE TRUCK BACK AS I HAVE HEARD THEY DO AND THEY SAID NO. SO NOW I CAN EITHER PASS THE PROBLEM ONTO SOMEONE ELSE OR WAIT UNTIL THE FRAME FAILS. *TR

VEHICLE HAS LOW MILES YET THE FRAME HAS RUST HOLES IN IT. TOYOTA WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EVEN THOUGH IT HAS FRAME INSPECTIONS IN IT'S RECENT SERVICE HISTORY. THE FIRST INSPECTION OCCURRED IN 2010, LESS THAN 7K MILES AGO. THEY INDICATED TO ME ON THE PHONE THAT DUE TO AN AGREEMENT WITH NHTSA THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. THEY WOULD NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP FOR NOT INSPECTING THE FRAME PROPERLY. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH TACOMA'S, TUNDRA'S, SEQUOIA'S AND 4RUNNER'S OF THIS VINTAGE IN COLD CLIMATE STATES. TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGED THE FRAMES WERE OF POOR MANUFACTURING EVEN SUING THE FRAME MANUFACTURER, YET SOME GET NEW FRAMES, OTHERS LIKE MYSELF WITH A LOW MILE TRUCK ARE TOLD THEY COULD DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS TRADED IN LESS THAN 1600 MILES AGO AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN PA. TOYOTA NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THIS MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND ADDRESS IT INSTEAD OF SKIRTING THE ISSUE WITHOUT A PROPER RECALL. I HAVE SEEN VIDEOS OF TACOMA'S WHICH HAVE LITERALLY BROKEN IN HALF DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. NEVER DID I THINK TOYOTA WOULDN'T STAND BEHIND THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL FLAW IN FRAME MANUFACTURING AND CORROSION RESISTANCE. MY FRAME HAS A LARGE 1"X6.5" HOLE ABOVE THE RIGHT FRONT LEAF SPRING MOUNT - A KEY ATTACHMENT POINT FOR THE REAR SUSPENSION. *TR

PART OF THE FRAME SUDDENLY BROKE FROM THE FRAME RAIL UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF MATERIAL LOOSING ALL STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. THIS WAS DUE, IT SEEMS, TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE FRAME QUALITY LEADING TO EXCESSIVE ROT AND RUST. THE VEHICLE IS NOW STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND AND THUS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN SAFELY. *TR

I RECENTLY TOOK MY 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA INTO THE LOCAL DEALER, DCH IN WAPPINGERS FALLS NY, BECAUSE OF LEAK IN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. UPON LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE,THEY OBSERVED A CRACKED AND RUSTED FRAME. WE TOOK THE CAR DOWN AND I WENT TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION. THAT REPAIR SHOP HAD SAID THERE WAS A FRAME RECALL FOR THAT YEAR. I CALLED TOYOTA IN CALIFORNIA AND THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THAT YEAR AND THAT THEY SENT OUT A NOTICE, BUT IT HAD TO BE BROUGHT BY THE END OF 2012. I TOLD THEM I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE. THERE HAVE BEEN 2 OTHER RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE WHICH I DID RECEIVE NOTICES. THEY CHECKED WITH THEIR COMPLIANCE OFFICE AND SAID THEY DID SEND IT TO ME. I ASKED HOW MANY NOTICES WENT OUT AND THEY SAID ONE AND THEY DO NOT SEND THEM CERTIFIED MAIL. WHEN I STATED THAT I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE, THEY TOLD THERE WAS A DEPARTMENT THAT MAY STILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST ME. AFTER OPENING UP A CASE WITH TOYOTA, THEY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE I FAILED TO BRING THE CAR IN BY THEIR DEADLINE. I TOLD THEM AGAIN THAT I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE AND THAT I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH A RUSTED AND CRACKED FRAME. THIS SEEMS TO BE PROBLEM WITH A GOOD DEAL OF TOYOTAS. I WAS HOPING FOR SOME KIND OF HELP, SINCE THEY'VE ADMITTED THE PROBLEM AND I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE AND WE, AT THIS POINT HAVE ONLY THEIR WORD THAT THEY SENT ME A NOTICE. THANK YOU. TOYOTA CASE# 1405131065. UPDATED 07/03/14

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM PICKING UP MY DAUGHTER FROM SCHOOL. I HIT A POT HOLE MY TRUCK BECAME VERY LOOSE AND HARD TO HANDLE. I GOT HOME AND INSPECTED THE TRUCK. I FOUND THAT THE REAR LEAF SPRING MOUNTS ON BOTH SIDES PULLED/ RIPPED THE FRAME! MY BACK AXEL ALSO SLID BACK ABOUT 2"! I'M GLAD WE DIDN'T GET HURT, BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ACCEPTABLE. I ONLY WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE AXEL WOULD HAVE CAME TOTALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE TRUCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, HE HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE REAR OR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE REAR SHOCK WAS CORRODED NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.