2004 Toyota Tacoma

2004 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH 147,000 MILES FAILED STATE INSPECTION AND DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO RUSTED AND PERFORATED FRAME. THIS FRAME WAS ONE BOUGHT BY TOYOTA FROM THE DANA CORPORATION. TOYOTA WON A LAWSUIT OVER THIS POOR QUALITY FRAME, AND HAS BOUGHT BACK ALL '95-'99 TOYOTAS WITH THIS FRAME, AND REPLACED FRAMES ON '00-'04 TRUCKS. TOYOTA IS STATING THAT OUR TACOMA DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PUT OUT ON THESE AFFECTED FRAMES, AS IT WAS NOT UNDERCOATED AS PART OF THEIR PREVENTION PROGRAM. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED THAT THE UNDERCOATING WAS INEFFECTIVE, AND THE FRAMES CONTINUED TO RUST OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT TOYOTA SHOULD OFFER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY TO ALL TRUCKS AFFECTED BY THIS FAULTY CONSTRUCTED FRAME. TOYOTA IS REPORTING THAT THEY CAN DO NOTHING FURTHER TO HELP IN THIS CASE, DESPITE THAT IT IS AN OTHERWISE WELL EQUIPPED AND STRONGLY RUNNING TRUCK, WHICH HAS HAD ONGOING AND CONSISTENT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THEY ARE NOW INDICATING THAT A '04 TACOMA WITH 147,000 IS ONLY VALUED AT $500. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE ENTERED THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELTS ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WERE WET. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER IT RAINED. THERE WAS NO WATER VISIBLE INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND THE WINDOWS WERE CLOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM TO CONTACT TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

THERE WAS NOTHING THAT LED UP TO THIS EVENT. I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE BRACKET THAT ATTACHES THE FRONT AXEL OF MY TRUCK TO THE FRAME JUST SNAPPED OFF. THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE AND HAS NOT SEEN TOO ROUGH A ROAD! IT IS QUITE PAMPERED AND WELL MAINTAINED. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT DUE TO THE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE EXACT THING HAPPENING. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS EVENT AS IT SEEMS TO BE IT OCCURS QUITE FREQUENTLY TO (FROM WHAT I HEAR), 2 WHEEL DRIVE TOYOTA TACOMA'S, THAT HAVE INSTALLED A LIFT. I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST LET ALONE HOW MANY ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES THIS HAS RESULTED IN AS YOU LOOSE COMPLETE CONTROL OF WHERE THE VEHICLE GOES. AND IN SOME INSTANCES IT ALSO SEVERS THE BRAKE LINE LEAVING THE VEHICLE OUT OF CONTROL WITH NO BRAKES. I IMAGINE THAT MOST CRASHES ARE NOT BLAMED ON THIS DUE TO THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCING A LARGE ACCIDENT WITH IMPACT TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AND THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE FRONT AXEL TO FRAME IS MANGLED. THEREFORE, LEAVING ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THE ACCIDENT CAUSED THE DAMAGE. WHEN THE FACT IS THAT THE DAMAGE OR DEFECT IF YOU WILL IS WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT WHICH IN TURN DAMAGED THE VEHICLE, DRIVER, PASSENGER(S). NOT TO MENTION THAT ACCIDENTS OFTEN INVOLVE OTHER VEHICLES AS WELL. IT SEEMS TO BE MORE PREVALENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SO THAT USUALLY MEANS THAT THE VEHICLE TRAVELS INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC! IE: HEAD ON COLLISIONS! HOW MANY SURVIVE A HEADON COLLISION IN A LIGHT DUTY TRUCK? FEW I WOULD IMAGINE. WELL IT ALMOST BECAME A REALITY FOR ME AS WELL AS MY PASSENGER. WE WERE JUST LUCKY THAT WE LIVE WHERE WE DO AND THERE WAS LIGHT TRAFFIC COMING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHERS IN THE AREA AND TOYOTA TELLS THEM TO GO TO "ROCKY'S OFFROAD", TO GET IT FIXED. NO OFFER OF EXPLANATION OR REASON WHY BUT THAT IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN ALOT?! DOESN'T THAT SCREAM "MANUFACTURER DEFECT!" IT'S A *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT HAD A REPAIR FOR A RECALL ON THE FRAME PERFORMED (RECALL INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE IN NHTSA DATABASE). THE DEALER UNDERCOATED THE FRAME WHICH TURNED INTO AN OIL BASE THAT DRIPPED IN THE CONTACT'S GARAGE AND DAMAGED IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED HER TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AGAIN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 81,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL PERTAINING TO POSSIBLE FRAME CORROSION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND TO HAVE RUST INHIBITOR SPRAYED ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DID NOT LOCATE A CORROSION FAILURE IN THE FRAME AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DIFFERENT DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE SECOND DEALER DISCOVERED HOLES AND CORROSION ON THE FRAME. THE DEALER DEEMED THE VEHICLE AS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE DEALER WOULD HAVE TO REBUILD THE ENTIRE TRUCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NO LONGER WANTED OWNERSHIP OF THE TRUCK AND BELIEVED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE THE LIABILITY FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,500.

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD. I PURCHASE IT NEW. THE FRAME IS ROTTING OUT TERRIBLY AND THE MUFFLER SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND ROT FLAKING OFF OF THE MUFFLER SYSTEM. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE TACOMA ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES. I LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT TOYOTA MAY RECALL THIS YEAR AND MODEL FOR FRAME ROT. I AM FACING A $500+ BILL TO REPLACE THE MUFFLER SYSTEM. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

WE OWN A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. AFTER RECEIVING A LETTER FROM TOYOTA ABOUT FRAME RUST, WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE REQUESTED INSPECTION. THE DEALER TOLD US THAT THE FRAME HAS SOFT SPOTS AND THAT TOYOTA RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE FRAME. WE ARE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. HOWEVER, WE QUESTION THIS KIND OF INVASIVE REPAIR. WE WANT TOYOTA TO BUY THE TRUCK BACK GIVEN THE NATURE OF THIS SAFETY DEFECT. TOYOTA HAS A DEFINED HISTORY OF DEFECTIVE FRAMES IN THE TACOMA: THEY BOUGHT BACK MANY 1995-2000 TACOMAS FOR THE SAME REASON. SINCE THE 2001-2004 TACOMAS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME DEFECT -- A VERY SERIOUS ONE -- TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND PROPERLY COMPENSATE OWNERS LIKE US BY BUYING THEM BACK. WE REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO REQUIRE TOYOTA TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER BY RECALLING ALL AFFECTED TACOMAS SO THESE VEHICLES CAN BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD BEFORE INJURY AND DEATH RESULTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS VERY SERIOUS MATTER. *TR PETER SPANGENBERG

HEAVY SNOWS IN COLORADO DURING DECEMBER,2006 FORCED MANY VEHICLE DRIVERS TO DRIVE IN UNUSUALLY HEAVY DRIFTS. THE REAR SKID PLATE ON NEWER TOYOTA TACOMA 4X4 TRUCKS CAN BEND AND PEEL AWAY FROM THE FRAME WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN DEEP DRIFTS IN REVERSE. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS THEN DRIVEN FORWARD, THE BENT SKID PLATE ACTS AS A BAFFLE AGAINST SNOW, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SWERVE AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND CONTROL. THE SKID PLATE IS POORLY DESIGNED FOR DEEP SNOW DRIVING. IT IS HELD ONTO THE FRAME BY TWO SMALL BOLTS IN THE FRONT AND BY NOTHING IN THE REAR. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE REMOVED THE BENT SKID PLATE AND HAS INFORMED TOYOTA. THE PART IS AVAILABLE. *JB