2005 Toyota Tacoma

MY TRUCK FRAME IS SEVERELY RUSTED. TOYOTA HAD A VOLUNTARY FRAME EXCHANGE PROGRAM, FOR WHICH I QUALIFIED. I FIRST TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE LOCAL DEALER (PENN TOYOTA IN GREENVALE, NY) FOR INSPECTION AS PER TOYOTA'S PROGRAM IN OCTOBER 2015. DEALER CONFIRMED THAT A NEW FRAME IS NEEDED AND ADVISED ME THAT IT IS ON ORDER. SINCE OCT 2015, I FOLLOWED UP WITH DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, AND IN JANUARY 2016, DEALER ADVISED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION IN THEIR SYSTEM. SO I BROUGHT MY TRUCK BACK IN AGAIN, AND SERVICE MANAGER JIMMY CONFIRMED THAT I AM ENTITLED TO A NEW FRAME UNDER TOYOTA PROGRAM AND THEY WILL PLACE THE ORDER FOR ME. AGAIN, I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW UP SEVERAL TIMES EACH MONTH AND WAS TOLD THAT FRAME IS ON ORDER. IN MARCH 2016, I FOLLOWED UP AGAIN WITH DEALER BECAUSE THE TOYOTA PROGRAM WAS ABOUT TO EXPIRE. DEALER AGAIN REASSURED ME THAT MY CASE IS IN THE SYSTEM BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO RECEIVE NEW FRAME. IN APRIL 2016, I FOLLOWED UP AGAIN BUT THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO DATA IN THEIR SYSTEM ABOUT HAVING ORDERED A NEW FRAME FOR MY TRUCK. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE AND THEY OPENED A CASE NUMBER (160-422-2525). I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE HANDLING MY CASE THAT THEY ARE GETTING A NEW FRAME FOR ME. IT IS NOW SEPTEMBER 2016 AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NEW UPDATES. DUE TO THE LARGE RUST HOLES IN MY FRAME AND HAVING READ REPORTS OF OTHER OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES (AND TOYOTA'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AS EVIDENCED BY THE FRAME REPLACEMENT PROGRAM), I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FULLY MAKE USE OF MY TRUCK SINCE I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE RUST BECAUSE I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT.

THE FRAME ON THIS TRUCK HAD BEEN REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. THE REAR BUMPER SUPPORT BC AND FACTORY INSTALLED TOW HITCH WERE RE INSTALLED. THAT WAS NOVEMBER 2014. IN AUGUST OF BRAD 2016 WHILE TOWING A SMALL CAMPER ON THE MASS TURNPIKE, THE HITCH TO FRAME ATTACHMENT FAILED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE FRAME. PULLED OVER WHEN I HEARD THE THUMP.

THE TACOMA IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO UNUSUAL AMOUNTS OF FRAME RUST AND WHILE UNDERNEATH MINE, CHANGING THE OIL IN THE TRUCK I FOUND HOLES IN THE TRUCK FRAME LARGE ENOUGH TO FIT MY FIST IN. SO FAR I'VE RECEIVED THE RUN AROUND FROM TOYOTA. THEY HAD A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN AND REPLACED MANY TRUCK FRAMES. THAT STOPPED IN MARCH OF 2016. NOW THEY AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND LEAVING IT ON THE SHOULDERS OF AMERICANS TO DEAL WITH. IN ADDITION TO THAT, AFTER THEIR OWN ADMISSION, ONE COULD ONLY SUSPECT THAT THE FRAMES THAT WEREN'T REPLACED HAVE A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAYS, ESPECIALLY IN STATES WHERE THEY (THE STATES) DON'T DO RIGOROUS INSPECTIONS TO GET VEHICLES LICENSED. AFTER THE RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE I'VE DISCOVERED A FEW THINGS; THE TRUCKS HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL FRAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA ADMITTED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. MANY OF US, (TACOMA OWNERS) CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THE TRUCK FRAME OR PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE TO REPLACE IT WITH POTENTIALLY MAKING THE HIGHWAYS AND TOYOTA DRIVERS UNSAFE BECAUSE OF A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT TOYOTA WON'T RECTIFY. ADDITIONALLY, I'M SURE BASED ON FORUMS AND OTHER REVIEWS I'VE UNCOVERED ONLINE, THAT MANY OF THE VEHICLE OWNERS ARE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE DEFECT AND THE THREAT TO THEIR OWN SAFETY, AND THE SAFETY OF THOSE AROUND THEM ON THE ROADWAYS DUE TO SAID DEFECT.

WHILE UNDERNEATH TRUCK INVESTIGATING NOISE FROM VIBRATING METAL I NOTICED THE FRAME BADLY RUSTED NEAR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO THE POINT WHERE A LARGE HOLE FORMED. RUSTED PIECES OF THE FRAME FALL OFF WHEN LIGHTLY TAPPED WITH A HAMMER. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH MADE IT APPARENT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. TRUCK WAS BOUGHT AND ALWAYS REGISTERED IN A SOUTHERN STATE BUT WAS DRIVEN IN ILLINOIS FOR 3 YEARS WHILE ON MILITARY ORDERS. THERE IS SURFACE RUST EVERYWHERE BUT I HAVEN'T DONE A COMPLETE INSPECTION YET TO FIND OTHER HOLES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. AFTER PUMPING TEN GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING HOME, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT STRAP HOLDING THE FUEL TANK FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000. UPDATED 010/04/16*LJ *TR

MAJOR RUST DAMAGE ON FRAME AFTER ONLY 8 YEARS OF VEHILCE BEING RELEASED, A 2 BY 4 INCH WIDE HOLE ON BOTH SIDES FOR THE TRUCKS FRAME CAUSING WARPING AND BENDING AS WELL AS UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. WHEN TAKEN TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP REPAIRS TOOK 9 MONTHS, AND UPON COMPLETION WAS SEND BACK TO OWNERS POSSESSION WITHOUT TEST DRIVING OR VERIFYING PROJECT COMPLETION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE HOLES IN THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A BRAKE LINE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,213. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE OWNER OF THE TOYOTA TACOMA RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE INFORMING THE OWNER THAT CERTAIN TOYOTA VEHICLES FROM THE YEAR 2005 -2011 HAS HAD A DEFECT WITH REAR LEAF SPRING . THE OWNER IMMEDIATELY WENT TO TOYOTA OF BOWIE , MARYLAND HE INFORMED THEM THE NOTICE HE RECEIVED IN MARCH . HE HAS CALLED THE MANAGER SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE LAST 4 MONTHS TO GIVE AN UPDATE OF THE PARTS . IT'S BEEN 4 MONTHS THE CAR HASN'T BEEN FIXED.