2008 Toyota Tacoma

RAIN WATER/DROPS ON DOOR WINDOW AND MIRROR GLASS (ALSO CONDENSATION ON MIRROR GLASS) ACCUMULATES AND DOES NOT CLEAR OFF (IT JUST SITS THERE) WHEN DRIVING; THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY AIR MOVEMENT ACROSS THE GLASS TO MOVE THE WATER/DROPLETS. THE REDUCED VISIBILITY TO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE MIRROR MAKES FOR A VERY REAL HAZARD WHEN TRYING TO MERGE OR CHANGE TRAFFIC LANES. THIS IS ONLY AN ISSUE DURING NON-DAYLIGHT HOURS WHEN THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAYS AND TO PROVIDE EASIER VISIBILITY TO THE SIDE MIRROR.. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA IN SEPTEMBER 2008. THE VEHICLE HAD RIGHT AT 3000 MILES WHEN THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. ON DECEMBER 19TH, 2008 I WAS ON THE WAY TO WORK WHEN MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND LOST CONTROL, CAUSING ME TO ROLLOVER. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ACCELERATING AFTER THE ROLLOVER AND I HAD TO JERK THE GEAR SHIFT INTO PARK TO GET IT TO STOP. AT THAT TIME THE VEHICLE MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND BEGAN TO SMOKE. *TR

WAS IN LINE AT"STARBUCKS" DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW HAD SUDDEN ACCELERATION EVENTS 2 TIMES IN A ROW. ACCELERATION WAS AT HIGH RPM AND LEFT RUBBER BURN MARKS ON "STARBUCKS" DRIVEWAY. I STEPPED ON BRAKE FULLY FOR BOTH EVENTS. I STOPPED THE ENGINE WITH IGNITION KEY FOR BOTH ACCELERATION EVENTS. THE THIRD TIME I STARTED THE ENGINE IT RETURNED TO NORMAL SLOW RPM. WENT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR. THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING. SAID THEY COULD LOOK AT THE TRUCK BUT IF IT DID NOT HAPPEN FOR THEM I WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THEIR TIME. *TR

DRIVING MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER (ODOMETER 12226). RETURNED FROM SHORT TRIP TO VISIT FRIEND (APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES AWAY). TURNED TO PULL INTO DOUBLE GARAGE. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IN LOWER GEAR 2 OR 3. BRAKED APPROPRIATELY TO STOP IN GARAGE. STARTED TO SHIFT TOWARDS PARK. ENGINE REV'D UP TO VERY HIGH RPM. REAR TIRES STARTED SPINNING FORWARD. VEHICLE STARTED MOVING FORWARD AGAINST BRAKES. APPLIED HEAVY BRAKES. ENGINE WAS STILL RACING. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD, IMPACTING STORAGE CABINETS AGAINST WALL. ALL THIS OCCURRED IN 2-3 SECONDS. NO TIME TO REACT. RELATIVELY SLOW IMPACT (DUE TO BRAKES). FINALLY SHUT OFF ENGINE WITH KEY, BUT TOO LATE. . DAMAGE TO GARAGE WALL AND FRONT OF VEHICLE. NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. RESTARTED ENGINE LATER, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM IN DRIVEWAY. HAD VEHICLE CHECKED BY NEAREST DEALER NEXT DAY. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. THEY HAD HEARD OF VERY FEW SIMILAR PROBLEMS. TECHNICIAN SAID ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STICKING SLIGHTLY... DEPENDING ON WHERE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED ON PEDAL. THIS WAS NOT LIKELY CAUSE BECAUSE FOOT WAS OFF ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ENGINE IDLING AT LOW RPM BEFORE PROBLEM OCCURRED. TECHNICIAN ATTEMPTED TO DOWNLOAD PROGRAM UPDATE WHICH (I THINK) WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED AN 'INCREASED RPM TO BURN OFF EXCESS WASTE IN CATALYTIC CONVERTER'... BUT DID NOT DOWNLOAD BECAUSE THIS FIX WAS ONLY FOR VEHICLES WITH SUPER CHARGER. DEALER COULD NOT FIND SIMILAR PROBLEM IN THEIR DATABASE... BUT THEY'LL KEEP CHECKING. ROOT CAUSE OF PROBLEM IS NOT YET KNOWN. I CONSIDER MYSELF A VERY SAFE DRIVER. I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE VEHICLE AND THE GARAGE ENTRY PROCESS WAS NOTHING NEW TO ME. *TR

WHILE ENTERING AN ON RAMP THE TRUCK ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN GOING OUT OF CONTROL, CRASHING SIDEWAYS INTO A GUARD RAIL...ONCE IT TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN IT KEPT INCREASING SPEED ON ITS OWN, APPLYING THE BRAKE HAD NO AFFECT ON GETTING IT UNDER CONTROL...DAMAGE $8,000.00....TOOK TO DEALER NEXT DAY TO WHICH THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM...WE HAVE FOUND MANY INSTANCES AS THIS ONE WITH THIS SAME TRUCK AND MODEL ON THE INTERNET. *TR

THE TOYOTA TACOMA (2008) IS ADVERTISED FOR USE TO TRANSPORT MOTORCYCLES. THIS IS A CENTRAL THEME IN THEIR MARKETING PROGRAM. THE BED IS TURNS OUT IS MADE OF "COMPOSITE" (PLASTIC). THE TIE DOWN POINTS ARE RAILS AND CLEATS THAT COME OFF OR SLIDE ALONG THE SIDES OF THE BED, NOT REGULAR TIE DOWNS IN THE FRONT CORNERS, AS IN NORMAL METAL TRUCKS. THERE IS NO METAL IN THE BED TO AFFIX A TIE DOWN POINT TO. THIS SYSTEM IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT OR ANGLE OF MOTORCYCLES. PLUS THE ANGLES REQUIRED TO TIE DOWN MOTORCYCLES FORCE THE CLEATS TO BEND AND FLEX BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY INSTALLED IN PLASTIC. IT TURNS OUT THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR THE 2008 HAS LIMITATIONS ON THE CLEATS BOTH IN ANGLE OF TIE DOWNS AND WEIGHT, BOTH OF WHICH ARE EXCEEDED IN THEIR AD PHOTOGRAPHS, LEADING ONE TO BELIEVE IT CAN BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE, AND IN WHAT THEIR DEALERS (OR AT LEAST POWER TOYOTA IN TEMPE ARIZONA, AND TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA, INC IS ADVERTISING). IN FACT, MANY HAVE PURCHASED THE TRUCK FOR THIS PURPOSE AND ARE DANGER OF A FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM. TOYOTA HAS ADMITTED IT IS INSUFFICIENT TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT, BUT CONTINUES TO SELL THE VEHICLES FOR THIS PURPOSE, AS IS SHOWN IN THEIR ADS. THE DEALER THAT I BOUGHT MINE FROM WITHHELD THE OWNER'S MANUAL UNTIL AFTER I TOOK THE TRUCK HOME, AND LET ME KNOW I COULD COME BACK FOR IT. THE SPECIFICATIONS ON THE TIE DOWN LIMITATIONS ARE NOT DISCLOSED ANYWHERE BUT IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE DEALER ALSO TOLD ME TO USE THE TRUCK IN VIOLATION OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL WHEN I MET WITH THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN THE EVENT A MOTORCYCLE COMES OFF THE BACK OF A TRUCK AND HURTS/KILLS SOMEONE. *TR

THE FRAME ON MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK IS RUSTING, I LIVE IN THE SOUTHEAST, WHERE THERE IS LITTLE OR NO SNOW/ICE, AND I WAS THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK REGULARLY. IT HAD RUST SPOTS ON IT THE DAY I PURCHASED IT. I HAVE REPAIRED THOSE RUST SPOTS BUT OTHERS ARE APPEARING, ESPECIALLY AT WELDED SPOTS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN RUST OCCUR SO QUICKLY ON A NEW VEHICLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT FROM TOYOTA. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA HOME FROM WORK. I WAS ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM HOME WHEN MY TRUCK IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED TO 70-80 MPH (UNINTENTIONALLY!). I LIVE IN A VERY MOUNTAINOUS REGION; IT WAS VERY HARD TO KEEP MY TRUCK UNDER CONTROL IN THE CURVES. I WAS PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY IN, BUT IT WASN'T SLOWING MY TRUCK DOWN. I BEGAN GOING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN PRAYING THE WHOLE TIME...THERE IS A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH 2 GAS STATIONS AT THE INTERSECTION. FORTUNATELY THERE WEREN'T ANY CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND THE LIGHT WAS GREEN. I SHIFTED GEARS (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) DOWN ALL THE WAY TO 2ND. MY TRUCK WASN'T SLOWING. I WAS THINKING THE ENTIRE TIME THAT I WAS GOING TO HIT SOMEONE AND THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT I COULD DO ABOUT IT. NOT A GOOD FEELING TO SAY THE LEAST. I FINALLY GOT MY TRUCK STOPPED RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A LADY CAME RUNNING OUT FROM A BUILDING THAT WORKS FOR THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION TO MAKE SURE I WAS OKAY. SHE SAID THAT SHE SAW SMOKE AND THOUGHT THAT MY TRUCK MIGHT BE ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY PARENTS. MY DAD STARTED TO DRIVE MY TRUCK. I WAS DRIVING BEHIND MY DAD AND IMMEDIATELY SAW MY DAD TAKE OFF IN MY TRUCK...WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON! I WAS TERRIFIED THAT MY DAD WAS GOING TO WRECK. MY DAD WAS ABLE TO TURN IT OFF AND GET IT OFF THE MAIN ROAD. WE CALLED MILTON MARTIN TOYOTA AND THEY HAD A TOW TRUCK PICK IT UP THE NEXT DAY. THEY KEPT MY TRUCK FOR 5 DAYS AND GAVE ME A RENTAL CAR. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THEY PUT 50 MILES ON MY TRUCK AND IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THEY SAID THAT I NEEDED TO PICK MY TRUCK UP AND RETURN THE RENTAL CAR! THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD DRIVE IT AGAIN OR KNOWINGLY LET SOMEONE ELSE DRIVE IT WHEN IT WILL DO THE SAME THING WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLES LIVES HERE. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE SO LIVES AREN'T LOST! SO CURRENTLY I AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND MY 2008 TACOMA THAT HAS 13, 400 MILES ON IT IS SITTING ON MILTON MARTIN TOYOTA'S LOT. *TR