2011 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HORN FAILED TO WORK WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $500. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND COULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. UPDATED 06/29/17*LJ *CN

HORN STOPPED WORKING AT APPROXIMATELY 48,000 MILES. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO THE SPIRAL CABLE. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLLED PHONE FUNCTION BEGAN AUTO-ACTIVATING INTERMITTENTLY WITH THE WORDS "TALKING" APPEARING ON THE RADIO DISPLAY (THIS FUNCTION IS ALSO RELATED TO THE SPIRAL CABLE). I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG MAY SOON BECOME INOPERABLE IF THE AIR BAG ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ON THE SPIRAL CABLE FAIL. WHILE MY VEHICLE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA DID FILE A PART 573 DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT WITH NHTSA FOR SELECTED 2009-2010 TACOMA VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE HORN IS CONSIDERED A SAFETY DEVICE, AND AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE, MY VEHICLE HORN BECAME INOPERABLE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED WHEN THE SPIRAL CABLE CONTACTS FOR THE AIR BAG FAIL. I WOULD EXPECT THAT THIS TYPE OF SAFETY CRITICAL DEVICE BE DESIGNED TO LAST FOR THE USEFUL SERVICE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. FAILURE AFTER LESS THAN 6 YEARS (AND 48,000 MILES) IS MUCH SOONER THAN SHOULD BE EXPECTED FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF NHTSA WOULD CONSIDER THIS INFORMATION ALONG WITH OTHER RELATED INFORMATION IN YOUR POSSESSION TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A BASIS FOR FOLLOW-UP WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION TO PROVIDE A REMEDY FOR VEHICLE OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE SPIRAL CABLE FAILURE THAT AFFECTS MULTIPLE VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FAN STOPPED WORKING. THE CONTACT ALSO SMELLED AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CHECKED BEHIND THE FIREWALL AND THE WIRING HARNESS AND WIRING WERE BURNED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS WERE MELTING ALONG WITH THE FIXTURES AND WIRES IN THE BACK OF THE BULB. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT'S DIAGNOSIS WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

MY HORN DOES NOT WORK WHEN I PRESS ON THE STEERING WHEEL UNLESS I TURN THE WHEELS TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT THEN IT WILL WORK. I TOOK IN MY TRUCK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO CHARGE ME $130 TO LOOK AT IT. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN I AM DRIVING AND SOMETHING HAPPENS AND I HAVE TO BEEP SOMEONE I CANNOT DO THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PRESS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. I OWNED OTHER CARS BEFORE BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I DROVE A CAR WITH NO HORN. TO ME IT SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUE I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD REPAIR THIS AT NO CHARGE. *TR

THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS HAVE BURNED INTO THE INNER AREAS OF MY HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES AND IT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. SEEING AS THEY CANNOT BE TURNED OFF AND THEY CONTINUE TO GET WORSE I FEAR THEY MAY ONE DAY CAUSE A FIRE OR FURTHER DAMAGE. I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALER, TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING AND SHOW NO CONCERN FOR THE ISSUE, I DRIVE ALOT OF MILES AND PURCHASED A TOYOTA DUE TO DEPENDABILITY. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS 1ST TALKED TO WITH TOYOTA THE TRUCK WAS ONLY 1 1/2 YEARS OLD BUT HAD AROUND 40,000 MILES TO WHICH THEIR EXCUSE WAS THAT IT IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD. PLEASE NOTE THAT TOYOTA KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE AS THEY HAVE ISSUED A TSB STATING THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND THE MODEL YEAR 2012 AND FORWARD THESE ARE RE-DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE TRUCKS ON THE ROADS FRM 2005 TO 2011 THAT HAD THE DTRL OPTION AND THE OWNERS CAN DO NOTHING TO STOP THIS ISSUE FROM OCCURRING OR GUARANTEE THEIR AND THEIR FAMILIES SAFETY. WHEN I TALKED TO TOYOTA THEY DID OFFER TO REPLACE 1 ASSEMBLY IF I PAID FOR THE OTHER AT A COST OF $450? WHY SHOULD I BE REQUIRED TO PAY TO FIX THEIR POORLY ENGINEERED PARTS THAT THEY KNOW ARE AN ISSUE? YOU CAN FIND AFTERMARKET LIGHT ASSEMBLIES FOR AROUND $80 ONLINE AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT IT COSTS TOYOTA $450 TO PRODUCE THIS ASSEMBLY, THEY WERE NOT MAKING ME A DEAL AND PAYING FOR 1, I WAS PAYING FOR BOTH! TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THESE ASSEMBLIES AND REPLACE AS AT THIS POINT IT SHOWS THAT TOYOTA HAS NO PLANS OF DOING THE RIGHT THING AND CORRECTING THE KNOWN PROBLEM WITHOUT BEING TOLD THEY HAVE TO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, HE COULD SMELL A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SHOULDER AND SUDDENLY BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, WHO ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,500.