2008 Toyota Tacoma

IN AUGUST, 2014, TOYOTA ISSUED A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN AS IT RELATED TO CORROSION-RESISTANT COMPOUND APPLICATION FOR 2005 THROUGH 2008 MODEL YEAR TACOMA VEHICLES. CO-INCIDENTALLY, WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF NOTICE MY 2008 TACOMA HAD TWO COMPONENTS THAT HAVE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. THESE COMPONENTS ARE LOCATED NEXT TO THE FRAME THAT TOYOTA HAS STATED AS HAVING CORROSION ISSUES. THE TWO COMPONENTS THAT HAVE FAILED DUE TO BEING ROTTED OUT AS DESCRIBED BY MY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1)POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION AND 2)THE FREON SUCTION LINE TO THE AIR CONDITIONER. I CONTACTED TOYOTA MOTOR SALES ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER FOR ANY OF THE REPAIRS. I WAS INFORMED WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS BEING SOLD A VEHICLE THAT WOULD LAST FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES WITH NO MAJOR ISSUES. TOYOTA MOTOR SALES HAS KNOWN FOR OVER A DECADE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING CORROSION ISSUES, BUT TO DATE THEY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE TACOMA VEHICLES WITH SEVERE CORROSION ISSUES RELATED TO THEIR FRAMES AND THE COMPONENTS THAT LIE NEXT TO THE FRAME. TOYOTA MOTOR SALES INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A QUALITY ISSUE WITH ONE OF THEIR MEXICO PLANTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V092000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER DID NOT PROVIDE A SPECIFIC DATE AS TO WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A REPAIR FACILITY FOR BRAKES AND WHEN IT WAS PUT UP ON THE LIFT THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT ONE OF THE LEAF SPRINGS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE HAD SNAPPED - THE SNAPPED SPRING WAS ABLE TO MOVE BOTH BACK AND FORTH AS WELL AS TO PROTRUDE SIDEWAYS. I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND THE SPRINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I PAID FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SPRINGS. RECENTLY I RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT THE COMPANY IS RECALLING ALL LIKE VEHICLES TO ADD CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIALS TO THE FRAME. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE COMPANY THEY DENIED THE TWO INCIDENTS WERE SIMILAR AND TOOK UMBRAGE THAT I WOULD SUGGEST SUCH. NO ONE I HAVE SPOKEN TO HAS EVER SEEN SPRINGS BREAK IN THIS MANNER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN USED TO TOW HEAVY OBJECTS NOR TAKEN OFF ROAD SO THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHERS MAY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND NOT FIND IT UNTIL AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR UPDATED 12/07/15. *JB

ON THE DAY OF JULY 9TH 2014 I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN A DIRT ROAD HILL. ONCE REACHING THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL MY STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY SEPARATED ITSELF FROM THE DASH BOARD COMPLETELY, CAUSING A TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP IN A SAFE DISTANCE AND AVOIDED IMPACT WITH ANY OBSTACLES. THIS EXPERIENCE LEFT ME WONDERING ABOUT THE INTEGRITY,SAFETY, AND TRUST I HAD IN MY VEHICLE WHICH HAS NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT FROM TO HAVE AN INSPECTION ON THE DAMAGE AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERN FOR WHAT HAPPENED. AFTERWARDS I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER OF MY VEHICLE AND EXPRESSED WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AND THAT I WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IN CONCLUSION, AFTER THE MANUFACTURER SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HAPPENED. THEY FEEL IT IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY FOR THIS COMPONENT TO FAIL ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER THAT THREATENS MY LIFE AND MY FAMILIES LIVES. I FEEL THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND MAY BE A DESIGN ISSUE FOR MY VEHICLE AND ANYONE ELSE WHO OWNS THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE REAR LEAF SPRING RUSTED AND A SECTION OF THE CENTER SPRING WAS BANGING OFF THE BRAKE LINE. I HAD THE SPRING REPLACED 2 WEEKS LATER ONCE THE PART ARRIVED AT THE DEALER AT MY COST. NOW IN JUNE 2014 THE PASSENGER SIDE LEAF SPRING ALSO RUSTED AND WAS BANGING OFF THE BRAKE LINE. IT HAS BEEN 5 WEEKS AND THE PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. I HAVE TIED THE SPRING TOGETHER WITH BUNGEE CORDS IN ORDER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY THING HOLDING A LARGE PIECE OF METAL FROM BREAKING LOOSE IN BOTH INSTANCES WAS A BRACKET. IF THE METAL CAME OFF ON THE HIGHWAY A SERIOUS INJURY OR ACCIDENT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. TOYOTA ISSUED A RUST RECALL FOR THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE BUT NOT THE LEAF SPRINGS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE DEALERSHIP, AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA. THE DEALERSHIP NOW TOLD ME TOYOTA HAS CHANGED THE SPRING DESIGN AND I SHOULD HAVE BOTH SPRINGS REPLACED AT MY COST. I FEEL AS WELL AS A SAFETY ISSUE, IF THE DESIGN WAS CHANGED, TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANGING THEM OUT....UPDATED 08/12/14 *BF *TR UPDATED 08/23/2017*CT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACTS STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,125.

WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE TRUCK SURGE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TRUCK SURGE TWO TO THREE TIMES AFTER THAT. TOYOTA FIX THE SURGE ISSUE AND AT THE SAME TIME CREATED ANOTHER SAFETY PROBLEM / DEFECT. NOW WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS PETAL TO MUCH OR GIVE THE TRUCK TO MUCH GAS AT ONE TIME THE TRUCK THINKS IT IS SURGING AND THE TRUCK WILL SHUT DOWN . IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTH I HAVE HAD THREE CLOSE CALL FROM THIS DEFECT / PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE TOYOTA DEALER SHIP (HILO HAWAII) TOLD ME NOT TO PUNCH THE GAS OR STEP ON THE GAS TO HARD OR THE TRUCK WILL SHUT DOWN (HE WAS RIGHT). I EXPRESS MY CONCERN THIS WAS ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE, HE REPLIED THIS WAS TOYOTA SOLUTION TO THE SURGE PROBLEM. I ONLY DRIVE MY TRUCK WHEN NEEDED AND DON'T ALLOW ANY PASSENGER IN FEAR OF HAVING ANOTHER ACCIDENT. PLEASE HELP. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD A KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD. TOOK IT INTO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. AT FIRST IT WAS JUST THE CAM THAT HAD BROKEN ON THE LEFT SIDE. AND THEY WERE CHARGING $6,000 A WEEK LATER THEY CALLED AND SAID THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE OVERHAULED AND IT WOULD COST $12,000. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND THEY WOULD CONTACT TOYOTA FOR HELP. TOYOTA IS STATING SINCE I DO MY OWN OIL CHANGES THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP ME AND THAT IT HASN'T HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE SO I AM OUT OF LUCK. *TR