2005 Toyota Tacoma

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A COUNTY TWO LANE ROAD. AS I APPROACHED A SLIGHT CURVE, THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO FAIL AND THE TRUCK RAN OFF THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED THE VEHICLE, AND WITH LOTS OF MUSCLE I STEERED THE VEHICLE BACK ONTO THE ROAD. I JUMPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE SUCH AS A LEAKING STEERING HOSE OR BROKEN SERPENTINE BELT. NOT SEEING ANY IMMEDIATE DAMAGE, I SLOWLY DROVE THE VEHICLE ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF TO MY HOME. AFTER A THROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THE STEERING SYSTEM, I DISCOVERED THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT THAT ATTACHES THE STEERING COLUMN TO THE RACK & PINION, HAD A FROZEN/BINDING UNIVERSAL JOINT. THIS UNIVERSAL JOINT IS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND DOES NOT HAVE A LUBRICATION FITTING. THIS ITEM IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE MANUAL UNDER PERIODIC MAINTENANCE. UNDER A DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE, SUCH AS MY WIFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THIS INCIDENT MY HAVE CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS AND OTHERS AROUND THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE TOYOTA TACOMA BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER, AS THOUGH THE POWER STEERING WAS FAILING. TO NEGOTIATE THE VEHICLE THROUGH A BEND IN THE ROAD I HAD TO EXERT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND HAD TO MANUALLY FORCE THE WHEEL BACK TO CENTER. THIS MOMENTARILY INHIBITED ME FROM KEEPING THE VEHICLE CENTERED IN THE LANE. THIS PROBLEM HAS SINCE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. ON INSPECTION I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE IMPAIRED STEERING CONTROL TO BE CORROSION OF THE UNIVERSAL JOINT #2 STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT PART # 45203-04020. ON SEARCHING FOR A REMEDY I LEARNED THIS PART HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, AND THE REPLACEMENT PART IS 45220-04020. APPLICATION OF PENETRATING OIL TO THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT HAS REDUCED THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM BUT NOT PERMANENTLY RESOLVED IT. IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE A YOUNGER, OLDER OR OTHERWISE PHYSICALLY WEAKER OPERATOR WAS DRIVING THEY MAY HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE VEHICLE IN ITS LANE. *TR

THE STEERING ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAME SURPRISINGLY HARD TO TURN AS IF THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRING PROBLEM IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF TRUCK AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE ONSET OF THIS PROBLEM IS INCREDIBLY FAST WHICH COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS CRASHES AND INJURIES!!! THE CAUSE IS A FAULTY PART DESIGN (PART IS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND SEIZES) AND NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED ASAP. THE FAULTY PART # 45203 - 04020, INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT THE DEALER FOR UNRELATED REPAIRS, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED RUST THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FRAME. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE NECESSARY REPAIRS TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR CORROSION OF THE FRAME HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,960. UPDATED 4/1/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE.

THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS NOT MODIFIED IN ANY WAY. THE VEHICLE IS 8 YEARS AND HAS 64,000 MILES. AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER DIAGNOSED FAULTY SPIRAL CABLE, $500 REPAIR. AFTER REPAIR, CONDITION RETURNED. SUBSEQUENTLY A RECALL WAS ISSUED BY TOYOTA FOR THE SPIRAL CABLE. NEW SPIRAL CABLE WAS INSTALLED BY DEALER. AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT RETURNED WITHIN 1 WEEK. RETURNED TO DEALER, NEW DIAGNOSIS: NEED TO REPLACE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. COST $2300 + TAX. DISPUTE STARTED WITH TOYOTA USA. TOYOTA SUBSEQUENTLY OFFERED TO PAY FOR 1/2 OF THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT PART, LEAVING ME TO PAY THE OTHER HALF AND THE REPLACEMENT LABOR. TEXT OF RECALL: "DUE TO COMBINATION OF FACTORS, A PART IN THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY IN YOUR VEHICLE CALLED THE SPIRAL CABLE MAY BECOME DAMAGED. IF DAMAGE OCCURS, THIS CAN AFFECT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO SEVERAL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG. SUCH DAMAGE WOULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT TO STAY ON AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, AND THE AIR BAG MAY NOT WORK. THIS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE DRIVER IN A CRASH IN WHICH THE AIR BAG IS DESIGNED TO INFLATE." THE CRITICAL PART OF THE RECALL NOTICE IS "THE SPIRAL CABLE MAY BECOME DAMAGED. IF DAMAGE OCCURS, THIS CAN AFFECT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO SEVERAL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG". IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA RECOGNIZES THE EFFECT OF A DAMAGED SPIRAL CABLE (THE ISSUE OF THE RECALL) ON OTHER SYSTEMS BUT REFUSES TO REPAIR ANY SUCH DAMAGE WHEN FOUND. THE SPIRAL CABLE HAS BEEN REPLACE TWICE, THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON, AND ACCORDING TO NYS LAW THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF A FACTORY INSTALLED SAFETY COMPONENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WERE RUSTED COMPONENTS WITHIN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE I NOTICED A LARGE RUST HOLE IN THE PASSANGER SIDE FRAME RAIL. THE HOLE IS ROUGHLY 10-12 INCHES LONG ON THE INSIDE OF THE RAIL ROUGHLY UNDER THE PASSANGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. I HAVE NOTICED ALOT OF SURFACE RUST OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND HAVE TRIED TO SEAL THE AREA..PAINT OR UNDER COAT... NOTHING SEEMS TO STOP THE RUST. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER WHERE YES THEY DO AKNOWLAGE THE HOLE BUT SAID SINCE THE TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WERE NOT PREPARED TO DO ANY THING ABOUT IT,,,SEE YA HAVE A NICE DAY. I UNDERSTAND THIS HAS BEEN AND STILL IS A MOJOR PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND LOGGED IN A COMPLAINT AND HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK. *TR