2008 Toyota Tacoma

WHILE STOPPED YESTERDAY WAITING ON AN AUTOMATIC GATE TO OPEN. TRUCK WAS IN DRIVE, FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS NORMAL. WITHOUT MOVING, TRUCK ACCELERATED ON ITS ON LUNGING FORWARD, BACK TIRES SCREECHING AS I APPLIED MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE. HAD ENOUGH SENSE TO THROW INTO NEUTRAL TO MAKE IT STOP. ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV EVEN AFTER PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL BUT QUICKLY RETURNED BACK TO NORMAL. FORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T RUN INTO THE GATE BUT WOULD HAVE HAD I NOT OF PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. I HAVE CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHICH ARE SUPPOSE TO LOOK AT IT TOMORROW. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD BRING IN A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TOYOTA TO ASSESS THE SITUATION.

TACOMA LEAF SPRINGS BROKEN AND NOT SUPPORTING VEHICLE. DAMAGED AND REPLACED SHOCKS AND ALIGNMENT. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE DUE TO RECALL AND POSSIBLE PUNCTURE OF FUEL TANK DUE TO DEFECTIVE LEAF SPRINGS AND CAN ALSO SEVER THE BRAKE LINES. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF VOLUNTARY RECALL BUT HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE LEAF SPRINGS EVEN AFTER ADMITTING THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT SUPPORTED AS REQUIRED BY LEAF SPRINGS AND THAT THE SHOCKS WERE OVERUSED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE AND WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE LACK OF SUPPORT. NEW SHOCKS AND EVERYTHING EXCEPT LEAF SPRINGS INSTALLED YET TACOMA STILL BOTTOMS OUT DUE TO LACK OF PROPER LEAF SPRINGS EVEN WITH NEW EQUIPMENT INSTALLED. TOYOTA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED FIRST REQUEST AND SECOND FILED ON 8/4/2015 WITH CASE NUMBER 1508031434 ASSIGNED. LEVEL TWO AGENT PETER AGAIN REFUSED TO REPLACE KNOW DEFECTIVE PARTS OR HONOR RECALL AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE AVAILABLE AT BOTH RIVERVIEW TOYOTA. AND EARNHARDT TOYOTA, BOTH IN MESA ARIZONA. BOTH DEALERSHIPS INFORMED ME THAT THEY ARE DIRECTED BY THE CORPORATE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER TO NOT REPLACE ANY RECALL ITEMS WITHOUT FIRST GETTING APPROVAL REGARDLESS OF THE KNOWN DANGERS TO BOTH PERSON AND PROPERTY, OR THAT THE PART IS BROKEN AND DOES NOT PERFORM TO ACTIONS OF IT'S DESIGN. TOYOTA HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE DAMAGES, SAFETY CONCERNS, AS WELL AS LOST TIME AND COSTS ($993.41IN SERVICE REPAIRS PLUS 5 LOST USE/WORK DAYS TO DATE), YET HAS REFUSED TO HONOR OR ABIDE BY THE REQUIREMENTS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT.

FIRST NOTICED THE STEERING "TIGHTNESS" SHORTLY AFTER THE UNDERCOATING RECALL. VERY SPORADIC IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE SO I THOUGHT IT MAY BE A PARTICULAR STRETCH OF ROAD I REPEATEDLY COMMUTE ON. NOT THE CASE. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER WATERGATE. FIRST A RECALL FOR A CORD RUNNING THROUGH THE STEERING COLUMN, THE A RUSTED FRAME RECALL. FESS UP TOYOTA, YOU MANUFACTURED ANOTHER SUB PAR VEHICLE, GREAT ENGINEERING. HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WILL LISTEN TO THE CONSUMER BEFORE THIS PROBLEM CAUSES ANY TRAGEDIES. THIS TRUCK IS NOW 8 YEARS OLD WITH 70000 MILES AND IN GREAT SHAPE EXCEPT FOR MAUNFACTURING DEFECTS NOT SURE IF THIS CASE IS THE STEERING COLUMS SEPERATION FROM THE DASHBOARD (STEERING COLUMN RECALL???) OR THE EXPOSED STEERING SHAFT RUSTING AND BINDING UP (RUSTPROOFING RECALL???) OR THE POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION BEING ROTTED OUT I WILL CALL MY TOYOTA DEALER AND SEE WHAT THE REPAIR IS AND THE COST OF THE REPAIR FOLLOWING THAT I WILL FORWARD THIS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, AND MY LOCAL GOVERMENT OFFICIALS

TRUCK WONT START, REPLACE AND PURCHASE BATTERY AND WARRANTY WITH NON STOCK BATTERY TWO TIMES. SENT THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER TO REPLICATE THE SITUATION, BOTH INSTANCES GAVE THE TRUCK CLEAN SLATE. ON THE SECOND TIME, DEALER REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR DUE TO LOWER THAN 14 AMPS AND REPLACE THE BATTERY THE THIRD TIME. AFTER THREE WEEKS, THE TRUCK WONT START AGAIN, AND SENT THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER TO REPLICATE THE SITUATION. AGAIN THE TRUCK WAS GIVEN A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH. THE DEALER KEEP SHOWING ME TAPE RESULT OF TEST ON THE BATTERY, ACCEPTING THE CHARGE, THE ALTERNATOR AND CHARGING AMPS OUTPUT. THE DEALER ELIMINATED ANY PARASITIC DEVICE THAT EATS MORE POWER OR WAKES UP WHEN A DEVICE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE SLEEPING. I NEED HELP.

WE OWN A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION LATE OCTOBER 2014, THAT ONE OF THE LEAF SPRINGS WAS BROKEN ON THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT BOTH LEAF SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. FITZGERALD TOYOTA - WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SAID THAT THE LEAF SPRINGS WERE BEING 'RECALLED'. WE RECEIVED OUR NOTICE OF A RECALL FROM TOYOTA MID TO LATE NOVEMBER 2014. I HAVE CALLED FITZGERALD TOYOTA SEVERAL TIMES, AND ALSO HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH PERSONNEL FROM TOYOTA IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, INFORMING THEM OF OUR SITUATION - BEING BOTH LEAF SPRINGS BROKEN/NOT FUNCTIONAL. IN FEBRUARY OF 2015, I TALKED WITH THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TOYOTA ASKING WHEN THE LEAF SPRINGS WOULD BE AVAILABLE, AS WE ARE FEARFUL OF IT DOING MORE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO FIX THEM PROBLEM, HOWEVER, TO DATE - APRIL 2015...NO LEAF SPRINGS ARE AVAILABLE. CALIFORNIA CALLED FITZGERALD TOYOTA TO HAVE THEM DO A SHORT TERM REMEDY BY PLACING AN 'OLD SET' OF LEAF SPRINGS ON THE TRUCK, AND WHEN THE REMEDIED SPRINGS WERE AVAILABLE, THEY COULD BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO OLD OR NEW LEAF SPRINGS ANYWHERE!!!! THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX OUR PROBLEM!!!! PENNSYLVANIA LAW REQUIRES MOTOR VEHICLES TO PASS INSPECTION YEARLY...OUR VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION...WHAT ARE WE TO DO?? THIS ISN'T OUR FAULT, IT'S TOYOTA'S PROBLEM, WITH NO REMEDY. WHEN OUR TRUCK DOESN'T PASS INSPECTION, WHAT ARE WE TO DO??? IT IS COMING ON 5 MONTHS, AND I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA STARTED TO LOOK INTO THE RECALL IN SEPTEMBER 2014. HOW LONG SHOULD A CONSUMER WAIT?? THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THERE ARE LOCAL COMPANIES THAT MAKE LEAF SPRINGS...WHY ISN'T TOYOTA DOING ALL THAT THEY CAN DO TO REMEDY THE SITUATION?? WE HAVE EVEN CHECK JUNK AND SALVAGE YARDS - TO NO AVAIL. PLEASE MAKE A DEMAND ON TOYOTA THAT THEY REMEDY THE SITUATION ASAP. *TR

I NOTICED EXCESSIVE RUST FORMING IN INNER WHEEL HOUSING NEAR BOLTS HOLDING WHEEL SPRINGS. LOOKING FURTHER SHOWED EXCESSIVE RUST FORMING ON OTHER SHEET METAL WHICH WAS PROTECTED FROM THE WEATHER. I DID NOTHING UNTIL I RECEIVED THE RECALL ABOUT RUST PROBLEMS ON THE TRUCK FRAME. WHEN I SPOKE TO TOYOTA ABOUT THE SHEET METAL RUST, THEY REFUSED TO CONSIDER IT SAYING THE RECALL ONLY COVERED THE FRAME. A CALL TO NATIONAL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE GOT THE SAME RESPONSE. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA'S PROBLEM WITH APPLYING RUST PREVENTION IS MORE EXTENSIVE THAN JUST THE FRAME AND AFFECTS NEARLY ALL OF THE SHEET METAL ON THE TRUCK. FAILURE TO ADDRESS THIS SHEET METAL RUST COULD LEAD TO POTENTIAL HANDLING AND STEERING PROBLEMS SHOULD THE RUSTED AREAS BREAKAWAY. *TR

REFERENCING MY 2008 4.0L SIX-CYLINDER TOYOTA TACOMA WITH DEMAND 4X4, 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND TRD SPORT PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES A LIMITED SLIP REAR DIFFERENTIAL, I EXPERIENCED AN UNANTICIPATED UNEXPLAINABLE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. NOTE THAT THE TRUCK DOES NOT HAVE A USER CONTROLLABLE TORQUE LIMITING OR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOWLY TRAVERSE A GRASSY SURFACE WHILE IN TWO-WHEEL DRIVE THE VEHICLE INVOLUNTARILY CAME TO A STANDSTILL. THE ENGINE HAD LOST POWER AND THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO MOVE. THE REAR WHEELS DID NOT SUFFER ANY LOSS OF TRACTION IN OTHER WORDS THEY DID NOT LOSE TRACTION AND SPIN AND COULD NOT BE MADE TO SPIN. APPLYING FULL THROTTLE DID NOT HELP; ALTHOUGH NOT MISFIRING WHILE RUNNING SMOOTHLY, THE ENGINE LACKED MEANINGFUL POWER AND WOULD NOT GAIN ANY SIGNIFICANT RPMS UNDER ANY THROTTLE POSITION. THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL GAUGE READINGS OR INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT WORKING THE TRUCK FREE BY GOING FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE I WAS ABLE TO MOVE IT ONTO PAVEMENT BUT, WHILE ON THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT A GROSS LOSS OF POWER AND HAD DIFFICULTY ATTAINING EVEN 40 MPH. AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THE FAULT EVENTUALLY CLEARED AND THE ENGINE RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL ENERGETIC SELF. BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE RETURNED TO NORMAL (AND IT WAS SUNDAY) IT WAS NOT TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. ON ARRIVING AT MY DESTINATION, I CONNECTED A OBD2 DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO THE VEHICLE BUT NO TROUBLE CODE WAS INDICATED. (THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF WATER IN THE VEHICLE'S GASOLINE AND THE GASOLINE WAS FRESH AND OF PROPER OCTANE; THE ENGINE OR IGNITION SYSTEM WERE NOT WET. NO POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THE POWER LOSS WERE OBSERVED.) AN UNEXPLAINED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IN A MOVING VEHICLE CAN PROVE DISASTROUS IF NOT DANGEROUS. ATTEMPTS AT CONTACTING TOYOTA IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY A CAUSE AND REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM HAVE PROVEN FUTILE. *TR