2001 Toyota Tacoma

I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE, AND WHEN I NOTIFIED TOYOTA THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD NO LONGER HONOR THE RECALL, UNLESS I HAD GONE IN FOR SOME KIND OF UNDERLAYMENT. I NEVER WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS, AND SINCE THE VEHICLE WILL BE CONSIDERED UNSAFE I FEEL THAT THEY TOYTA SHOULD TAKECARE OF THIS ISSUE. PLEASE ADVISE IF THERE IS A LIMITATION ON SAFETY HAZARDS FOR VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 12MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE EVERY TIME THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE ISSUE WAS THE LOWER BALL JOINT ON THE SUSPENSION THAT WAS WORN OFF AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,500.

I BRAKE IN MY DRIVEWAY AT APPROX. 2 MPH, HEARD A LOUD THUMP IN THE REAR END OF MY 2001 TACOMA. WHEN I CHECKED, I FOUND THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT BRACKET TO LEAF SPRING HOLDING THE REAR AXLE WAS ACTUALLY SITTING 2 OR 3 INCHES INTO THE FRAME RAIL. THE FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH IN THAT SPOT, THE RUST WAS SO BAD, THAT 6 INCHES OF STEEL ON BOTTOM OF FRAME RAIL WAS GONE IN ANY DIRECTION OF THE LEAF SPRING BRACKET ATTACHMENT POINT. THERE ISN'T ENOUGH STEEL LEFT TO EVEN ATTEMPT A WELD TO REPAIR IT. ON CLOSE INSPECTION OF THE FRAME OVERALL, THERE ARE MULTIPLE POINTS WHERE THE FRAME RAILS HAVE DISINTEGRATED. MY REAR AXLE IS SITTING OFF-CENTER, AND THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN. IF NORMAL FORCE OR TORQUE IS APPLIED, THE AXLE WILL BREAK FREE, AND THIS WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HEARD THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON TACOMA FRAME RAILS, SO I CALLED THE DEALER. DEALER STATED MY VIN DID NOT HAVE A RECALL; I CALLED TOYOTA, THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD BE CONTACTED IN 1 BUSINESS DAY. THEY NEVER CALLED. 2 DAYS LATER, I CALLED AND GOT TRANSFERRED TO THEIR "TRUCK TEAM," GOT SHUFFLED AROUND FOR 6 MORE PHONE CALLS OVER 3 DAYS, WHEN THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY MAILED ME A NOTICE THAT I HAD TO HAVE GOTTEN A FRAME SPRAYING TO QUALIFY FOR THE FRAME RECALL. I NEVER RECEIVED SUCH NOTICE, AND TOYOTA DID NOT EVEN HAVE MY ADDRESS; WHICH THEY STATED THAT THEY GOT ALL INFORMATION FROM DMV. MY DMV INFO IS CURRENT, ALWAYS HAS BEEN. TOYOTA HAS GIVEN MY EVERY TYPE OF RUN-AROUND IMAGINABLE, ULTIMATELY DENYING MY RECALL. ON WEBSITES, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN MY SAME SITUATION...EXACTLY THE SAME. FURTHER, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD THE FRAME SPRAY, WHICH THEN PEELED OFF WITHIN MONTHS OF APPLICATION. THIS SEEMS LIKE TOYOTA DELIBERATELY TRIED TO EXCLUDE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WITH THIS FRAME SPRAY, WHICH WOULDN'T BE NECESSARY IN THE FIRST PLACE IF THE FRAMES WEREN'T DEFECTIVE. MY TRUCK IS DEAD. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING UP A MOUNTAIN, THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS SLOW, I BRAKED TO SLOW, BUT THE TRUCK DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I PUSHED HARDER ON THE BRAKE, BUT THE TRUCK STILL DID NOT SLOW DOWN. THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PULL OFF, A DROP OFF ON THE RIGHT AND TRAFFIC ON THE LEFT COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD PUSH IT, ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. THERE WAS A PARKING AREA AT THE TOP AND I TURNED INTO THAT AREA. MY HUSBAND QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE KEY AND WE CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. WE GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK AND MY HUSBAND RAISED THE HOOD. SEVERAL MEN STOPPED TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP. WHILE THE TRUCK WAS SITTING THERE, WITH THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK, MY HUSBAND STARTED THE ENGINE A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE ENGINE RACED AT FULL SPEED. MY HUSBAND DID NOT HAVE HIS FOOT NEAR EITHER PEDAL. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE FLOOR NEAR THE PEDALS. A TOW TRUCK CAME AND PICKED UP THE TRUCK, IT WAS TAKEN TO THE OWNER'S LOCATION AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS DISCONNECTED. THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY THEN. WE TOOK THE TRUCK TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS CHECKED, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRUCK.

TOYOTA TACOMA 2001 IN GREAT SHAPE OTHER THAN THE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OIL CHANGE; HE SAW SOME HEAVY CORROSION ON THE FRAME. IN SEVERAL PLACES, IT HAS EATEN THROUGH AND HAS PERFORATIONS. HE SAYS IT IS GETTING TO BE UNSAFE. I JUST BOUGHT THIS TRUCK ABOUT A YEAR AGO AT A DEALERSHIP IN OHIO AND WAS NOT MADE AWARE THAT THIS WAS A HUGE PROBLEM IN THE 1996-2003 MODELS, BUT THIS ISSUE IS APPARENTLY VERY COMMON AS TOYOTA DID NOT PROVIDE ACCEPTABLE UNDERCOATINGS FOR THESE MODELS. NEXT STEP IS TO TAKE IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD TAKE A BUYOUT BUT WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THE FRAME/CHASSIS REPLACED AT THEIR EXPENSE. I LOVE THIS TRUCK AND USE IT EVERYDAY. VERY SCARED TO DRIVE IT RIGHT NOW AND HOPE THEY COME THROUGH TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE. THIS SHOULD BE A PUBLIC RECALL SINCE IT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THAT THIS IS A TIME-BOMB ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THESE TRUCKS ARE EVERYWHERE ON THE ROAD. THANKS *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER INFORMED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 166,836.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A BRAKE REPAIR WHEN THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE BALL JOINTS FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT), BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 144,000.

I JUST PURCHASED THIS TRUCK FOR MY SONS FIRST VEHICLE. 1 DAY AFTER I PURCHASED IT, I WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL ISSUE TOYOTA HAD WITH THESE FRAMES RUSTING EXCESSIVELY CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK TO MY TOYOTA DEALER THEY CONFIRMED AND INSPECTED MY TRUCK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY WON'T COVER THIS FAILURE. IF THEY ARE ONLY BUILDING VEHICLES TO LAST 11 YEARS, THEY SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN. NOW MY SON HAS A TRUCK HE CAN'T DRIVE! GREAT FIRST CAR HUH? I THINK IT'S TOYOTA DOESN'T CARE CENTER. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *JB

LOSS OF SPARE TIRE ASSEMBLY DUE TO RUST TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WILL REPLACE THE RUSTED TIRE HOLDER BUT NOT THE TIRE TOYOTA REPLACED THE FRAME ON A RECALL AND DID NOT REPLACE THE RUSTED SPARE TIRE HOLDER THIS IS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF TOYOTA SOMEONE MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED WHEN THE SPARE TIRE CAME LOOSE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH. *TR