2005 Toyota Tacoma

THE STEERING SEEMED TO SEIZE UP ALMOST INSTANTLY AS IF THE POWER STEERING WAS GOING OUT. ONCE I REALIZED THAT THE PROBLEM WASN'T A TIRE ISSUE; I.E. UNDER- INFLATION, I BEGAN TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT TO HAVE TOYOTA IDENTIFY AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DID AGREE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM FOR $100+ BUT THIS DIAGNOSIS CHARGE WOULDN'T BE APPLIED TO THE REPAIR. THIS,METHOD OF SERVICE SEEMED ODD TO ME SO I USED ANOTHER AUTO REPAIR SERVICE CENTER THAT PROMPTLY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AND SCHEDULE THE REPAIR. IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN WITH A NEAR FROZEN U-JOINT. THIS PROBLEM RESULTED IN A VERY ERRATIC STEERING PATTERN. MOST OF THE TIME THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION AFTER MAKING A TURN AND AT OTHER TIMES IT WOULD RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION RESULTING IN OVER STEERING. THE ANTICIPATED LACK OF RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION CAUSED ME ON OCCASION TO ATTEMPT TO STEER TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION RESULTING IN THE OVER STEERING. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO OTHERS ATTENTION AND POSSIBLY HAVE ANY VEHICLES SUSPECT FOR A SIMILAR STEERING ISSUE INSPECTED SO REPAIRS CAN BE MADE BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR

I HAVE 2005 TACOMA 4X4 WITH A FRAME THAT CRACKED AND COLLAPSED INTO ITS SELF WERE THE LEFT MOTOR MOUNT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. THE MOTOR CAME TO REST ON THE STEERING SHAFT KNUCKLE @ THE RACK AND PINION MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. I CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. UPON RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON THE WEB THERE ARE WELL OVER 200 COMPLAINTS SAME PROBLEM. IT IS SUCH A PROBLEM THAT A FABRICATION COMPANY DMZ MAKES A GUSSET REPAIR KIT TO REPAIR AND REINFORCE THE FRAME. IT'S A BOUT A 10 HOUR REPAIR. HTTP://DMZFAB.COM/PRODUCT/TACOMA-MOTOR-MOUNT-GUSSET-KIT/. TOYOTA SHOULD CONTACT THEM FOR THE CURE. *TR

HI, I HAVE AN OPEN FILE WITH THE TOYOTA CORPORATION AT 1-800-331-4331, MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I LIVE IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. CASE # [XXX]. IN SEPT. OF 2012 MY TRUCK WAS AT 61,000 MILES AND I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR MAINTENANCE AND THEY CHECKED A RECALL ON THE SPIRAL CABLE AND TOLD ME THAT MY TRUCK DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL BECAUSE OF THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE PART. I DIDN'T MIND I WASN'T HAVING ANY PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, AT 65,000 MILES IT IS NOW NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME TO FIX IT. I'VE TRIED TO REASON WITH THEM AND POINT OUT THAT ITS OBVIOUS THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WHEN A TRUCK WITH 65,000 MILE, GARAGED YEAR AROUND AND NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT WOULD BE HAVING PROBLEMS. I HONESTLY THOUGHT SAFETY SYSTEMS HAD LIFE TIME WARRANTIES. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT THEY ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO FIX THE PART AND HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THIS FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST THE TOYOTA CORPORATION AND THE KENDALL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP LOCATED IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM AND HOW MANY OTHER SPIRAL CABLES ARE HAVING PROBLEMS THAT ARE NOT WITHIN THE RECALL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME WITH ANY NEEDED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MY PHONE NUMBER IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FELT AS IF POWER STEERING QUIT. GOING AROUND CORNERS THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RETURN TO STRAIGHT POSITION, BUT REQUIRED ME TO MANUALLY PULL THE WHEEL BACK. WE FOUND IT LOW ON PS FLUID. THAT WAS FILLED AND IT APPEARED THAT TO PRETTY MUCH SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THOUGH NOT COMPLETELY. TWO WEEKS LATER THE PROBLEM IS BACK AND THE PS FLUID LEVEL IS FINE. IT IS VERY HARD TO TURN INTO CORNERS AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE PARK IN REASONABLE TIGHT SPOTS DUE TO DIFFICULT TURNING THE WHEEL. *TR

WITHIN A YEAR OF PURCHASE, THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS BECAME SOFT AND THE TRUCK BOTTOMED OUT ON BUMPS. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER (HADDADS, PITTSFIELD, MA) AND THEY REFUSED TO SERVICE IT CLAIMING NOTHING WAS WRONG. I LATER TOOK IT TO A SPRINGFIELD DEALERSHIP AND RECEIVED THE SAME ANSWER. I THEN TOOK IT TO SUPERIOR SPRING IN PITTSFIELD. THEY FOUND BOTH SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY, CLAIMING I HAD OVER LOADED THE TRUCK. I HAD NOT EVER CARRIED MORE THAN A FEW HUNDRED LBS IN THE BED OF THIS 1/2 TON TRUCK. I HAVE OWNED THE TRUCK SINCE NEW AND BEEN THE SOLE OPERATOR. A FEW WEEKS AGO THE STEERING BECAME STICKY. MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT AT A COST OF $400. HE STATED THAT TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE VEHICLE FOR THIS BECAUSE HE SEES THIS PART FAIL OFTEN DUE TO POOR CONSTRUCTION. ALSO, THE FRAME ON THIS TRUCK HAS SIGNIFICANT RUST ALREADY AND DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT WILL OUTLAST THE BODY AND DRIVE TRAIN. I'M NOT PLEASED. *TR

MY TACOMA WAS APPROXIMATELY FOUR YEARS OLD WITH LESS THEN 50,000 MILES WHEN THE STEERING BEGAN TO LOCK UP UPON MAKING A TURN. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND OTHER TACOMA OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE QUICK SOLUTION WAS TO SPRAY LUBRICATING OIL OR PUT GREASE ON THE INTERMEDIATE NO.2 STEERING SHAFT AT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT - WHICH I DID REPEATEDLY UNTIL NOW. THE STEERING ONLY DEGRADED OVER TIME. THE WHEEL BECAME VERY SLOPPING FROM FAILURE OF THE UNIVERSAL JOINT THAT I HAD TO REPLACED IT LAST WEEK AT 95,000 MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS SHAFT IN THE COLD CLIMATES WHERE ROAD SALT HAS BEEN USED ALONG WITH THE ROTTING FRAME ISSUES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED A BRACKET ON HIS DRIVEWAY AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED, THE STEERING LINKAGE AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE WHEEL MOUNT WERE AFFECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130.000.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE DEALER INSPECTION REPORT FOR MY TRUCK: "FOUND EXTREME CORROSION TO FRAME. TOW HOOK AND DRIVER SIDE SWAY BAR MOUNT UNABLE TO RE-ATTACH DUE TO FRAME PERFORATION FRONT CROSS MEMBER MISSING (RUSTED OFF) FOUND HOLE IN LEFT SIDE OF FRAME. STEERING RACK MOUNTS EXTREMELY PERFORATED, READY TO DETACH. DO NOT RECOMMEND DRIVING VEHICLE DUE TO EXTREME DAMAGE TO FRAME" TRUCK PURCHASED NEW, SINGLE OWNER, WELL MAINTAINED. ...UPDATED 06/10/14 *BF

WHILE DRIVING STEERING SUDDENLY GOT HARD. THEN IT WAS NORMAL AGAIN FOR A BIT. I NOTICED THAT AFTER MAKING LEFT TURN IT WAS HARD TO STEER RIGHT AND VICE VERSA WHEN TURNING RIGHT. CHECKED POWER STEERING AND WAS GOOD. RESEARCH ON FORUMS SUGGESTED A EXPOSED KNUCKLE ON A PART 45203A CALLED SHAFT, STEERING INTERMEDIATE, NO.2. AFTER LUBRICATION TO THE KNUCKLE AREA THE STEERING HAS IMPROVED THOUGH NOT 100%. PART SHOULD INCLUDE AT A MINIMUM GREASE FITTINGS FOR LUBRICATION, PREFERABLY A TYPE OF PROTECTION FROM EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS SUCH AS A RUBBER BOOT. THIS LOSS OF STEERING MAY RESULT IN THE OPERATOR LOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *TR