2005 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SLIGHT CRASH. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED AS DESTROYED BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE COULD BE REPAIRED, IT WOULD NOT PASS A STATE INSPECTION. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 54,000.

I HAVE A HOLE ON THE INSIDE OF BOX FRAME NEXT TO THE CAT. CONVERTER ON DRIVER SIDE. THIS WAS DISCOVERED BACK IN JANUARY OF 2013, AND WAS IMMEDIATELY REPORTED TO THE TOYOTA REP OVER THE DEALERSHIP. I'VE INQUIRED ABOUT THE SITUATION 3 TIMES SINCE THEN AND HAVE JUST GOTTEN THE ANSWER THAT ITS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THIS HOLE WHICH I CAN ALMOST STICK MY FIST THROUGH LOOKS TO BE LOCATED IN THE CRUMBLE ZONE, AND IS IN A HIGH STRESSED PART OF THE FRAME. I KNOW TOYOTA HAS RECALLED FIRST GENERATION TRUCKS FOR FRAME ROT, BUT WHY HAVEN'T THEY RECALLED ANY OF THE SECOND GENERATION TRUCKS FOR THE SAME ISSUES. YOU CAN SEARCH THE WEB AND FIND THAT I'M NOT ALONE WHEN IT COMES TO FRAME ROT ON THE SECOND GENERATION TACOMA TRUCKS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BUCK UP AND FIX THESE ISSUES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE FRAMES. PEOPLE SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY ON TOYOTA VEHICLES FOR QUALITY DURABILITY AND LONGEVITY. I WORK FOR A TOYOTA PRODUCTION PLANT AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THEY ARE AVOIDING SUCH A DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED ASAP. I HOPE THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION LOOKS INTO THIS AND FORCES A RECALL BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST! *TR

AS I WAS LEAVING WORK I SLOWLY DROVE OVER A SPEED BUMP. THE REAR END OF MY TRUCK BEGAN TO BOUNCE LIKE A BOAT IN CHOPPY WATER. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED TO SEE IF I HAD A LOW TIRE. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE FINE SO I KEPT LOOKING. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION TO THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL, I NOTICED THAT THE SHOCK ROD HAD BROKEN OFF AT THE THEADED END AND SHOT STRAIGHT THROUGH THE BED OF MY TRUCK. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE TRUCK TO GLENN TOYOTA FOR INSPECTION. INITIALLY THEY TOOK GREAT INTEREST UNTIL AFTER THEY LEARNED THAT TOYOTA MANUFACTURING WOULD NOT COVER THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. NOW THE TRUCK RIDES LIKE A BOAT IN CHOPPY WATER AND EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BUMP IN THE ROAD CAUSES AN EXAGGERATED RESPONSE IN THE SUSPENSION MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THERE IS NO PREVIOUS HISTORY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE NOR HAS IT BEEN MISTREATED. *TR

THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR MADE A CRACKING SOUND WHEN I ROTATED IT DOWN TO BLOCK THE SUN. ATTEMPTS TO PUSH IT FORWARD TO THE WINDSHIELD FAILED AND IT DROPPED DOWN VERTICAL BLOCKING MY VISION OF THE ROAD. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE SUN VISOR BACK TO ITS STORED LOCATION SO I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND REMOVE THE SUN VISOR WITH A SCREWDRIVER. THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO OUR 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY. AND WE HAD TO REMOVE THE VISOR ON THE ROAD. THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE 2010 SO IT WAS REPAIRED. REMOVING THE FABRIC ON THE TACOMA SUN VISOR I FOUND A METAL PLATE ON THE ROTATING ARM THAT WAS FROZEN AND IT HAD SPLIT THE PLASTIC HOUSING. I FOUND THE SAME DESIGN WITH THE CAMRY SUN VISOR. AND IT WAS ALSO FROZEN AND WOULD NOT FREELY ROTATE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE SUN VISORS. THE SERVICE MANAGER WOULD NOT LOOK AT THE EXPOSED INNER WORKINGS OF THE SUN VISOR. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT THE TOYOTA HOTLINE SAID TO BRING BOTH VEHICLES IN AND THE DEALERSHIP MAY REPAIR BOTH. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD WORKED WITH THEM FOR YEARS AND THEY DO NOT SAY THAT BUT GIVE YOU A REFERENCE NUMBER. THIS IS THE SECOND RUN IN WITH THE SAME DEALERSHIP. WHEN I BROUGHT IN THE CAMRY THEY WANTED ME TO PROVIDE PROOF OF THE AGREED ON EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS REPAIR. I FOUND ON THE TOYOTA FORUMS THAT THERE IS MANY ISSUES WITH TOYOTA'S DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR. THE PASSENGER SIDE IS OF THE SAME DESIGN BUT IS NOT FLEXED AS MUCH AS THE DRIVERS SIDE AND DOES NOT FAIL AS OFTEN. *TR

THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY NEW 2005 TACOMA 7 YRS AGO, INFORMED ME MY TRUCK WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO HOLES RUSTED THROUGH THE FRAME. THE LARGEST OF THE HOLES WAS LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE ON THE INSIDE OF THE MAIN BOX FRAME COMPONENT. THERE ARE SIMILAR HOLES ALONG OTHER BOX STYLE FRAME PARTS. THESE RUST HOLES ORIGINATED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE BOX FRAME AND NOT FROM WHERE ANY RUST PREVENTATIVE COULD BE APPLIED BY THE OWNER. ANY POST PRODUCTION APPLICATION OF UNDERCOATING OR UNDERBODY OIL BY THE OWNER TO THE INTERIOR OF THESE BOXED AREAS IS NOT POSSIBLE SINCE THEY ARE INACCESSIBLE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO WITHOUT TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS APPROVAL. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE AT 1-800-331-4331 AND AFTER A LONG CONVERSATION WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE I WAS TOLD THAT MY TRUCK MODEL WAS NOT COVERED BY EITHER A VEHICLE WARRANTY OR A REMEDIAL ACTION BY TOYOTA. RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT TOYOTA TACOMA MODELS HAVE HAD FRAME RUSTING PROBLEMS CONSISTENTLY SINCE THE MID 90'S. MY OPTIONS FROM TOYOTA, ALL AT MY OWN EXPENSE, ARE TO: 1. FIND A FRAME SHOP THAT CAN PATCH THESE HOLES BUT MOST LIKELY THE PATCH WILL ONLY LAST A YEAR. 2. HAVE THE FRAME REPLACED WHICH THE DEALERSHIP ROUGHLY ESTIMATED IT TO BE CLOSE TO $12,000. 3. JUNK THE TRUCK AND GET A NEW VEHICLE. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK EXPECTING TO GET AT LEAST 300-400K MILES. THE TRUCK LOOKS NEW, THE BODY HAS NO RUST, IT HAS NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AND RUNS GREAT. I HAVE RELIGIOUSLY FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE SCHEDULE. *TR

2005 TACOMA WITH SEVERE RUST PERFORATIONS TO FRAME. NOTIFED VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY OR ASSIST. 8 YR OLD VEHICLE UNDRIVABLE. I TOOK MY 2005 TACOMA IN TO SEVRCO AUTO WINDWARD IN KANEOHE, HI ON 25 APRIL 2013 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR SEVERE RUST PERFORATIONS ON THE FRAME. WHEN I DROPPED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME THAT TOYOTA HAD SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE FRAME ISSUES AND THAT THEY HAD WARRANTIED 2 FRAMES THAT HE KNEW OFF--AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $12,000.00 PER FRAME. ON APRIL 29TH, I WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO SIGN A WAIVER TO RETRIEVE MY VEHICLE. DEALER HAD INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SENT PHOTOS TO TOYOTA TO SEE IF WARRANTY WORK WOULD BE COVERED. ON MAY 10TH, I WAS CONTACTED BY DEALER AND THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. I SPENT OVER $30,000.00 ON A TOYOTA BECAUSE THEY HAD A REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. NOW 8 YEARS LATER, I HAVE A TRUCK THAT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND NO RECOURSE FROM THE DEALER. *TR

EXCESSIVE RUST BEGAN APPEARING ON THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE AT 50,000 MILES. REVIEWED RUST WITH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (4 TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS) AND THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS FOR A RUSTY FRAMES. MY CONCRETE DRIVEWAY IS NOW STAINED WITH THE RUST COMING OFF OF THE VEHICLE. FRAME AND BUMPER IS NOW RUSTY AND GETTING WEAKER AS THE RUST CONTINUES. VEHICLE NOW HAS 90,000 MILES AND FRAME IS COVERED IN RUST. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME. ADDITIONALLY, I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE STEERING KNUCKLE ON THE VEHICLE -- DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR - DUE TO EXTREME RUSTING. *TR