2003 Toyota Tacoma

I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK BRAND NEW IN MARCH 2003 AND HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS, BUT NOTHING YOU DON'T EXPECT WITH VEHICLES TODAY OR ANYTHING TOYOTA DID NOT EVENTUALLY FIX, UNTIL NOW. ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ABOUT 45 THE TRUCK JUST LOST POWER AND STALLED ON ME. I WAS ALMOST NOT ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD AND OF COURSE THE PERSON BEHIND ME ALMOST REAR ENDED ME AND WAS HIGHLY AGITATED I HAD STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND APPEARED TO BE DRIVING LIKE A TEENAGER LEARING TO DRIVE A MANUAL SHIFT TRANSMISSION. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD IT WAS A BAD MAF SENSOR WHICH WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH OTHER ITEMS WHICH COST $400. THIS DID NOT FIX IT AND AFTER MUCH TRIAL AND ERROR AND RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY AND ONE OF IT'S SENSORS THAT CAN'T BE REPLACED. WHEN I MENTIONED THIS TO TOYOTA, THEY DISAGREED AND SAID THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE. IT IS FUNNY HOW MANY COMPLAINTS ARE HERE AND HOW MANY MORE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT HERE. MY LOCAL TOYOTA SPECIALIST (NOT THE DEALERSHIP), WHO I TRUST AND HAS SPENT A WEEK WITH MY TRUCK DRIVING IT AND TESTING IT AND STILL ONLY CHARGED ME $80, HAS ALSO CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM, A BAD SENSOR AND THE ONLY FIX IS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF ABOUT $1,000 OR SO DEPENDING ON AVAILABLITY OF PARTS. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 AND 2004 MODELS ONLY AND HAVE HEARD CLAIMS FROM TOYOTA MECHANICS "OFF THE RECORD" THAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. IT HAS COME TO THE POINT THAT I DON'T LET ANYONE IN MY FAMILY DRIVE THIS TRUCK BUT ME, IT IS TOO DANGEROUS. MY KIDS DON'T RIDE IN IT WITH ME EITHER BECAUSE IT COULD STALL AS I AM TRYING TO CROSS TRAFFIC AND THE RESULTS COULD BE DEADLY. PLEASE, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, I AM GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY BECAUSE I CAN'T WAIT TO FIX THIS, BUT MAYBE, JUST MAYBE YOU CAN SAVE OTHERS THE MONEY AND POSSIBLY THEIR FAMILES LIVES! *TT

VEHICLE LOSES POWER UNEXPECTEDLY AND IS INCONSISTENT. HAS HAPPENED BEFORE TO ME AND MANY, MANY TIMES BY OTHERS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. A POORLY DESIGNED/ENGINEERED ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR APPEARS TO BE THE ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED BY ME MULTIPLE TIMES BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SERIOUS FLAW IN THEIR VEHICLE. MOST RECENTLY, I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED WHEN ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. FORTUNATELY THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS CONSCIOUS AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER TO THE OTHER LANE. SOMEONE WILL DIE FROM THESE PROBLEMS! THIS HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED BY MANY AT HTTP://WWW.TTORA.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=13283&HIGHLIGHT=APPS+FIX I ASK THAT THE NTHSA PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. IT APPEARS MANY OF US, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. ONE MAY ARGUE THAT THIS IS AN 8 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SO NO REASON TO INVESTIGATE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR'S AND TOYOTA'S ATTENTION SINCE 2005. IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED! PLEASE. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HOOK THAT HELD THE FLOOR MAT IN PLACE LOOSENED AND CAUSED THE FLOOR MAT TO BECOME STUCK UNDER THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN THE RAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE HOOK. THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE ANY RECORD OF THE PREVIOUS REPAIR AND STATED THE THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS OF A REPLACEMENT HOOK. THE FLOOR MAT HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000. UPDATED 03/03/11 *BF UPDATED 03/07/11

MY TOYOTA TACOMA PRE RUNNER 2003, THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FAILED ON THE FREEWAY AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE. ALMOST CRASHED BECAUSE TRAFFIC WAS REALLY GOING FAST AND I HAD NO THROTTLE RESPONSE . I PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND I PUT MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON AND ROLLED TO THE NEAREST OF RAMP. IF IT WASN'T FOR MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE DRIVING, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO EASY. THIS IS VERY COMMON BUT THE REPAIRS ARE NOT. 1500 DOLLARS AT THE DEALERSHIP. THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF THIS OCCURRING IF YOU GO TO TOYOTA FORUM YOU WILL SEE THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE SITUATION. THIS STARTED WHEN I FIRST GOT THE TRUCK IN AUGUST 2009 BUT WHO KNOWS IF THE PREVIOUS OWNER NEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I THINK SHE DID. I CANNOT FIX IT BECAUSE THEY ONLY SALE THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY WHICH COST 1200 DOLLARS PLUS LABOR 160 DOLLARS. ALMOST 1500 DOLLARS. *JB

I WAS THE NUMBER 3 VEHICLE AT A RED LIGHT. FIRST CAR WENT THROUGH (THINKING THE LIGHT HAD CHANGED). SECOND CAR MOVED INTO FIRST PLACE. I STARTED TO FOLLOW AND WHEN I REALIZED HE HAD STOPPED I APPLIED MY BRAKES. I COULD FEEL THE TRUCK LURCH EVEN THOUGH I WAS STILL PRESSING THE BRAKES AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. I SLAMMED INTO HIM AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AT ALL. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT PURCHASED ON 07/29/03 A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA FOUR DOOR DBL CAB. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED ON 4/25/04 WHILE SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE WITH AND LIGHTLY ACCELERATING, THE ENGINE REVVED SO FAST THE TRUCK DROVE OVER THE PARKING STRIP AND CRASHED INTO A PILLAR ON THE SIDEWALK, CAUSING $5000.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO TRUCK, AND $6000.00 DAMAGE TO THE PILLAR. DURING THE SECOND OCCURRENCE ON 10/09/06 VEHICLE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE ENGINE ACCELERATED SO THE CONTACT PUT IT IN TO NEUTRAL AND ENGINE REVVED FASTER. THE DRIVER THEN SHIFTED THE VEHICLE BACK INTO DRIVE AND ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL IN A COUPLE SECONDS. DURING THIRD OCCURRENCE ON 02/05/07 WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHTTHE ENGINE REVVED AND WENT BACK TO NORMAL BEFORE THE CONTACT5 COULD TURN OFF THE KEY. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR IN FRONT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THE CONTACT TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER. EACH TIME THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING, AND GENTLY SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKES WERE BOTH ENGAGED AT THE SAME TIME. FIRST TIME THE CONTACT'S FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND THE OTHER TIMES IT WAS ONLY ON THE BRAKES, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THE CONTACT CHECKED. THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED HER NOT TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE SO SHE RENTED A VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE DAYS. THEY HAD SOMEONE FROM TOYOTA COME TO CHECK IT OUT, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK

FIRST INSTANCE 4/25/04 SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE WITH A LIGHT TOUCH ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE REVVED SO FAST THE TRUCK CLEARED THE PARKING STRIP AND CRASHED INTO A PILLAR ON THE SIDEWALK (PICTURE AVAILABLE) $5000.00 DAMAGE TO TRUCK & $6000.00 DAMAGE TO THE PILLAR. SECOND INSTANCE 10/09/06 STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. ENGINE REVVED UP, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL & ENGINE REVVED FASTER. SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE AND ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL IN A COUPLE SECONDS. THIRD INSTANCE 02/05/07 JUST STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. ENGINE REVVED UP AND WENT BACK TO NORMAL BEFORE I COULD TURN OFF THE KEY. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR IN FRONT OF ME I WOULD HAVE CRASHED. FIRST TWO TIMES I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER. EACH TIME THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING AND GENTLY MENTIONED THAT MAYBE THE ACCELERATOR & BRAKE WERE BOTH ENGAGED AT THE SAME TIME. FIRST TIME MY FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR & THE OTHER TIMES IT WAS ONLY ON THE BRAKE. THAT WAS THE FIRST THING I CHECKED. THE SERVICE MGR. ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE IT SO I RENTED A CAR FOR A COUPLE DAYS. THEY HAD SOMEONE FROM TOYOTA COME TO CHECK IT OUT. COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. LAST TIME WAS JUST THE OTHER DAY. HAVE NOT CALLED THEM YET. 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA FOUR DOOR DBL CAB. PURCHASED 07/29/03 CAPITOL TOYOTA. *JB

AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS, ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOSE SIGNIFICANT POWER. IT FELT AS THOUGH I HAD TAKEN MY FOOT OFF THE THROTTLE. AFTER MY OWN INVESTIGATION, I LEARNED THAT TOYOTA HAS A HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY WITH THEIR 2003/2004 MODEL TACOMA'S. EVIDENTLY, THEIR ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR (PART OF THEIR THROTTLE BY WIRE DESIGN) FAILS. THIS CREATED A FEW SERIOUS SAFETY SITUATIONS FOR ME WHEN THE THROTTLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN NEEDED. AFTER REPORTING THIS TO THE DEALER, THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DID DETERMINE THE APPS WAS AT FAULT. NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING WITH OTHER OWNER'S IS READILY AVAILABLE VIA THE VARIOUS BULLETIN BOARDS ON THE WEB. COMPOUNDING THE ISSUE, IS THE FACT THAT THIS SENSOR CANNOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF $1000 OR SO. TOYOTA INITIALLY RESPONDED THAT THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE YET OTHERS HAVE REPORTED TO THEM PRIOR TO ME WHICH INDICATES EITHER THEY HAVE A VERY POOR PROCESS FOR LOGGING ISSUES OR ARE TRYING TO AVOID ANOTHER RECALL. *JB