2005 Toyota Tacoma

DURING A REPAIR VISIT TO TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER I WAS INFORMED THAT MY FRAME WAS RUSTING IN SEVERAL PLACES. I WAS TOLD THAT AT THE PRESENT TIME THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT THAT THE RUST WOULD CONTINUE AND LEAD TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF RUSTING PROBLEMS WITH PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS. I SEE THAT THE 2004 AND EARLIER MODEL YEARS WERE RECALLED FOR RUSTING FRAMES. DEALERSHIPS WAS ALSO AWARE OF AN INCREASE IN FRAME RUSTING CASES IN 2005 TACOMA TRUCKS AS WELL. TRUCK ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES AND WAS NOT USED FOR HEAVY HAULING. REPAIR OR REINFORCEMENT IS NOT AN OPTION. ONLY REMEDY OFFERED BY TOYOTA WAS FOR ME TO REPLACE THE FRAME AT A COST OF $13,000. I FEEL THIS IS AN UNSAFE DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

STARTED HEARING RUBBING/GRINDING TYPE NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END. INSPECTED AND FOUND LF CV AXLE LEAKING GREASE, SO THOUGHT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THERE. REPLACED LF CV AXLE, AND THE NOISE DID NOT GO AWAY. INSPECTED FURTHER AND FOUND DRIVERS SIDE FRAME WHERE THE MOTOR MOUNT BRACKET IS WELDED TO CRACKED, CAUSING THE MOTOR TO FLEX AND THE FAN TO RUB ON THE FAN SHROUD. CONTACTED TOYOTA, WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO GET IT INSPECTED AT A DEALERSHIP. TOOK TO TOYOTA DEALER, WHO TOLD ME THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF DRIVER ABUSE, NO RUST, NOT REALLY ANYTHING THAT SHOWED WHY THE WELD HAD BROKEN, BUT THAT TOYOTA DID NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING DUE TO AFTERMARKET LIFT AND OVERSIZED TIRED. LIFT WAS ALREADY INSTALLED ON VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA CORPORATE TOLD ME THEY DID NOT WANT TO HELP BECAUSE VEHICLE IS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY. THE STEERING SHAFT IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE PART OF THE MOTOR THAT IS SAGGING DOWN, AND I AM AFRAID IF IT WERE TO BREAK COMPLETELY IT MIGHT STOP THE VEHICLE FROM BEING ABLE TO TURN. ALSO, IS THERE NOW EXTRA STRESS ON ANY OF THE WIRING? IS IT FLEXING AND POTENTIALLY BREAKING ANY FUEL LINES? I HAVE DONE SOME REASEARCH ON THIS, AND FOUND A LOT OF PEOLPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR TRUCKS. TOYOTA HAS STARTED PUTTING UPDATED FRAMES WITH MORE SUPPORT FOR THE MOTOR MOUNTS ON THE 2007 MODELS, KNOWING THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THE 05/06S, BUT ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND FIX THE ONES THAT HAVE BROKEN. *TR

PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY TO PARK MY 2005 TACOMA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TACOMA ACCELERATES FORWARD AND PLUNGES INTO THE REAR END OF MY 2000 CORVETTE WHICH WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE, AND DOES $1321.22 IN DAMAGE. THE FORCE FROM THE TACOMA KNOCKED MY CORVETTE ABOUT 3 FEET FORWARD INTO A FREEZER IN THE GARAGE. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET BEHIND THE CORVETTE, AND THE CORVETTE WAS IN GEAR AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED, WHEN THE TACOMA SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. I HAVE BEEN PARKING IN SAME LOCATION OR 9 YEARS AND THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. I HAVE HAD ALL RECALLS DONE CONCERNING THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH THE TACOMA. THIS WAS NOT A PEDAL PROBLEM, IT IS A TOYOTA PROBLEM. IF HIS HAD HAPPENED AT A INTERSECTION WHO KNOWS WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED. SOMEONE NEEDS TO "FIX" THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2005 TACOMA FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO A HOLE IN THE FRAME FROM RUST. VEHICLE INSPECTED BY THE DEALER FROM WHICH IT WAS PURCHASED. HAD PURCHASED VEHICLE JUST LESS THAN ONE YEAR EARLIER, SECOND OWNER. NO ACCIDENTS AND WELL CARED FOR. IRONICALLY ENOUGH, WE BOUGHT THIS TACOMA TO REPLACE THE 1998 TACOMA WE LOST DUE TO A FRAME RUST PROBLEM IN THE TOYOTA BUYBACK PROGRAM. DEALER DID FIX AT NO COST UNDER USED CAR WARRANTY. REPORTED ISSUE TO THE TOYOTA USED CAR SALESMAN WHO SOLD US THE TRUCK AND HE STATED HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY FRAME RUST ISSUES ON 2005 TACOMAS. AFTER A CURSORY INVESTIGATION I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE. APPARENTLY TOYOTA HAS NOT THOROUGHLY ADDRESSED FRAME RUST ISSUES THAT PLAGUED EARLIER MODELS. A COMPLAINT WILL BE FILED WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT RECURRING RUST PROBLEM IN FUTURE WHICH WOULD LIKELY LEAVE US WITH A WORTHLESS VEHICLE BASED ON TOYOTA'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE ON-GOING FRAME RUST PROBLEMS. HOPEFULLY THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WILL STEP UP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE METAL FRAME WHERE IT BEGAN TO SEPARATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT PORTION OF THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. ..UPDATED 12-30-13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR FRAME WAS BEGINNING TO CORRODE. UPDATED 1/22/2014 *JS

LAST MONTH I LOOKED UNDERNEATH MY TRUCK AND DISCOVERED SIGNIFICANT FRAME RUST. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AREAS ARE BETWEEN STEEL FRAME COMPONENTS THAT ARE RIVETED TOGETHER. RUST HAS FORMED BETWEEN THESE PLATES AND IS PUSHING THEM APART. THERE IS UP TO 3/8" DEFORMATION BETWEEN PLATES. THE PLATES WERE ORIGINALLY IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. THE PLATES ARE STILL IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AT RIVET POINTS. THE CONDITIONS OF THE CONCEALED PORTIONS OF THE RIVETS ARE UNKNOWN. THE RUST IS LOCATED PRIMARILY UNDER THE TRUCK BED, BUT THERE IS SOME UNDER THE PASSENGER CAB. AN INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN MISTREATED AND HAS FOLLOWED ALL MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE. I AM ALSO AWARE OF THE 2001-2004 TACOMA FRAME RECALL. I WILL BE CONTACTING TOYOTA IN THE NEAR FUTURE WITH THE HOPE THEY WILL PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS SITUATION. *TR