2004 Toyota Tacoma

2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FRAME RUST RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL, WHEN HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. AN INSPECTION REVEALED, SEVERE RUST ON THE BOTTOM PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE FRAME RAIL. ALSO, HOLES WERE FOUND IN THE FRAME. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED, THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO VERIFIED THAT THE FRAME WAS PERFORATED DUE TO CORROSION ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND HIT A POTHOLE. THE TRUCK MADE A VERY LOUD METALLIC CRUNCHING SOUND UNDER THE CAB BEHIND ME. AFTER THAT, WHEN I HIT A BUMP, A SIMILAR LOUD METALLIC CRUNCHING SOUND OCCURS. I WENT TO MY MECHANIC, AND HE SAID THAT A BODY-FRAME MOUNT HAD RUSTED THROUGH, AND THAT THERE WAS ALSO EXCESSIVE RUST IN MANY OTHER PLACES. I HAD EARLIER REPLACED A SHIELD OVER THE GAS TANK THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY AND WAS BANGING AGAINST THE DRIVE SHAFT. I CHECKED WITH TOYOTA ON MY MECHANIC'S ADVICE, AND THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON MY TRUCK FOR EXACTLY THIS PROBLEM (EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST), BUT IT HAD EXPIRED IN DECEMBER OF 1012. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT MY TRUCK MAY BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN JULY, 2012 FROM A SUBARU DEALER, RUGE'S IN RHINEBECK, NY. I WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THE RUST CONDITION, OR ABOUT A RECALL. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION FROM TOYOTA ABOUT THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IF ANY OPTIONS I HAVE HERE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE WHEN SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE DEALER INFORMED HER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL HOWEVER, THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. THE DEALER STATED THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,500.

I BROUGHT MY 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA IN TO TOYOTA OF NASHUA NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR CONCERNS ABOUT MY FRAME. THEY TOLD ME THE FRAME IS SO BADLY ROTTED IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE FRAME UNDERCOATED BY TOYOTA. THE FRAME UNDERCOATING RECALL ENDED 10/11. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS RECALL. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE IN TORRANCE CALIFORNIA. I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT HELP ME AND ANY FURTHER ESCALATION OF THE MATTER WOULD NEED TO BE "OUTSIDE" OF TOYOTA. THE TRUCK IS NINE YEARS OLD WITH 75K MILES ON IT WITH A VALUE OF ABOUT 8,000 WITH A GOOD FRAME. IT IS WORTHLESS IN THE CURRENT CONDITION AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA AND HAVE REGULARLY SERVICED AND MAINTAINED MY TRUCK, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STORED IN MY GARAGE. ON NOVEMBER 6TH, I WENT TO HAVE MY YEARLY VEHICLE INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRUCK FAILED BECAUSE OF RUST IN THE FRAME NEAR THE GAS TANK. JOHN, THE GARAGE OWNER, TOLD ME ABOUT THE TOYOTA RECALL FOR THE FRAMES, AND SAID HE BELIEVED MY TRUCK WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I THEN CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY TRUCK, WOBURN FOREIGN MOTORS IN WOBURN, MA, AND THEY WERE UNSURE ABOUT THE RECALL PROCEDURE BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. THE SERVICE MANAGER GAVE ME THE VIN NUMBER AND CONFIRMED THAT THE TRUCK WAS ON THE RECALL LIST. SHE GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL TOYOTA CORPORATE. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THEM, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED IN 2011, AND THEY ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER, [XXX], WHO WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD OVER-RULE THE EXPIRED RECALL. HE CALLED ME A DAY LATER, AND SAID TOYOTA WOULD NOT TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE THEY HAD SENT ME A LETTER NOTIFYING ME THAT I WAS TO TAKE IT IN SO THEY COULD DO UNDERCOATING. I TOLD [XXX] I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE IN THE MAIL. SINCE MY PROFESSION WAS PHARMACY, I AM VERY DETAIL-ORIENTED, KNOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF RECORDING WHEN WE DISPENSE PRESCRIPTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA IS AT FAULT FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND RESOLVE IT. I RECENTLY RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE ON NOVEMBER 14TH, 2013, FOR A SPARE TIRE MOUNT UNDER THE TRUCK THAT MAY RUST AND MAKE THE TIRE FALL. TOYOTA ASKED ME TO BRING IN THE TRUCK FOR REPAIR TO RESOLVE THAT ISSUE, BUT NOT THE FRAME. WITHOUT A REPLACEMENT FRAME, I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS AND CANNOT PASS INSPECTION. HAVING ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY VEHICLE, THE TRUCK ENGINE AND CABIN ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU COULD PROVIDE. THANK YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS DRIVING 20 MPH AND COMPLETING A RIGHT TURN WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL ABNORMALLY WENT DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT TWO BRAKES LINES WERE FRACTURED AND WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MECHANIC THEN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR FRAME CORROSION, AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM FRAME CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 12/4/13*CN

VEHICLE FRAME RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WILL BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE SOON. VEHICLE IS FROM A "HEAVY ROAD SALT USE" STATE, BUT HAS HAD VERY LIMITED EXPOSURE TO SALT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. MOST TIMES THE FRAME HAS BEEN RINSED WITH CLEAN WATER AFTER EXPOSURE TO SALT. TOYOTA'S VOLUNTARY REPAIR PERIOD HAS EXPIRED, YET THEY ACKNOWLEDGE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IN ADDITION THERE IS A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR ITEM RELATED TO THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER ON THE SAME VEHICLE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND CAUSED THE FUEL TANK TO BECOME SLIGHTLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STRAPPED THE FUEL TANK BACK ONTO THE VEHICLE AS A TEMPORARY REMEDY. THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER RELATED TO THE FRAME, HOWEVER THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. THERE WAS ALSO A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V542000 (TIRES) BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S VOLUNTARY RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL, INVOLVING FRAME RUST. UPDATED 01/08/14 INVOICE RECEIVED 01/28/14