2005 Toyota Tacoma

I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO KOONS TOYOTA ON SATURDAY, AUG 2ND FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER CONTACTED ME AND ADVISED THE VEHICLE HAD A FRAME CONDITION THAT MADE IT TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. WHEN I GOT THERE THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE LIFT AND THE FRAME HAD EXTREME RUST AND A LARGE HOLE IN IT AND THE EXACT SAME HOLE WAS DEVELOPING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND FILED A COMPLAINT AND RECEIVED THIS RESPONSE FROM THEM: [XXX], WE APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR CONCERN WITH THE FRAME ON YOUR 2005 TACOMA. AT THIS TIME, YOUR TACOMA IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY RECALLS OR WARRANTY ENHANCEMENTS FOR THE FRAME. UNTIL A RECALL OR WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT IS ANNOUNCED FOR YOUR TACOMA, THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO AT THIS TIME. YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED AT OUR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS UNDER FILE #1408052561. IF WE CAN BE OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WITHIN A YEAR OF PURCHASE, THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS BECAME SOFT AND THE TRUCK BOTTOMED OUT ON BUMPS. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER (HADDADS, PITTSFIELD, MA) AND THEY REFUSED TO SERVICE IT CLAIMING NOTHING WAS WRONG. I LATER TOOK IT TO A SPRINGFIELD DEALERSHIP AND RECEIVED THE SAME ANSWER. I THEN TOOK IT TO SUPERIOR SPRING IN PITTSFIELD. THEY FOUND BOTH SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY, CLAIMING I HAD OVER LOADED THE TRUCK. I HAD NOT EVER CARRIED MORE THAN A FEW HUNDRED LBS IN THE BED OF THIS 1/2 TON TRUCK. I HAVE OWNED THE TRUCK SINCE NEW AND BEEN THE SOLE OPERATOR. A FEW WEEKS AGO THE STEERING BECAME STICKY. MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT AT A COST OF $400. HE STATED THAT TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE VEHICLE FOR THIS BECAUSE HE SEES THIS PART FAIL OFTEN DUE TO POOR CONSTRUCTION. ALSO, THE FRAME ON THIS TRUCK HAS SIGNIFICANT RUST ALREADY AND DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT WILL OUTLAST THE BODY AND DRIVE TRAIN. I'M NOT PLEASED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CLUTCH FAILED TO SHIFT AND CAUSED AN ABNORMAL ODOR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUTCH, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

I TOOK MY 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA ACCESS CAB 4X4 IN FOR SERVICE WHEN I WAS TOLD BY THE THAT I HAD TWO RUST HOLES IN MY FRAME NEAR THE FRONT SUSPENSION ON BOTH SIDES. ONE IS APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH ROUND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, THE OTHER IS APPROX. 4 INCHES ROUND ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK MAINTAINED BY THE SAME DEALERSHIP SINCE WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS NONE OF THE WORK I HAVE HAD DONE AND THAT INCLUDES ASKING HOW THE FRAME IS DOING AS TOYOTA HAS A HISTORY OF RUST ISSUES WITH THESE TRUCKS. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND OPENED A CASE WITH THEM. THEY DID COME OUT WITH A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN (LSC - E0D TO ADDRESS THIS KNOWN RUST ISSUE FOR CERTAIN TRUCK IN 20 NORTHERN STATES. AFTER FOLLOWING UP, I WAS TOLD YES TOYOTA KNOWS I HAVE THE ISSUE BUT MY VIN ISN'T PART OF THE LSC. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT A DEALERSHIP AND THE FRAME COULD BE FIXED AS LONG AS I PAID FOR IT. I HAVE CONTACTED SEVERAL LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS AND THEY ALL TELL ME THEY DON'T FIX FRAMES WITH THIS ISSUE. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 72K ON IT AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN ON THE BEACH OR TAKEN OFF ROAD. I USE THE TRUCK TO GET TO WORK IN SNOW STORMS AND WEEKEND PROJECTS. I ALWAYS GET THE TRUCK WASHED AS I KNOW HOW BAD SALT CAN DAMAGE A VEHICLE. I FIND IT AMAZING THAT THERE IS A LSC BUT TOYOTA IS UNABLE TO TELL ME HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE BEING FIXED UNDER IT AND THEY ARE ALSO UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN GETTING THE ISSUE FIXED OR THAT REFERRING ME TO LOCAL DEALERSHIPS ISN'T HELPING AT ALL SINCE THEY DON'T FIX THIS ISSUE.. I ALSO FIND IT SUSPECT THAT UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE WORK WAS COPIED TO MY TOYOTA ACCOUNT BUT NOTHING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. I HAVE MY RECEIPTS BUT AGAIN IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO TOYOTA. IF NOTHING ELSE I AM GOING ON RECORD AS I HAVE SEARCHED SEVERAL WEBSITES DEDICATED TO 2005 - 2008 TACOMA TRUCKS AND THIS IS A VERY HEAVILY REPORTED ISSUE. *TR

TOYOTA HAS RECEIVED REPORTS THAT CERTAIN 2005-2008 MODEL YEAR TACOMA VEHICLES OPERATED IN SPECIFIC COLD CLIMATE AREAS (COLD CLIMATE STATES) WITH HIGH ROAD SALT USAGE MAY EXHIBIT MORE-THAN-NORMAL CORROSION TO THE VEHICLE'S FRAME. TOYOTA INVESTIGATED THESE REPORTS AND DETERMINED THAT THE FRAMES IN SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE CORROSION-RESISTANT PROTECTION SUFFICIENT FOR USE IN THESE AREAS. THIS COMBINED WITH PROLOGED EXPOSURE TO ROAD SALTS AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE-THAN-NORMAL RUST IN THE FRAME OF SOME VEHICLES. THIS CONDITION IS UNRELATED TO AND SEPARATE FROM NORMAL SURFACE RUST WHICH IS COMMONLY FOUND ON METALLIC SURFACES AFTER SOME YEARS OF USAGE AND/OR EXPOSURE TO THE ENVIRONMENT. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN, BUT ONLY IN SELECTED STATES. MY VIN# FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE ON THE LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN, BUT MY STATE IS TBD ACCORDING TO TOYOTA. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND IS REFUSING TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE. MY TRUCK WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND IS CURRENTLY SITTING UNLICENSED. *TR

THE SUN VISORS, FIRST ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, THEN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, MADE A CRUNCHING SOUND WHEN PULLED DOWN TO BLOCK THE SUN AND, AFTERWARD, WOULD NOT HOLD ITSELF IN ITS UPWARD POSITION. AT FIRST, IT WAS MERELY ANNOYING, SINCE IT DIDN'T BLOCK MUCH OF MY VIEW OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD, BUT WITHIN A MONTH IT WOULD NOT HOLD ITSELF UP AT ALL, WHICH BLOCKED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MY FORWARD VIEW OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE 2 LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS WERE NOT INTERESTED IN REPLACING THEM, AS MY TACOMA HAD 50,000 MILES ON IT (STANDARD WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000). I EVENTUALLY REMOVED BOTH SUN VISORS, SINCE IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THEM BLOCKING 50% OR MORE OF MY FORWARD VIEW. REPLACEMENTS FROM TOYOTA COST $100 EACH, I DID NOT REPLACE THEM, MAINLY BECAUSE THEY WERE OF THE SAME DESIGN AND I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THEY WOULD LAST ANY LONGER. I DISASSEMBLED (DESTRUCTIVELY IS THE ONLY WAY TO DO SO) ONE OF THE BROKEN VISORS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE VISOR PIVOTS ON A SHORT METAL SHAFT. ON THIS SHAFT IS A, ROUGHLY, C-SHAPED METAL CLIP INSIDE A PLASTIC HOUSING. THE CLIP APPEARS TO HOLD THE TENSION NECESSARY TO KEEP THE VISOR IN PLACE. THE PLASTIC HOUSING, IN TURN, CONNECTS THE METAL CLIP TO THE REST OF THE VISOR. HOWEVER, THE PLASTIC HOUSING AROUND THE CLIP WAS BROKEN, ALLOWING THE CLIP TO ROTATE WITHIN AND THE VISOR TO DROOP. THERE IS NO FIX TO REPAIR THIS PLASTIC HOUSING AS THE FABRIC TRIM HAS TO BE REMOVED TO ACCESS IT. REPLACEMENT OF THE VISOR ASSEMBLY IS THE ONLY OPTION. *TR

MY TACOMA WAS APPROXIMATELY FOUR YEARS OLD WITH LESS THEN 50,000 MILES WHEN THE STEERING BEGAN TO LOCK UP UPON MAKING A TURN. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND OTHER TACOMA OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE QUICK SOLUTION WAS TO SPRAY LUBRICATING OIL OR PUT GREASE ON THE INTERMEDIATE NO.2 STEERING SHAFT AT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT - WHICH I DID REPEATEDLY UNTIL NOW. THE STEERING ONLY DEGRADED OVER TIME. THE WHEEL BECAME VERY SLOPPING FROM FAILURE OF THE UNIVERSAL JOINT THAT I HAD TO REPLACED IT LAST WEEK AT 95,000 MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS SHAFT IN THE COLD CLIMATES WHERE ROAD SALT HAS BEEN USED ALONG WITH THE ROTTING FRAME ISSUES. *TR

THE FRAME OF MY 2005 TACOMA HAS DEVELOPED A HOLE. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE MARCH OF 2013, AND HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT TO THE DEALER SINCE A MONTH AFTER BUYING IT. THE METAL IS FLAKING OFF ALL OVER THE FRAME AND TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN, BUT THEY ARE CLAIMING THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY MOVE THE CAMPAIGN TO MY AREA. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. BUT I HAVE TO, AND WILL NOT EVEN LET MY FAMILY IN IT ANYMORE. I HAVE 4 YEARS OF PAYMENTS AND A TRUCK THAT IS WASTING AWAY. PLEASE HELP PUSH TOYOTA TO MOVE THIS CAMPAIGN ALONG AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, OR MAKE IT A FULL RECALL. *TR