1998 Toyota Tacoma

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

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA 4X4 REG CAB THERE IS A KNOCK AND PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. MOST TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS SAY IT IS NORMAL AND SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ISOLATED TO THE SLIP JOINT IN THE MAIN STEERING COLUMN COMING LOOSE. THIS WAS DONE BY A TOYOTA SERVICE TECH. THE PROBLEM WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WITH THIS INFORMATION AND WAS FIXED BUT THEY SAY IT WILL MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN DUE NO CHANGE IN DESIGN BY TOYOTA. THE SLIP JOINT IS CRIMPED OVER THE SHAFT, AND AFTER USE IT BECOMES LOOSE CAUSING PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. *NM

DT: UNDER 50,000 MILES EXHAUST PIPE BROKE, THIS WAS WELDED AND REPAIRED. UNDER 70,000 A HAIRLINE CRACK THAT ENCIRCLES THE PIPE WAS BEHIND A WELDED BRACKET BROKE AGAIN FOR A SECOND TIME, THIS WAS WELDED AGAIN FOR REPAIR. THE 3RD TIME 170,000 BROKE AGAIN AND THIS PIPE WAS REPLACED ENTIRELY . NOW THE 4TH TIME, AT 178,000 MILES THIS HAS BROKEN AGAIN. THIS IS AWAITING A REPLACEMENT. *AK

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA ENGINE STARTER MOTOR BEGAN TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. AFTER 1-MONTH IN THIS CONDITION, STARTER MOTOR FAILED TO START ENGINE. DEALER SAYS THAT THE CONTACTS ON THE STARTER MOTOR WEAR RESULTING IN THE INTERMITTENT OPERATION. THE ONLY OPTIONS ARE TO REPLACE THE STARTER MOTOR OR OVERHAUL THE STARTER MOTOR. I WOULD NOT EXPECT FOR THE STARTER MOTOR TO FAIL ONLY AFTER 8 YEARS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THAT MY LEFT TURN SIGINAL DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHEN I PUT IT ON. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE LEFT FRONT TURN SIGINAL LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES. THE RIGHT SIDE TURN SIGINAL WORKED PROPERLY. I BEGAN AN ELECTRICAL INSPECTION: WHEN MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS WERE ACTIVATED MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS WORKED, BUT SO DID MY REAR TAIL LIGHTS WHEN THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS WERE ON. BEING A SAFETY RELATED PROBLEM I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM AND THE SAID THAT THE REAR LIGHT HARNESS WAS FAULTY. THEY WENT TO REPLACE IT AND THEY FOUND THAT THE REPLACEMENT WIRING HARNESS DID NOT MATCH (ALIGN) WITH THE WIRING HARNESS (ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT) THAT CAME WITH MY TRUCK. SO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER CONTACTED TOYOTA NATIONAL, WHO HAD TO RESEARCH THE ITEM TO FIND THE PROPER HARNESS TO MATCH MY TRUCK. TOYOTA NATIONAL SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WIRING HARNESS THAT CAME WITH THE TRUCKS WERE DISCONTINUED DUE TO HARNESS FAILURES (ELECTRICAL SHORTS)! SINCE MY TRUCK HAD THE SUSPECT HARNESS ON IT NEW, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY TOYOTA PRIOR TO DELIVERY OR RECALLED! TO ME THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, IF I DID NOT NOTICE THIS AS QUICK AS I DID, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. SINCE TOYOTA KNEW (WHICH THEY SAID) THERE WAS A POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION WITH THE CABLE THEY THEY SHOULD BE REPLACING THIS CABLE WHEN IT FAILED FOR FREE NOT CHARGING ME $418 . *AK

DEALER TOLD ME AT TIME OF PURCHASE THAT RUST WARRANTY WAS 10 YEARS, FOUND OUT AFTER IT EXPIRED THAT IT WAS ONLY 5 YEARS. SEAMS OF VEHICLE BODY RUSTING FROM INSIDE OUT. ORIGINAL DEALER NOTIFIED IN 2001 AND FIXED RUST IN BED. REPAIR LASTED APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS BEFORE IT OCCURRED AGAIN IN THE SAME PLACE AS WELL AS IN OTHER PLACES. TOYOTA (CORPORATE) NOTIFIED. TOYOTA HAS CONSENTED TO REPAIR THE RUST PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED BY DEALER BUT WILL NOT FIX THE REST. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN BODY SHOP FOR THE REPAIR. *AK