2004 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHEN THEY DETECTED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL HOWEVER, THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,223.

I BROUGHT MY 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA IN TO TOYOTA OF NASHUA NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR CONCERNS ABOUT MY FRAME. THEY TOLD ME THE FRAME IS SO BADLY ROTTED IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE FRAME UNDERCOATED BY TOYOTA. THE FRAME UNDERCOATING RECALL ENDED 10/11. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS RECALL. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE IN TORRANCE CALIFORNIA. I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT HELP ME AND ANY FURTHER ESCALATION OF THE MATTER WOULD NEED TO BE "OUTSIDE" OF TOYOTA. THE TRUCK IS NINE YEARS OLD WITH 75K MILES ON IT WITH A VALUE OF ABOUT 8,000 WITH A GOOD FRAME. IT IS WORTHLESS IN THE CURRENT CONDITION AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FRAME: I HAD MY TACOMA IN FOR WORK (THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT RETURN FULLY TO THE UP POSITION) AND THE DEALER (TJ TOYOTA, POTSDAM, NY) SAID THERE WERE HOLES IN THE FRAME. THERE WAS ONE ON THE LEFT SIDE NEAR THERE SWAY BAR AND TWO ON THE RIGHT SIDE JUST IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER DOOR. THE DEALER CALLED TOYOTA AND TOYOTA SAID THE PROGRAM FOR UNDERCOATING THE FRAME ENDED IN DECEMBER AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN JANUARY 2011 FROM THE DEALER (TJ TOYOTA, POTSDAM NY) AND THEY DID NOT UNDERCOAT THE FRAME BEFORE THEY SOLD THE TRUCK TO ME (WITH 77,500 MI). I AM CURRENTLY FIGHTING WITH TOYOTA AND BECAUSE MY TRUCK CANT PASS INSPECTION (WHICH EXPIRES TODAY) I CAN NOT LEGALLY DRIVE MY TRUCK TO WORK AND THERE FOR CANT WORK BECAUSE I AM A MECHANIC AND WORK OUT OF MY TRUCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT FRACTURED. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BALL JOINT FAILED DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIAL, INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION AND THE PRESS FIT OF THE BALL JOIN ASSEMBLY WAS NOT CORRECT. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE LOWER BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY HIMSELF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT). THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AND WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING SOUND AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS BENT ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE UPPER CONTROL ARM, IN WHICH THE BOLT FAILED DUE TO DIRT AND DUST PENETRATION. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT WAS SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,752.

ON JANUARY 19, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 AM, I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON A DIRT ROAD, CAME AROUND AN APPROXIMATE 90 DEGREE RIGHT HAND TURN HEADING DOWN HILL, SLID ON MUD OR ICE AND HIT A RUT. AFTER ALL WHEELS HAD PASSED THROUGH THE RUT THE VEHICLE DROVE UP AND OVER A SMALL RISE (BUMP) IN THE ROAD. AFTER COMING OVER THE RISE, THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE DOVE INTO THE DIRT AND THE TRUCK CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT THE FRONT END. THE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM ... ??? ... WHAT EVER IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ATTACHED TO. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE WHEEL WELL WITH THE INSIDE LEANING TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE VEHICLE TAKEN MOMENTS AFTER THE EQUIPMENT FAILURE. I'M GLAD THIS HAPPENED WHERE IT DID BECAUSE ONLY A FEW MILES FURTHER INTO MY TRIP TO WORK, I WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAVELING 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. AMEN! I HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION FROM TOYOTA CONCERNING RECALL NO. 50J. I ONLY ACCIDENTALLY CAME ACROSS THE INFORMATION WHILE SURFING THE WEB WITHIN THE PAST WEEK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 13 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE WHEEL DETACHED DUE TO A FRACTURE AT THE BALL JOINT. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT FAILED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V225000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 153,000.

UPON INSPECTION FROM TOYOTA ,FROM THE DEALER BERT WOLFE TOYOTA IN CHARLESTON, WV, THE FRAME ON MY TACOMA WAS FAILED. THE RESULT WAS PERFORATIONS FROM RUST. I HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THE THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY TRUCK. THE LETTER STATED THAT IT NECESSARY TO BE INSPECTED FOR FRAME CORROSION, AND THAT THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES WOULD ARISE: 1) UPON THE PASSING OF THE CORROSION TEST AN ANTI-CORROSION TREATMENT WOULD BE APPLIED AND A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WOULD BE EXTENDED UNTIL THE TREATMENT WAS COMPLETE. 2) UPON THE FAILURE OF THE TEST (MEANING THE FRAME HAD CORROSION) THE FRAME WOULD BE REPLACED, AND A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WOULD BE RENDERED. 3) UPON FAILURE OF THE TEST TOYOTA MAY REPURCHASE MY VEHICLE AT A PRICE OF 150% OF THE KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE. NONE OF THESE OUTCOMES WERE INSTITUTED UPON FAILURE OF MY FRAME CORROSION TEST. BERT WOLFE TOYOTA FAILED THE FRAME, STATED THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME , BUT IT WOULD TAKE SIX MONTHS. THEY PLACED ME BACK IN MY TRUCK WHICH FAILED THE TEST, WITHOUT A TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT A) MY TRUCK WILL NEVER BE THE EQUIVALENT, ALL OF THE PARTS THAT WILL BE TAKEN OFF AND/OR REPLACED AND THEN REINSTALLED ON THE NEW FRAME, CAUSES FOR SAFETY CONCERNS. THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT SOMETHING WILL BE OVERLOOKED IN THE PROCESS OF REINSTALLATION. B) THAT THE PARTS THAT CONNECT TO THE FRAME OR LOCATED IN IT'S VICINITY WILL CORRODE EVENTUALLY CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS. C) MY VEHICLE FAILED A TEST IN WHICH THE FRAME IS CONSIDERED UNSAFE, AND I WAS SENT OFF IN THAT SAME VEHICLE WITHOUT A PROVISIONAL REPLACEMENT.