2005 Toyota Tacoma

DUE TO A FAULTY PAINT OR MANUFACTURING PROCESS MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE PAINT CHIPPING, NOT CAUSED BY EXTERNAL FORCES. THE MANUFACTURER'S LOCAL DEALER AS WELL AS LOCAL REPUTABLE BODY SHOPS, ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WITHOUT RESOLUTION. WHILE RESEARCHING MY PARTICULAR SITUATION, I CAME ACROSS NUMEROUS WRITE UPS OF OTHER CONSUMERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA ACCESS CAB. I GOT A "LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN NOTICE" THAT MY TRUCK MIGHT HAVE ABNORMAL RUST ON THE FRAME. I PUT IT ON A LIFT AND BEHOLD THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE IN MY FRAME MAKING IT NOT DRIVABLE. APPARENTLY TOYOTA IS NOT BEING UP FRONT WITH ITS CUSTOMERS AND HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT IN THE 2005-2011 MODEL YEARS. MY DEALER SAID A NEW FRAME WILL COST AROUND $14,000 TO REPLACE. THEY SAID TOYOTA WOULD PAY FOR THE FRAME BUT WILL NOT BUY BACK THE TRUCK. I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ARE WILLING TO SPEND $14,000 ON A FRAME ON A TRUCK THAT IS WORTH $15,000 I HAVE HEARD FROM DEALERS THAT THE FRAMES ARE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND ARE AT LEAST 3 MONTHS OUT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE 2005-2011 TACOMA CLAIMS. I THINK A FULL RECALL IS DUE. MY TRUCK COULD OF KILLED SOMEONE. I AM SURE THERE IS A LOT OF TICKING TIME BOMBS OUT THERE. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD DEVELOPED SEVERE CORROSION AND A HOLE NEAR THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. THE CONTACT WHO WAS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 194,000. PAM

MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND PUT THE GEAR IN DRIVE TO MOVE IT FORWARD. AS SOON AS I DROPPED IT INTO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD WITH THE THROTTLE APPEARING TO BE WIDE OPEN. I HAD MY FEET FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING, THE BACK WHEELS STARTED TO SLIP AND "CHIRP" SINCE THE REAR END IS LIGHT. WITH THE ACCELERATOR STILL WIDE OPEN, I PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND WATCHED AS THE RPM'S SHOT OVER 4000. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE ACCELERATOR SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DISENGAGING, SO I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND PUT THE GEAR IN PARK. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, SO I AM ALWAYS READY IN CASE IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I MUST CONSTANTLY DRIVE WITH ONE HAND ON THE GEAR SHIFT, READY TO PUSH IT INTO NEUTRAL AT THE FIRST SIGNS OF THIS SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST YEAR. TOYOTA CONTINUES TO CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, THAT I AM ACCIDENTLY HITTING THE GAS PEDAL MYSELF. *TR

MY TRUCK FRAME HAS AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF RUST AND A PERFORATING RUST ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT OF THE FRAME APPROXIMATELY 7X6 INCHES OF FRAME THAT HAS JUST CRACKED AWAY WITH RUST, I AM SURE MY TRUCK WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION THIS YEAR. UNDER TOYOTA'S LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN MY TRUCK SHOULD QUALIFY FOR REPAIRS BUT TOYOTA CORPORATE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE MY TRUCK AS NEEDING REPAIR BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER. *TR

THE TAILGATE OF THE VEHICLE LACKS THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY TO SERVE ITS INTENDED PURPOSE. SINCE THE TAILGATE IS DESIGNED TO BE OPENED TO A FLAT POSITION FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING ITEM(S) PLACED IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK IT WILL CERTAINLY REQUIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STRENGTH FOR THIS PURPOSE. I NOTICED THAT MY TAIL GATE WAS NO LONGER STRAIGHT ACROSS WHEN IN THE CLOSE POSITION BUT HAD A CONCAVE APPEARANCE. I WORRIED THAT THE TAIL GATE MAY COME UNLATCHED WHILE IN THE UP POSITION OR WORSE BY COLLAPSING BY FOLDING IN THE MIDDLE IF USING IT TO CARRY A PARTIAL LOAD. I LOAD MY 4-WHEELER IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AT TIMES AND DUE TO THE SHORT BED HAVE TO LEAVE THE REAR TIRES RESTING ON THE TAIL GATE. THE WEIGHT, ALTHOUGH NOT EXCESSIVE, SEEMED TO POSSIBLY BE THE CAUSE OF THE DISTRESS ON THE TAILGATE. I REMOVED THE INTERIOR COVER AS WELL AS THE TOP TAILGATE COVER FOR INSPECTION. MY INSPECTION DID REVEAL TWO CREASES IN THE TAILGATE TOP SECTION (WHEN IN THE CLOSE POSITION) ABOUT 18" FROM THE RIGHT TOP AND THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE LEFT TOP SIDE. I CALLED TOYOTA TO SEE IF ANY POSSIBLE RECALL WAS IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SUCH RECALL. I ASKED IF THEY RECOMMENDED ANY REMEDY FOR THE CONDITION THAT I DESCRIBED AND THEY SUGGESTED A COMPANY THAT DOES AFTERMARKET TRUCK MODIFICATIONS. IF THIS TAILGATE ISN'T DESIGNED TO CARRY A LOAD THAN A PERMANENT WARNING SIGN SHOULD BE CLEARLY VIEWED FROM THE TAILGATE POSITION AT OR NEAR THE HANDLE OR THE FLAT SURFACE WHEN THE TAILGATE IS LOWERED. SINCE IT IS APPARENT THAT AT TIMES A LOAD WILL TRAVEL ACROSS THE TAIL GATE MOVING INTO THE BED CAVITY OR BE REQUIRED TO REST ON THE TAILGATE, IT SHOULD MEET ALL LOAD REQUIREMENT THAT COULD BE REASONABLY ANTICIPATED. *TR

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