2005 Toyota Tacoma

2005 TOYOTA TACOMA FIRST ISSUE IS THE STEERING, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE TURNING THE STEERING HAS "LOCKED UP" , THE STEERING GETS EXTREMITY HARD TO TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. AFTER MY OWN RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THE UNIVERSAL JOINT ON THE STEERING SHAFT WILL LOCK UP OR GET EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN IF NOT GREASED. THE JOINT IS OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS AND HAS NO PROTECTIVE BOOT OVER IT. THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE FROM TOYOTA FOR THE JOINT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH. IF THE OPERATOR DOES NOT HAVE THE UPPER BODY STRENGTH TO FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN WHEN THE JOINT LOCKS UP IT MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS ISSUE IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED BY MECHANICS CAUSE EXPENSIVE UNNECESSARY REPAIRS (NEW STEERING RACK). THE SECOND ISSUE IS FRAME RUST. THE FRAMES ARE A POOR DESIGN, HAVE NO PROTECTIVE COATING AND ARE MADE OF INFERIOR METAL. A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH FOR "TACOMA FRAME RUST" WILL SHOW PLENTY OF HORROR STORIES OF FRAMES LITERALLY RUSTING AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK. THE OLDEST 2ND GENERATION TACOMAS (2005 PRODUCTION YEAR) ARE NOW 9 YEARS OLD, A FRAME ON A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE HAVING RUST ISSUES IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. ALONG WITH THE FRAMES RUSTING AWAY ALL COMPONENTS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME CAN FAIL. (LEAF SPRINGS, SHOCKS, MOTOR MOUNTS ETC). TOYOTA DID THE RIGHT THING WITH THE 1ST GENERATION TACOMAS THAT HAD THIS ISSUE. THEY ISSUED RECALLS AND BOUGHT BACK TRUCKS. CONSUMERS WERE LED TO BELIEVE THE FRAME RUST ISSUES WERE CORRECTED ON THE SECOND GENERATION TACOMAS BUT THEY WERE NOT. AS OF NOW TOYOTA IS HANDLING FRAME RUST ISSUES ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. SOME PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING TO GET NEW FRAMES AND SOME PEOPLE ARE LEFT WITH A TRUCK THAT IS RUSTING AWAY WITH NO HELP FROM TOYOTA. FRAMES RUSTING AWAY TO THE POINT THAT A HOLE THE SIZE OF A HAND CAN FIT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD STICK WHEN ROUNDING A CURVE. THEN IT WOULD BE OK . AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND ABOUT 200 MORE MILES THE STEERING WHEEL HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN IT MOVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE WITHOUT MOVING THE TIRES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE UNIVERSAL JOINT FOR THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAD NO BEARINGS LEFT IN IT. SCARY.. *TR

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013: WHILE MANEUVERING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, AND THROUGH THE 90 DEGREE TURNS OUT OF A SUBURB IN WASHINGTON STATE ON THE WAY TO I-5 NORTHBOUND, THE STEERING OF MY WELL-MAINTAINED 6 SPEED MANUAL 2005 ACCESS CAB TOYOTA TACOMA TRD 4WD FELT ALTERNATELY STIFF AND LOOSE, AS THOUGH THE WHEEL WAS RATCHETING. THE WHEEL FAILED TO RETURN TO CENTER, REQUIRING CONSTANT EFFORT THROUGH ALL POINTS OF STEERING, WITH SPECIAL CARE REQUIRED TO OVERCOME THE HIGH AND LOW PEAKS IN RESISTANCE. NEGOTIATING TURNS HAS BECOME AN IMPRECISE, PHYSICALLY DEMANDING AND THEREFORE UNSAFE EXERCISE. WHILE I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, AT MY OWN EXPENSE, THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT ON THE WWW.ARFC.ORG WEBSITE, AND IS LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH A FAULTY UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY. THE FAULTY PART HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS "STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT," PART# 45203-04020. THE REDESIGNED PART MEANT TO ADDRESS THE DEFECT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS PART# 45220-04020. THE REDESIGNED PART IS SAID TO INCLUDE A PROTECTIVE BOOT MEANT TO PROTECT "UNIVERSAL JOINT #2". THIS PROBLEM SOUNDS TO ME EVERY BIT AS SERIOUS AS THE GAS PEDAL/FLOOR MAT INTERFERENCE RECALL FOR WHICH I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN RECENT YEARS. THIS IS A LOSS-OF-CONTROL HAZARD THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA DIRECTLY AS A SAFETY RECALL. LOYAL CUSTOMERS LIKE MYSELF SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES FOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF FAULTY MATERIALS, POOR ENGINEERING, DEFECTIVE WORKMANSHIP OR THE UNSAFE CONDITIONS THAT RESULT FROM ANY OF THESE OVERSIGHTS. IGNORING THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM, (WHICH IS COMMONLY BEING MISDIAGNOSED AS POWER STEERING OR RACK AND PINION PROBLEMS ON MANY TOYOTA TACOMA FORUMS), COULD RESULT IN FATALITIES OR SERIOUS INJURY. *TR

EXCESSIVE RUST BEGAN APPEARING ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE AT 50,000 MILES. REVIEWED RUST WITH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (4 TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS) AND THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS FOR A RUSTY FRAMES. MY CONCRETE DRIVEWAY IS NOW STAINED WITH THE RUST COMING OFF OF THE VEHICLE. FRAME AND BUMPER IS NOW RUSTY AND GETTING WEAKER AS THE RUST CONTINUES. VEHICLE NOW HAS 90,000 MILES AND FRAME IS COVERED IN RUST. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME. ADDITIONALLY, I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE STEERING KNUCKLE ON THE VEHICLE -- DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR - DUE TO EXTREME RUSTING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A COUNTY TWO LANE ROAD. AS I APPROACHED A SLIGHT CURVE, THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO FAIL AND THE TRUCK RAN OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED THE VEHICLE, AND WITH LOTS OF MUSCLE I STEERED THE VEHICLE BACK ONTO THE ROAD. I JUMPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE SUCH AS A LEAKING STEERING HOSE OR BROKEN SERPENTINE BELT. NOT SEEING ANY IMMEDIATE DAMAGE, I SLOWLY DROVE THE VEHICLE ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF TO MY HOME. AFTER A THROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THE STEERING SYSTEM, I DISCOVERED THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT THAT ATTACHES THE STEERING COLUMN TO THE RACK & PINION, HAD A FROZEN/BINDING UNIVERSAL JOINT. THIS UNIVERSAL JOINT IS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND DOES NOT HAVE A LUBRICATION FITTING. THIS ITEM IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE MANUAL UNDER PERIODIC MAINTENANCE. UNDER A DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE, SUCH AS MY WIFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THIS INCIDENT MY HAVE CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS AND OTHERS AROUND THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE TOYOTA TACOMA BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER, AS THOUGH THE POWER STEERING WAS FAILING. TO NEGOTIATE THE VEHICLE THROUGH A BEND IN THE ROAD I HAD TO EXERT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND HAD TO MANUALLY FORCE THE WHEEL BACK TO CENTER. THIS MOMENTARILY INHIBITED ME FROM KEEPING THE VEHICLE CENTERED IN THE LANE. THIS PROBLEM HAS SINCE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. ON INSPECTION I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE IMPAIRED STEERING CONTROL TO BE CORROSION OF THE UNIVERSAL JOINT #2 STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT PART # 45203-04020. ON SEARCHING FOR A REMEDY I LEARNED THIS PART HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, AND THE REPLACEMENT PART IS 45220-04020. APPLICATION OF PENETRATING OIL TO THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT HAS REDUCED THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM BUT NOT PERMANENTLY RESOLVED IT. IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE A YOUNGER, OLDER OR OTHERWISE PHYSICALLY WEAKER OPERATOR WAS DRIVING THEY MAY HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE VEHICLE IN ITS LANE. *TR

THE STEERING ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAME SURPRISINGLY HARD TO TURN AS IF THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRING PROBLEM IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF TRUCK AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE ONSET OF THIS PROBLEM IS INCREDIBLY FAST WHICH COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS CRASHES AND INJURIES!!! THE CAUSE IS A FAULTY PART DESIGN (PART IS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND SEIZES) AND NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED ASAP. THE FAULTY PART # 45203 - 04020, INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WERE RUSTED COMPONENTS WITHIN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND COMPLETING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SLOWLY RETURNED TO A STRAIGHT POSITION. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING A TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.