2001 Toyota Tacoma

I HAD MADE A LEFT TURN ONTO FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP, STARTED ACCELERATING TO GET UP TO SPEED. AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH THERE WAS A LOUD BANG/POP NOISE AND THE VEHICLE FRONT LEFT DROPPED DOWN. I HUNG ON TO TRY AND KEEP VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AS IT TOOK AN SHARP LEFT HAND TURN TOWARDS A POLE. EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR I WAS ABLE TO SOME HOW GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED BEFORE THE PASSENGER SIDE HIT THE POLE WHERE MY 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS RIDING. I HAD THE TRUCK CHECKED FOR RECALLS IN LATE 2008 WHEN I PURCHASED IT. THE REPORT SAID BALL JOINT RECALL WAS VIN # SPECIFIC AND THAT THIS TRUCK WAS NOT IN THE VIN RANGE. AFTER THE INCIDENT HAPPENED, I CALLED TOYOTA HOTLINE FOR ASSISTANCE AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE SAME CONDITION, AND PART THAT IS FAILING ON THE VEHICLES IN RANGE THEY SAID, "THAT SENSE THE RECALL IS VIN SPECIFIC, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO, AND WE CAN'T JUST ADD A VEHICLE TO THE RECALL". SO, NOW I'M STUCK WITH A WRECKED VEHICLE, BUT VERY THANKFUL THAT I DIDN'T HIT THE POLE WHERE MY DAUGHTER WAS SITTING. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND ALL TACOMA'S THAT CONTAIN THIS STYLE BALL JOINT BE FIXED BEFORE SOME ONE DOES GET KILLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. HE THEN DISPENSED POWER STEERING FLUID TO THE PROPER LEVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RACK AND PINION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK AT APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S WHEEL MADE SLIGHT CONTACT WITH THE CURB. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD CONNECTION TREAD WAS CORRODED AND FRACTURED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD HIMSELF. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TRUCK 'WANDERS' AND WON'T TRACK STRAIGHT WITHOUT CONTINUOUS CORRECTION WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. ESPECIALLY BAD WHEN HITTING BUMPS OR ON 'RAIN GROOVES' OR OTHER UNEVEN SURFACES. DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN LANE DISCIPLINE AND ESPECIALLY SCARY IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES WITH NARROW LANES AND CONCRETE DIVIDERS NEARBY. HAD FRONT END ALIGNED (NO HELP), NEW TIRES PUT ON (NO HELP), NEW SHOCKS INSTALLED (NO HELP), TIRES BALANCED (NICER RIDE, BUT STILL 'WANDERED'), FRONT END ALIGNED AGAIN (MINOR IMPROVEMENT) AND FINALLY SOME NEW TIRES (AGAIN...NO HELP.) THERE IS 'PLAY' IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THERE IS A RECALL AND A TSB FROM TOYOTA FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL TRUCK FOR 'WORN LOWER BALL JOINTS'. BUT WHEN INQUIRING WITH TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, I WAS TOLD BOTH TIMES THAT "MY" TRUCK WAS NOT AFFECTED. IT SURE FEELS AFFECTED!

I HAVE IDENTIFIED A DISCREPANCY WITH THE 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD STEERING SYSTEM. THERE IS A LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING AND UPON INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT THE SLIP JOIT IN THE COLLAPSIBLE STEERING SHAFT IS PRESENT. THERE IS A HEXAGONAL SLIP JOINT THAT HAS SHOWN TO BE A TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS. REPAIR IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT DEFEATING THE COLLAPSING FUNCTION OF THE SHAFT. THIS PROBLEM MAKES THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO DRIVE PRECISELY. TOYOTA SHOULD PROVIDE RETROFIT SHAFTS TO THE OWNERS. *TR

ON FEB 2.01 WHEN REVIVING A NEW 200L TOYOTA TACOMA, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED (WOULDN'T TURN AT ALL). I GOT THE SALESPERSON WHO CAME WITH ME. HE JERKED THE STEERING WHEEL HARD AND IF WAS FREED. I ASKED IF THAT IS NORMAL, HE RESPONDED "IT'S OK, THEY ALL DO THAT." OVER THE YEARS WHENEVER IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE RIGHT, I REMEMBERED THE STATEMENT "IT'S OK, THEY ALL DO THAT". ON SEP 8, 2005 IN THE WALL-MART PARKING LOT WITH 18 CASES OF BOTTLED WATER TO TAKE TO MY CHURCH FOR SHIPMENT TO HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS IN BILOXI, MS, MY IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN NOR WAS I ABLE TO GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED, REPAIRED, AND PICKED IT UP. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT MY HISTORICAL PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING/IGNITION SINCE THE DAY I PICKED IT UP NEW. I MAILED THEM A LETTER BUT THEY TOTALLY IGNORED IT. I BELIEVE THEY ARE BEING NEGLIGENT BY NOT DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS RELATED TO 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUPS STEERING COLUMN/IGNITION PROBLEMS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANKS AND I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A NICE DAY. *NM

MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT. AT THE TRIAL THE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION PERSON SAID HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CRASH HAPPENED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE SOME ONE HAD YANKED THE WHEEL VERY HARD. THE TRIAL WAS FOR MANSLAUGHTER AND IT TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE RECALL. THE TRUCK WAS NEVER INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. I FEEL THIS WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE ACCIDENT. *JB