2005 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN ABNORMAL TICKING NOSE WAS HEARD FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE U-JOINT NEEDED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

SUDDEN ONSET OF STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT U-JOINT SEIZING MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT. ALSO LOST RETURN-TO-CENTER OF STEERING. THIS COULD POSE A SERIOUS RISK OF OVER-STEERING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AT A TEE INTERSECTION. THE UNPROTECTED U-JOINT IS EXPOSED TO STRIKING OF ROAD DEBRIS AND SALT SPRAY. THE U-JOINT DOES NOT HAVE GREASE FITTINGS OR ANY OBVIOUS MEANS OF LUBRICATION. INTERNET RESEARCH SUGGESTS THIS IS A VERY COMMON DEFECT FOR TOYOTA TACOMAS WITH APPROXIMATELY 75K OR MORE MILES STARTING WITH MODEL YEARS 2005 AND NEWER. *TR

2005 PRERUNNER SR5 HAD GRINDING SOUND FROM RIGHT FRONT AT ABOUT 40MPH WHEN TURNING LEFT. NO SOUND WHEN TURNING RIGHT. DEALER CHECKED AND DETERMINED LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD. REPLACED LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING ($516.32). WHEN LEAVING DEALER LOT AFTER PICKING UP THE TRUCK I NOTICED THE SOUND STILL CAME FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL . BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER WHO CHECKED AGAIN AND DETERMINED RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD. ALSO SAID LEFT REAR MAY BE GOING BAD. COST TO REPLACE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING $337.01 (DEALER DIDN'T CHARGE LABOR THIS TIME). ABOUT 1 YEAR AFTER BEARINGS REPLACED THE GRINDING SOUND HAS RETURNED. VEHICLE NOW HAS ABOUT 107K MILES. RELUCTANT TO RETURN TO DEALER AND PAY ANOTHER $800-$1000 TO REPAIR WHEEL BEARINGS THAT APPEAR TO BE EITHER POOR QUALITY OR INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. DEALER CLAIMS REPLACING WHEEL BEARINGS AT 80K MILES IS NOT ABNORMAL. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER 4X4 WITH ONLY 83,000 MILES. THERE IS RECURRING ISSUES WITH THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS GOING OUT. FRONT LEFT HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 YEARS AGO, THEN FRONT LEFT STUB AXLE WAS REPLACED LESS THAN A YEAR LATER UNDER WARRANTY BY TOYOTA. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING ALSO WENT OUT 2 YEARS AGO AND WERE REPLACED AND NOW THE LEFT SIDE IS GOING OUT AGAIN. *KB

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW TACOMA 2005 TRD 4X4 4 DOOR FROM THE DEALER IN 2004. IN 2009 THE TRUCK STARTED MAKING POPPING, CRACKING, AND SQUEAKING NOISES FROM THE SUSPENSION AND FROM THE ENGINE. NOW, THE TRUCK MAKES SQUEAKING AND CRACKING NOISES JUST GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE TRUCK AND EVEN JUST OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOOR. I TOOK THE TRUCK INTO SEVERAL SHOPS COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. I STARTED RESEARCHING ONLINE, FOUND NUMEROUS 2005 TACOMAS'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT SEVERAL RECALLS WERE MADE ON TACOMA, BUT WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. ON 12/9/2010, I CALLED THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGE POPPING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE ON 6/28/2005 AND ACKNOWLEDGE REAR SUSPENSION SQUEAKING NOISES ON 8/13/2009, BUT THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE TRUCK HAS TO BE UNDER 3 YEARS OLD OR 36,000 MILES TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS MANUFACTURE DEFECTS, TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM, THEY DID NOT NOTIFIED THE OWNER WITHIN WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2005 TACOMA DOUBLE CAB 4X4 SHORT BED WITH TRD OFF ROAD PACKAGE AND TOW PACKAGE NEW IN NOV 2004. AT 37K MILES I PUT A SET OF TRD SPORT WHEEL TAKEOFFS ON MY TRUCK. WHEN I HAD THEM BALANCED AND ROTATED AT 47K (FOR THE SECOND TIME) I NOTICE A SLIGHT VIBRATION THAT SEEMED TO COME AND GO, DIFFERENT SPEEDS, ETC. I TOOK IT BACK AND HAD IT CHECKED AGAIN. THEY SWAPPED FRONTS TO BACK AND THAT SEEMED TO CURE IT. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AT 52K AND AGAIN AT 56K MILES. THE TIRE MAN TALKED ABOUT REPLACING THE TIRES IF IT WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY. AT 60K MILES I PUT ON A NEW SET OF TOP OF THE LINE TIRES. IT STILL HAS THE VIBRATION. IF IT'S NOT THE TIRES, THE TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED OR DAMAGED, WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM? IT SEEMS THAT SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND NO ONE HAS A SOLUTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING AND GRINDING NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE WARNING INDICATORS REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE REAR PINION AND GEAR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED TWICE UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.