2003 Toyota Tacoma

PURCHASED USED VEHICLE FROM PRIVATE SELLER. ON THE FIRST DAY OF USE, AFTER OBTAINING NEW TITLE, TAGS, INSURANCE COVERAGE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE FOLLOWING DAY SCHEDULED SERVICE W/ THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. UPON INSPECTION WAS TOLD THAT THE TRUCK NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS THAT THE DEALER WILL REPLACE FOR FREE. THE DEALER HAD TO ORDER THE PARTS. AFTER RECEIVING THE PARTS AND UPON START OF THE REPAIRS, I RECEIVED A PHONE INFORMING ME THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND THE VEHICLE IS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I WAS GIVEN AN 800 PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AND DEAL DIRECTLY WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE. I AM PATIENTLY AWAITING FOR A RESPONSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE EITHER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

AFTER GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY, AS I WAS PULLING AWAY AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP I NOTICED THE SPARE TIRE HAD FALLEN FROM THE TRUCK AND WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY BACK UP AND LOAD THE SPARE ONTO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. I NOTICED PART OF THE CARRIER WAS RUSTED TO THE SPARE, BUT THE MIDDLE OF THE CARRIER HAD RUSTED THROUGH. I HAD PARTICIPATED IN TOYOTA'S FRAME RECALL A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO AND BELIEVE THEY SHOULD HAVE SEEN HOW BAD THE SITUATION WAS AT THAT TIME, AND DONE SOMETHING TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. I HAD JUST SPENT A HALF-HOUR DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGHWAY. I CAN'T IMAGINE THE DAMAGE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED HAD THE TIRE DROPPED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DURING RUSH HOUR RATHER THAN AT 10 MPH!! IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET, THIS IS AN ALL TOO COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR OLDER TACOMAS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ISN'T CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE AND SUBJECT TO RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. WHILE AT THE DEALER, THE CONTACT INQUIRED ABOUT AN UNKNOWN FRAME RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO HIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS THEN NOTIFED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER A PRIOR VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN FOR THE FRAME, BUT THE CAMPAIGN EXPIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 68,000.

THE FOAM INSIDE THE DRIVER'S HEAD REST HAS DETERIORATED SO A STEEL BAR IS COVERED BY ONLY FABRIC AND NO FOAM. IT CREATES A HAZARD BECAUSE IN CASE OF A REAR END CRASH, THE DRIVER'S HEAD WILL IMPACT A STEEL BAR INSTEAD OF A FOAM PAD. I CONTACTED TOYOTA. THEY CONSIDER IT OUT OF WARRANTY AND WANT ALMOST $500 FOR A NEW HEAD RESTRAINT. THIS IS LIKE SAYING THE SEATBELTS OR AIRBAGS DON'T HAVE TO WORK FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. *JS

I BOUGHT A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA FROM A TOYOTA DEALER IN DECEMBER 2011 WITH 81,841 MILES ON IT. UPON DRIVING THE VEHICLE FROM TENNESSEE TO OREGON A LEAK IN THE OIL PAN APPEARED. I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND TO MY SURPRISE THE WHOLE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY RUSTING. THE LEAK WAS FROM THE OIL PAN THAT WAS CORRECTED BADLY. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT FROM THERE TO MY HOME IN OREGON HAVING TO ADD ABOUT ONE QUART OF OIL. THE DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 700 MILES. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD MAJOR RUST PROBLEMS UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE GAS TANK SHIELD IS GONE DUE TO RUST. THE FRONT END SUSPENSION WAS SO RUSTY THEY COULDN,T GET SOME OF THE BOLTS OUT. THEY HAD TO REMOVE SOME OF THE FRONT END SUSPENSION TO REPLACE THE OIL PAN. BOTH FRONT BACKING PLATES FOR THE ROTORS WHERE RUSTED AWAY. NO ALIGNMENT COULD BE DONE BECAUSE OF THE RUST. I HAD THE FRONT END REPLACE WITH GOOD USED PARTS AND WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED TO ALIGN THE VEHICLE THE FRONT TIE ROD BROKE DUE TO RUST. THE WHOLE FRAME ASSEMBLY IS VERY RUSTY. I FIND OUT NOW THAT THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF FRAME WHICH I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT FROM A TOYOTA DEALER IN TENNESSEE IN DECEMBER OF 2011. THEY NEVER SAID A WORD TO ME ABOUT THE RUST PROBLEM. THEY DID A OIL CHANGE AND THEY ALSO REPLACED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE SO THEY HAD TO BE AWARE OF THE RUST PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE A FIND OUT CAME FROM NEW YORK ORIGINALLY. THEY SAY THEY WILL HELP OUT WITH REPAIR COSTS SO FAR BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FRAME RUST. THIS DEALERSHIP WITHHELD VITAL INFORMATION FROM ME. TOYOTA OF AMERICA SAYS THE FRAME RECALL WAS VOLUNTARY AND HAS EXPIRED. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TAKEN CARE OF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. THE DEALER WOULD NOT ASSIST THE CONTACT WITH ANY REPAIRS OUTSIDE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT AGREED WITH THE DEALER'S DECISION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 116,000.

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE REAR AXLE HOUSING ON MY 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE METAL ON THE REWARD SIDE OF THE RING GEAR HOUSING IS VERY THIN AND WILL RUST OUT AND BEGIN TO LEAK. I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN GEAR OIL LEAKING THROUGH PINHOLES IN THE REAR AXLE ON TWO OTHER TOYOTA TRUCKS. THE THIN METAL AND LACK OF ANTI-CORROSION TREATMENT ON THE AXLE HOUSING CREATES SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS. 1. EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE MECHANICAL COMPONENTS IF LEAK IS NOT DETECTED. IF THE FAILURE OCCURS WHILE IN MOTION THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF IT IS A SEVERE FAILURE THAT LOCKS UP THE REAR WHEELS. 2. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE REAR AXLE HOUSING. THE METAL IS WEAKENED DUE TO THE CORROSION AND CAN POSSIBLE CAUSE THE HOUSING TO BEND OR BREAK. AGAIN CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. 3. POLLUTION. THE LEAKING GEAR OIL THROUGH THE RUSTED AXLE HOUSING CAUSES POLLUTION OF GROUND WATER AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. *TT

RUST OUT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL COVER. ALL OF THE OIL IN THE DIFFERENTIAL LEAKED OUT. NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FROM TOYOTA. THE COMPLETE DIFFERENTIAL MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $ 1,000.00. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AS PER MANY TOYOTA FORUMS ON THE NET. TOYOTA WILL NOT STAND BY THIS REPAIR AND WILL NOT ADMIT TO ANY PROBLEM ABOUT RUST.