2003 Toyota Tacoma

SO IN DECEMBER I TOOK MY TACOMA TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A REGULAR FRAME INSPECTION AFTER LEARNING UPON THE ISSUE. THE TRUCK IS IN ALMOST PERFECT CONDITION, SPOTLESS INSIDE AND OUT. THE FRAME FAILED INSPECTION, AND I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. FIRST OFF, A SERVICE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO SEND ME OFF TO A FRIEND OF HIS WHO COULD "PATCH" UP THE FRAME SO THAT IT WOULD PASS INSPECTION (GREAT IDEA, RIGHT?). TOYOTA HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A RENTAL, BUT THE ONLY RENTAL THEY WOULD GIVE ME IS A COROLLA. I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND BOUGHT THE TRUCK SO THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE ROUGH WINTER WEATHER. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO CALL OUT OF WORK AS A RESULT OF BEING UNABLE TO DRIVE THROUGH THE SNOW. I AM LOOKING AT A DATE OF MID MARCH AT THE EARLIEST (MOST LIKELY LONGER) UNTIL I AM ABLE TO HAVE MY TRUCK BACK, DEPLETING THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF ME HAVING A TRUCK. I HAVE TRIED GETTING TOYOTA TO BUY THE TRUCK BACK. I LOVE MY TRUCK, AND I PLAN ON CONTINUING TO DRIVE TOYOTA DUE TO THE WELL-KNOWN RELIABILITY OF THESE VEHICLES. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A SORT OF BAD LUCK INCIDENT, BUT CONSIDERING THAT RUST SPREADS, I ALREADY KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE VEHICLE TO COMBAT THE RUST CORROSION THAT HAS ALREADY BEGUN DUE TO A FAULTY FRAME. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY ALREADY OCCURRING, CONSIDERING THAT IT IS NOT JUST THE FRAME THAT IS CORRODED, BUT ALSO THE BRAKE LINES. I AM NOT LOOKING IN ANY WAY TO CHEAT TOYOTA, I AM JUST ATTEMPTING TO HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE, AND I WORRY THAT SINCE THIS CORROSION HAS ALREADY STARTED, REPLACING THE FRAME IS ONLY PUTTING OFF THE ISSUE UNTIL IT BECOMES NOTICEABLE ON THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. IF ANYONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY HAVE TOYOTA BUY BACK A 2001-2004 MODEL TACOMA, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW THEY ACCOMPLISHED THIS.

I RECEIVED A FRAME RECALL FOR OUR 2005 TACOMA BUT NOT OUR 2003 TACOMA. I CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECALLS FOR THE 2003 HAVE PASSED BUT THEY WILL REPLACE THE FRAME IF I PAY $2,900 OUT OF POCKET AND THEY WILL COVER THE REST. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED 18 MONTHS AGO AND DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE. I CHECKED WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER WHO ADVISED THAT HE DID NOT RECEIVE ONE. I AM SUSPECT THAT THIS INFORMATION IS WRONG AND WILL BE CHECKING INTO IT WITH TOYOTA. THE FRAME IS BROKEN AT THE POINT WHERE THE REAR LEAF SPRING ROTTED TO THE POINT OF A DISCONNECT FROM THE FRAME. CARBONE TOYOTA INSPECTED IT AND ADVISED ME TO HAVE IT REPLACED. *TR

HELLO I BOUGHT A USED 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA IN MA A LITTLE OVER ONE YEAR AGO. TOYOTA HAS VOLUNTARILY RECALLED THE VEHICLE DUE TO FRAME FAILURE. MY TRUCK WAS TESTED AND THE FRAME FAILED. TOYOTA SAYS THEY WILL HONOR THE RECALL AND REPLACE MY FRAME FOR FREE. BUT, THEY HAVE NO FRAMES. I AM TOLD THAT THERE IS A DELAY FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME, AND HAVE BEEN WARNED THAT IT MAY BE MANY MONTHS OR LONGER. HOW LONG DOES TOYOTA HAVE TO HONOR THIS RECALL LEGALLY BEFORE I HAVE SOME OTHER CONSUMER OPTION, SUCH AS VEHICLE REPLACEMENT? I FEEL DECEIVED, SINCE THIS TRUCK HAS BARELY BEEN DRIVEN, COST $16,000, AND IS NOW USELESS AND SITTING IN THE REPAIR SHOP INDEFINITELY, WITH NO ESTIMATED REPAIR DATE. TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS AND THE DEALER SAY THEY "HAVE NO FURTHER INFORMATION". HOW LONG SHOULD I WAIT INDEFINITELY? DO I HAVE ANY CONSUMER PROTECTION IN THIS CASE? THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT MOVEMENT AND HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE AXLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DISCOVERED EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON THE SUB FRAME AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 12/30/14*LJ UPDATED 05/27/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE EMISSIONS INSPECTION PERFORMED, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE UNDERBODY, SHIELDS, WELDING, LOWER FRAME, UPPER FRAME AND THE SUB-FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO INDICATED THAT THE PLATE BY THE BRAKES WAS RUSTED. THE TECHNICIAN WELDED THE FRAMES AS AN INTERIM FIX AND SUGGESTED THAT THE MANUFACTURER NEEDED TO REMOVE THE CORRODED FRAMES AND COMPONENTS AND REBUILD THE FRAME OR IT MAY POTENTIALLY FRACTURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STUCK AND ADJUSTMENTS HAD TO BE MADE IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,600.

WE PURCHASED A USED TACOMA IN MARCH 2014. WE INSPECTED IT VERY CAREFULLY FOR RUST. NONE WAS NOTED. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER MY SON WAS CHANGING THE OIL AND NOTICED THAT RUST WAS APPEARING AROUND THE HOLES NEAR THE SWAY BAR. NOW THE HOLES ARE GETTING DANGEROUSLY LARGE. WE PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE TRUCK IN A FEW MONTHS. THE FRAME RUSTS FROM THE INSIDE OUT SO YOU CAN'T SEE THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. WE HAVE TALKED TO TOYOTA AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO HELP BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF IT BEING SPRAYED EVEN THOUGH I HAVE EVIDENCE IT WAS AT A TOYOTA DEALER SEVERAL TIMES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE. TOYOTA RECEIVED A SETTLEMENT FROM [XXX] FOR SUPPLYING THE DEFECTIVE FRAMES BUT THEY AREN'T WILLING TO FIX THEIR DEFECTIVE FRAMES. SOME ONE WHO DOESN'T SPEND MUCH TIME UNDERNEATH THEIR TRUCK IS GOING TO HAVE A FRAME BREAK WHILE THEY'RE SPEEDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND GET HURT. WE ARE GOING TO BE OUT A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECTIVE FRAME. PLEASE HOLD TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RUST HOLE THAT HAD RUSTED THROUGH THE FRAME NEAR THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,500. UPDATED 10/22/14*LJ

THIS TRUCK IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD AND THE FRAME IS RUSTED OUT. THERE IS A HOLE ABOUT 12 INCHES LONG IN THE FRAME RAIL, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH CAUSED MY SHOCK MOUNT TO BREAK IN THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I TOLD THEM I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. THIS FRAME SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 11 YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION) AND STATED THAT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BEFORE THE NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL SPRAYED THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WOULD NOT BE HONORED DUE TO THE COATING OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED AND MAY FRACTURE. A LIFT PLATE INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME WAS COVERED WITH UNDERCOATING AND THE LIFT PLATE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,880.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME HAD RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000.