2005 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V604000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

I PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA IN AUGUST OF 2015. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA DEALER TO REMOVE A WHEEL LUG NUT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015. I WAS ADVISED BY A TOYOTA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FRAME OF MY TRUCK BUT WHEN THE SERVICE RECORDS WERE CHECKED, THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED THAT THE RECALL SERVICE HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON MY TRUCK BY TREATING THE FRAME. ON MARCH 17 2016 MY SON TOOK THE TRUCK TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER IN REFERENCE TO THE LEAF SPRING RECALL. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED THE SAME INFORMATION TO MY SON IN REFERENCE TO THE FRAME RECALL AND THAT THE SERVICE TREATMENT HAD BEEN PERFORMED. MY VEHICLE WAS NEVER INSPECTED ON THESE TWO OCCASIONS AT THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR POSSIBLE FRAME DAMAGE. MY SON AND I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND LOCATED WHAT APPEARED TO BE RUST NEAR THE LEAF SPRING HANGERS WHICH WAS COMING UNDER THE PROTECTIVE COATING THAT HAD BEEN APPLIED BY TOYOTA. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER TO INSPECT THE FRAME. ON APRIL 15 2016 THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED ME THAT THE FRAME HAD A HOLE IN THE FRAME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE NEAR THE PART OF THE FRAME WHERE IT STARTS TO GO TOWARDS THE MOTOR. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED THAT IN HIS OPINION THE HOLE HAD BEEN THERE FOR AWHILE AND THAT THE HOLE COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN THAT LARGE IN A YEAR SINCE BEING TREATED.I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS ADVISED THIS WAS NOT A RECALL BUT A SERVICE CAMPAIGN AND THAT IT EXPIRED ON MARCH 31 2016 AND THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE RUSTED FRAME.I ADVISED THE TOYOTA CASE MANAGER THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND IF IT HAD NEVER BEEN INSPECTED OR TREATED BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH MY VEHICLE. I ALSO ADVISED THE CASE MANAGER THAT IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE FRAME TREATMENT DID NOT STOP THE PROBLEM WITH RUST IN THE FRAME. SHE JUST KEPT ADVISING THAT TOYOTA COULD NOT ASSIST ME WITH THIS MATTER.

10 - 12 INCH LONG VERTICAL RUST AND CRACKS IN THE FRAME. LOCATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAMES INTERIOR. LOCATIONS ARE BOTH OPPOSITE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. I WAS TOLD BY A FRIEND THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND TOYOTA WAS REPLACING THE FRAMES DUE TO INFERIOR QUALITY OF PRODUCTION CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE IN WHICH THE FRAMES WERE RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL DEALER ON 4/4/2016, I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL 4/13/2016 FOR THE FIRST AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT. UPON ARRIVING AT THE DEALER I WAS INFORMED THE "RECALL" EXPIRED MARCH 31ST AND THEY CAN DO NOTHING FOR ME. THEY REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE ISSUE. I CALLED TOYOTA TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANY RECOURSE AS I HAD NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THIS ISSUE LET ALONE A DEADLINE. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT A RECALL AND THE TIME HAD EXPIRED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO FOR ME. I AM AFRAID THE TRUCK IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.

STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF OVER A PERIOD OF A ABOUT 3 WEEKS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RETURN TO CENTER ON ITS OWN MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET TURNED UP HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. IN SOME CASES PEOPLE'S STEERING LOCKED UP ENTIRELY. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT IS UNPROTECTED AND SUBJECT TO CORROSION. MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT A DEALERSHIP FOR FOUR SAFETY RECALLS, ONE OF WHICH REQUIRES THE WHOLE FRAME TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. I WILL NOT GET THE TRUCK BACK FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS DUE TO A BACKLOG OF PARTS. THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH IN TWO PLACES AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THAT CONDITION. I REQUESTED THAT THE STEERING ISSUE BE LOOKED INTO WHILE IT IS IN THE SHOP AND EVERYTHING IS APART. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE STEERING ISSUE, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM MAY WARRANT LOOKING INTO. IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE FRAME CORROSION ISSUE, FOR WHICH THERE IS A RECALL.

A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN NOTIFIED ME OF POSSIBLE FRAME RUST PROBLEM. RECEIVED CRC COATING 9/10/2014. NOTICED RUST HAD ADVANCED THROUGH THE FRAME AND NOTIFIED DEALER. DEALER CHECKED DAMAGE 3/21/16 AND GAVE ME A TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER. TOYOTA SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE I RECEIVED THE CRC COATING, WHICH WAS POORLY APPLIED. (SEE PICTURES OF OVERSPRAY ON BED, INDICATING IT HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED TO SPRAY THE WHOLE FRAME) PUNISHED FOR BEING PROACTIVE. STUCK WITH A RUSTY FRAME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V604000 (SUSPENSION) AND 13V337000 (SEAT BELT) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIRS WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

I FIRST RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE NHTSA OCTOBER 2014. I CALLED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY INFORMED WHEN THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE THEY WILL REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART (LEAF SPRINGS). I CALLED A MONTH LATER AND RECEIVED THE SAME STORY. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL CALL ME WHEN THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSTALL. I WAITED AN ADDITIONAL TWO MONTHS BEFORE CALLING AGAIN AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME STORY. AT THE ONE YEAR MARK UPON RECEIVING THIS FIRST NOTICE I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED THE STATUS OF THIS RECALL. I WAS GIVEN THE SAME STORY, AS THE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE THEY WILL CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW THEY ARE READY TO INSTALL THEM ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE SINCE CALLED THEM MONTHLY AND RECEIVED THE SAME STORY OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT APPEARS TOYOTA DOES NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM THEY CREATED.

THE TOYOTA DEALER IN CONCORD, NH INSPECTED MY 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA ON MARCH 17, 2016. THEY REPORTED THAT THE FRAME IS CORRODED AND THAT THERE IS A PERFORATION INSIDE THE FRAME BY THE FRONT BODY MOUNT. THEY SUGGESTED I CALLED TOYOTA. THREE PHONE CALLS TO TOYOTA. THEY ARE AWARE OF FRAME CORROSION ISSUES, BUT REFUSED TO CORRECT THIS, BECAUSE "THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM NO LONGER APPLIES." CLEARLY THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL, YET REFUSES TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE THAT IS A SAFETY RISK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, OVER TIME, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY LOOSE. THE CONTACT HAD TO STEER THE VEHICLE IN EXCESS TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN POSITION. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.