2003 Toyota Tacoma

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED SEVERE RUST AND FLAKING ON THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE FRAME ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE REPAIRED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 158,000. UPDATED 05/06/10.*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRAME WAS CHECKED BY THE DEALER. THEY USED A BALL PIN HAMMER AND TAPPED ALL OVER THE FRAME AND SAID IT PASSED INSPECTION. UPDATED 06/25/10*JB

WELL, I HAVE OWNED MY TOYOTA TACOMA 03' SINCE IT WAS NEW AND WAS AWARE OF SOME UNUSUAL PATTERNS OF INCREASED ENGINE REVVING FOR YEARS. I TOLD MY MECHANIC SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HE REALLY DIDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS ACTING THAT WAY. THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED THIS PHENOMENON WAS WHEN I LEFT THE VEHICLE IDLING WHILE I WENT INTO A GAS STATION CONVENIENCE STORE AND WAS ALERTED OF THE IDLING TO BE HIGHER THAN WHEN I WENT IN THE STORE. I WAS STARTLED BECAUSE IT WAS REVVING ON ITS OWN, HIGHER AND HIGHER UNTIL IT LEVELED OFF AT A BIT HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND FINALLY TO AVERAGE IDLING. IT WAS CREEPY. THIS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MOSTLY WHEN I WOULD LEAVE THE CAR IDLING. ONLY 1 INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT I WAS IDLING IN PARK AND IT BEGAN TO IDLE HIGHER BUT NOT AS I SHOULD NOTICE ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WAS WRONG. WHEN I SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE THE REVVING INCREASED AND I SHUTTLED AHEAD TOWARDS THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MY TRUCK WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS AND AS I WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF MINE THE ENGINE SLOWED AGAIN. I WAS EXTREMELY TERRIFIED AT THAT MOMENT. NOTHING STRANGE OCCURRED THAT DAY AFTER THAT. I QUESTIONED IF I HAD PRESSED THE GAS OR IF MAYBE SOMETHING, SOMEHOW, I MIGHT HAVE OVER LOOKED, BUT I DECIDED THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY A STRANGE STICKING GOING ON IN THE ENGINE. I ALSO CONSIDERED IF IT WAS THE GAS PEDDLE PERHAPS, BUT I RULED THAT OUT AS, IT WOULD REV MOSTLY ON IDLES ON ITS OWN. *TR

THE CLUTCH ON MY 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA BECAME JAMMED WHILE TRYING TO SHIFT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THE BUSHING WHERE THE CLUTCH PIVOTS DISLODGED AND JAMMED THE CLUTCH SO IT WAS UNABLE TO BE DEPRESSED. A CAR WAS COMING STRAIGHT INTO THE SIDE OF MY VEHICLE WHEN I STOMPED ON THE CLUTCH AS HARD AS I COULD, BREAKING THE BUSHING AND LETTING THE CLUTCH DEPRESS. IF I HAD NOT ACTED QUICKLY IT COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT. THIS WAS ON A HIGHWAY INTERSECTION. I TOOK IT IN TO TOYOTA AND THEY DID NOT TELL ME THE BUSHING HAD BROKE AND WAS MISSING THEY JUST PUT GREASE ON IT SO IT WOULD STOP SQUEAKING. I JUST FOUND OUT THIS YEAR AT TOYOTA THAT THE BUSHING HAD EXPLODED AND FALLEN OUT AND NOW THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE BEING STUCK IN A SITUATION AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THEIR VEHICLE IN GEAR. *TR

TOYOTA TACOMA, 2003 ACCELERATION DROPS TO 25% INADVERTENTLY. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE ON SEVERAL OF THE TOYOTA TACOMA BULLETIN BOARDS YET TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR FAILS AND DROPS THE ACCELERATION TO 25% WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DOING 75 ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED BY A SEMI TRUCK! I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA WITH NO RESPONSE. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *TR

MY TOYOTA TACOMA PRE RUNNER 2003, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FAILED ON THE FREEWAY AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE. ALMOST CRASHED BECAUSE TRAFFIC WAS REALLY GOING FAST AND I HAD NO THROTTLE RESPONSE . I PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND I PUT MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON AND ROLLED TO THE NEAREST OF RAMP. IF IT WASN'T FOR MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE DRIVING, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO EASY. THIS IS VERY COMMON BUT THE REPAIRS ARE NOT. 1500 DOLLARS AT THE DEALERSHIP. THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF THIS OCCURRING IF YOU GO TO TOYOTA FORUM YOU WILL SEE THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE SITUATION. THIS STARTED WHEN I FIRST GOT THE TRUCK IN AUGUST 2009 BUT WHO KNOWS IF THE PREVIOUS OWNER NEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I THINK SHE DID. I CANNOT FIX IT BECAUSE THEY ONLY SALE THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY WHICH COST 1200 DOLLARS PLUS LABOR 160 DOLLARS. ALMOST 1500 DOLLARS. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK WITH 26,560 MILES. THERE IS A CONTINUOUS FAILURE IN THE PARKING BRAKE (PREVIOUSLY CALLED EMERGENCY BRAKE). APPARENTLY, THE PARKING BRAKE DESIGN IS SUCH THAT IT "FREEZES UP" GIVING AN INDICATION ON THE DASH WITH THE "BRAKE LIGHT" ILLUMINATED. THE BRAKE IS NOT ENGAGED AND THEREBY GIVES A FALSE READING THAT THE BRAKE IS ENGAGED. HOWEVER, AS A REAL PROBLEM OCCURS THE DRIVERS ARE LULLED INTO A FALSE SECURITY THAT THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT A WARNING BRAKE LIGHT IS LIT. WHEN A REAL PROBLEM OCCURS WITH THE BRAKES, INCLUDING THE ORDINARY BRAKE SYSTEM, THERE CAN BE A MORE SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM SUCH AS CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE SHOES TO LOCK ONTO THE REAR DRUMS. MORE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED ON THIS PROBLEM AT HTTP://WWW.EHOW.COM/WAY_5649717_TACOMA-EMERGENCY-BRAKE-PROBLEMS.HTML TOYOTA HAS RECALLED THEIR 2005 AND 2006 TACOMA TRUCKS FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT NOT ANY EARLIER MODELS. THE DEALERS INDICATE THAT IT CAN BE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $442.12. SINCE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN INVOLVE SAFETY AND BECAUSE TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME AND INDEED HAS RECALLED CERTAIN MODEL YEARS FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM I BELIEVE A RECALL FOR ALL TACOMA TRUCKS SHOULD BE MADE WITH THE COMPANY FIXING THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. THUS FAR THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INJURY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

LEAKY WATER PUMP DISCOVERED UPON ROUTINE CHANGE OF TIMING BELT ON 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA 2WD PRERUNNER. DISCOVERED COMPLETE LACK OF GASKET AND WOEFULLY INADEQUATE AMOUNT OF SEALANT APPARENTLY APPLIED AT FACTORY. (NO MORE THAN 1/8" WIDE AFTER COMPRESSION BETWEEN WATER PUMP HOUSING AND ENGINE BLOCK) ENGINE CONTINUALLY USED A SMALL AMOUNT OF COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE AND OVER TIME HAD BUILT UP A SUBSTANTIAL VOLUME OF SLUDGE/CRUSTY COOLANT AROUND WATER PUMP HOUSING AND TIMING BELT (CRANKSHAFT) PULLEY. ALTHOUGH ABSENT IN THIS INSTANCE, THIS BUILD-UP HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BREAK LOOSE AND FALL BETWEEN THE TIMING BELT AND PULLEY AND ULTIMATELY CAUSE TIMING BELT BREAKAGE. REPLACED BELT AND WATER PUMP. RE-MANUFACTURED WATER PUMP IS EQUIPPED WITH A GASKET. *TR