1998 Toyota Tacoma

I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK AND HAVE NO COMPLAINTS EXCEPT THE SEAT BELT CAME OUT AND WILL NOT GO BACK IN AND I FASTEN THE SEAT BELT BUT I KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE A NEW ONE ON IT. TRIED TO FIND ONE BUT HAVE NOT FOUND ONE . WHERE COULD I GET ONE TO PUT ON IT THAT WOULD NOT COST SO MUCH. I'M ON A FIXED INCOME SINCE MY HUSBAND DIED RECENTLY. *TR

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH SIGNIFICANT FRAME RUST. VEHICLE FALLS WITHIN THE "FRAME RUST CORROSION PERFORATION WARRANTY EXTENSION" PROGRAM OFFERED BY TOYOTA. THE PROGRAM OFFERS TO BUY BACK TOYOTA TACOMAS THAT FAIL THEIR "INSPECTION" DEALER ACTUALLY DENTED THE FRAME DURING INSPECTION DUE TO WEAK FRAME SECONDARY TO RUST. THEY DID NOT PUT A HOLE IN IT THEREFORE RETURNING IT TO ME, SAYING THE VEHICLE IS SAFE. CONTACTED CORPORATE TOYOTA AND BASICALLY GOT BLOWN OFF AS THEY STATED THE DEALER DID NOT PUT A HOLE IN IT DURING INSPECTION. PERSONALLY, ANY VEHICLE WHICH YOU CAN DENT THE FRAME IN CRITICAL AREAS WITH A 12 OZ HAMMER WITH "LIGHT TO MODERATE" SWINGS IS UNSAFE. AT THIS POINT I CAN ONLY HOPE I DO NOT GET INTO A CRASH WITH THIS VEHICLE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT AS I BELIEVE THEY ARE OVERLOOKING A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS CORRODING ON HER VEHICLE. HER HUSBAND NOTICED THAT SEVERAL TACOMA OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AND DECIDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER PERFORMED A FRAME INSPECTION AND STATED THAT IT WAS OKAY AT THAT TIME. THE WEST INSPECTION STATION INFORMED THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND THAT HIS FRAME WAS IN BAD SHAPE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONSULTED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,467 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 111,400. UPDATED 09/23/08 *BF THE ALSO STATED THE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP. UPDATED 10/01/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME ON THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTING, WHICH HE OBSERVED WHILE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE. SOME OF THE RUSTY METAL AND PIECES OF THE FRAME FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. HE CONSULTED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY WERE "NONCHALANT AND UNCONCERNED". INITIALLY, THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. MOST RECENTLY, THE CONTACT WAS SENT A LETTER REQUESTING THAT HE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. AFTER THE INSPECTION, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME FAILED INSPECTION AND THE RECOURSE WAS STILL BEING NEGOTIATED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 145,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S FRAME WAS DAMAGED TOO SEVERELY TO BE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THEY OFFERED HER APPROXIMATELY $7,000 TOWARDS A TRADE-IN. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 53,000.

TL*- THE CONTACT HAS ASKED FOR THE EXACT VERBIAGE OF HIS EMAIL ENTERED AS HIS COMPLAINT: TOYOTA HAS INSTITUTED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR 1995-2000 TOYOTA TACOMAS FOR FRAME RUST. TOYOTA IS BUYING BACK THE TRUCKS BECAUSE OF SAFETY PROBLEMS. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS RESULTING FROM COLLAPSING FRAMES THAT HAVE RUSTED OUT. THEY ARE DOING THIS TO AVOID A NHTSA RECALL. MY TRUCK HAS A TITLE THAT LISTS PRIOR DAMAGE, AND THEY WILL NOT TAKE MY TRUCK BACK. THEY CLAIM THAT THE TRUCK HAS BEEN ALTERED. THE TRUCK WAS REPAIRED USING TOYOTA TACOMA FACTORY PARTS, AND NOT AFTERMARKET PARTS. THE TRUCK WAS REPAIRED IN YEAR 2002, BUT THE INSURANCE COMPANY CHOSE NOT TO SPEND THE MONEY ON REPAIRS. IF MY TRUCK WAS NEWER, THE INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD HAVE SPENT THE MONEY ON REPAIRS, THE REPAIR WOULD NOT APPEAR ON THE TITLE, AND TOYOTA WOULD QUALIFY THIS TRUCK FOR BUY BACK. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY TRUCK AND A NEWER TRUCK RECEIVING THE SAME REPAIR IS THAT ONE IS OLDER THAN THE OTHER, AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY CHOSE TO REPAIR THE NEWER VEHICLE. MY 1998 TACOMA WAS PROFESSIONALLY REPAIRED AND INSPECTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS POLICE. THE TRUCK LOOKS BRAND NEW EXCEPT FOR THE FRAME RUST. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA IS TRYING TO AVOID A NHTSA RECALL BY THIS WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. STILL, THERE ARE MANY VEHICLES LIKE MINE ON THE ROADS WITH FRAME RUST WAITING FOR AN ACCIDENT THAT TOYOTA CHOOSES TO IGNORE. UPDATED 07/15/08 *BF UPDATED 07/15/08