1998 Toyota Tacoma

HELLO, MY VEHICLE IS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. IT HAS APPROX. 152,000 MILES ON IT. THE ISSUE I AM HAVING WITH THE VEHICLE IS PRIMARILY FRAME RUST, THE FRAME IS BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE "SWISS CHEESE." THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE, THE SPARE TIRE EVEN FELL OUT DUE TO RUST. I CALLED TOYOTA TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE FRAME RUST AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY TO COVER THIS. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND IT SAYS THAT 1995-2000 TOYOTA TACOMA'S WERE UNDER RECALL FOR FRAME RUST BECAUSE THE RUST WOULD MAKE THE VEHICLES UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE COMPROMISED. SO I SEARCHED AROUND AND FOUND THAT MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS OLD AND THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT RUST IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND TAKES SEVERAL MONTHS/YEARS TO DEVELOP, IT IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH OCCURS OVERNIGHT. THE RUST LOOKS MAINLY TO BE SURFACE RUST ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IN REALITY THE RUST HAS DEVELOPED FROM THE INSIDE-OUT AND ROTTED THE FRAME OUT, THEREFORE IT WAS NOT CAUGHT EARLIER. I HOPE THIS RECALL IS EXTENDED, THERE ARE MANY RUSTED TOYOTA TACOMAS LISTED FOR SALE FROM THE 1995-2000 MODEL YEAR, WHICH ALSO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THE ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY TOYOTA'S 3RD PARTY SUPPLIER NOT PROPERLY RUST PROOFING THE FRAMES, THEREFORE MAKING THEM HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUST. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA DOES SOMETHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR FRAME WAS CORRODED AND THE REAR AXLE HAD DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,000. UPDATED 05/16/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BACK FROM HIM. UPDATED 05/22/12

I OWN A TOYOTA TACOMA, 1998 MODEL. ONE OF THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS BROKE. PART OF IT SHIFTED SIDEWAYS IN ITS LOCATION AND BEGAN TO PUNCTURE THE FUEL TANK. UPON SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT ON THE USED MARKET, I LEARNED THAT NUMBER ONE, ALL OF THESE TACOMAS DEVELOP BROKEN LEAF SPRINGS, AND NUMBER TWO, ALL USED SPRINGS HAVE BEEN ABSORBED TO REPAIR BROKEN ONES ON TRUCKS STILL IN USE. NUMBER THREE, TOYOTA CHANGED THE CONFIGURATION OF THE REAR SPRING ASSEMBLY FROM A THREE LEAF TO A FOUR LEAF ASSEMBLY TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT MADE THE RETROFIT A COST BORNE BY THE CONSUMER. EVEN A PARTS EMPLOYEE OF A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AGREED THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL OF THE TACOMA FOR DEFECTIVE LEAF SPRING DESIGN/ENGINEERING. THE BREAKAGE CREATES AN UNSTABLE SUSPENSION SUBJECT TO LOSS OF CONTROL AND IF THE SPRING SHIFTS SIDEWAYS DOES PUNCTURE THE FUEL TANK. *TR

THIS TRUCK IS THE CENTER PIECE OF MY LIFE. MY 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA WAS THE PERFECT VEHICLE FOR ME. I STILL OWN MINE BUT IT IS TOUGH TO DRIVE KNOWING THAT IF I WAS IN A CRASH MY LIFE COULD BE THREATENED DUE TO THE LACK OF FRAME RIGIDITY. I NEED THIS TRUCK TO LAST ME UNTIL I AM OUT OF COLLEGE BECAUSE THERE ARE NO FUNDS FOR ME TO PURCHASE A DIFFERENT ONE. THIS DEFECT WAS BROUGHT TO BY ATTENTION DURING A RECENT SNOWSTORM WHEN DRIVING HOME FROM ONE OF MANY JOBS. I RAN OVER A SHALLOW POT HOLE AND HEARD A CLUNK. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIVE VERY ODDLY CAUSING CONCERN TO ME. I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK IT OVER THE NEXT DAY AND HE EXPLAINED THAT HE HAS SEEN MANY OF THESE TRUCKS WITH THE SAME TYPE OF ISSUE. MY ISOLATED ISSUE INVOLVES THE ATTACHING SITE OF THE REAR LEAF SPRING. THE MECHANIC QUOTED MY $1000 DOLLARS WITH NO GUARANTEE OF REPAIR. I COULD NOT DO THIS BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PUT INTO IT. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO IS A FAMILY MEMBER WHO FIXED IT AND SHOWED ME THE MULTIPLE OTHER WEAK SPOTS WITH IN THE FRAME. IN THESE MULTIPLE AREAS THE FRAME IS SO WEAK THAT IF YOU TOUCH IT PIECES FALL OFF. HE TRIED HIS BEST TO REINFORCE IT BUT OTHER SPOTS STILL LACK STRENGTH. NOT SAFE AND NOT GOING TO SELL!!!!!! *TR

MY 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA HAD ITS LEFT REAR LEAF SPRING BREAK JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAR DIFFERENCIAL. THIS CAUSE THE LEAFS TO TWIST INWARDS AND RUB AGAINST THE GAS TANK EXPOSING THE BARE METAL OF THE TANK. LUCKLY I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE MECHANIC BEFORE THE RUBBING AGAINST THE TANK WORKED ITS WAY THROUGH POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN EXPLOSION WITH A SPARK. AT THIS TIME I WILL BE REPLACING THE LEAF SPRINGS (AFTER TAKING SOME PHOTOS). I HAVE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT NO 2005-12280233 WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. THEIR POSITION IS THAT I WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE COST OF THE REPAIR AS IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE CONDITION AND A RECALL TO CHECK LEAF SPRINGS SHOULD BE MADE. *NM