2005 Toyota Tacoma

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHEN DRIVEN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SEALS BEGIN TO VIBRATE AND CREATE AN EXCEEDINGLY LOUD SQUEAL ALONG THE TOP OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THIS NOISE SOUNDS LIKE A SIREN AND IS VERY STARTLING. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I ALMOST DROVE OFF THE ROAD. IT SOUNDED LIKE I WAS IN THE PATH OF AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE OR HAD JUST HIT SOME TYPE OF ANIMAL. TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. IS AWARE OF THIS CONDITION, BUT WILL NOT FIX IT. THEY HAVE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN, NV006-07, BUT STATED THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. I AM AFRAID THAT OTHERS WILL SWERVE, CRASH , OR BE INJURED BY THIS NOISE. *TR

WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN? TOOK THE TRUCK IN BECAUSE IT WAS HAVING ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS AND TOYOTA SAID IT HAD A BENT FRAME. FROM WHAT? NORMAL DRIVING AFTER 3 YEARS / 112,000MI? THE TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. FIRST THE BED SIDE BODY PANELS STARTED CRACKING THEN A PANEL INSIDE THE FRONT TIRE WELL STARTED TO CRACK. THEN WHEN TURNING ENGINE RADIATOR FAN HIT SHROUD AROUND IT. ANOTHER UNRELATED TO THE FRAME PROBLEM BUT WORTH MENTIONING IS THE FLIMSY TIN CAN TAIL GATES TOYOTA IS PUTTING ON THESE TRUCKS. MINE ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAVE HAD THEIRS FOLD IN HALF. IT IS NO SECRET TOYOTA HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TOYOTA TACOMA FRAMES ON OLDER MODELS (1995-2001) EITHER. LEGAL ACTION NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT AGAINST THIS COMPANY FOR THEIR CHEAP BUILDING PRACTICES BEFORE SOME ONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED ON THE ROAD. I'VE GOT A 1990 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN WITH 170K MI. AND A 1994 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH 91K. MI. AND THEY DON'T HAVE BENT FRAMES OR CRACKING PANELS. I WOULDN'T EXPECT A TRUCK WITH 112K MI. TO HAVE A BENT FRAME FROM NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING." *TR

PART 3 THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND MY NEXT STOP IS TO NOTIFY MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND MY LENDER. I AM WAITING FOR A CASE MANAGER TO CALL ME FROM TOYOTA, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA DOESN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THOSE OF US WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WAS VERY REAL. PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL OR WHATEVER WOULD MAKE THE ACCELERATOR SUDDENLY PULL ITSELF TO THE FLOOR MAKING THE TRUCK TAKE OFF! I AM NO MECHANIC, BUT I HAVE BEEN A DRIVER FOR 35 YEARS AND THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE. MY TRUCK HAS ABOUT 30K MILES ON IT. IT'S BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, (SOME RAN A RED LIGHT AND THE CAR THEY HIT CRASHED INTO MY PARKED TRUCK), BUT MOST OF THE WORK WAS BODY WORK AND IT WAS RECENTLY MOVED TO A MORE HUMID CLIMATE, RATHER THAN MOSTLY DRY SAN DIEGO. IT?S A 4X4, DOUBLE CAB AND OTHERWISE AND WELL RUNNING MACHINE. I LEASED IT FOR THE FIRST 3 YEARS AND JUST PURCHASED IT FROM THE LEASING AGENCY BECAUSE I HAD VERY LOW MILEAGE AND IT WAS IN GREAT SHAPE. NOW I AM CONCERNED THAT NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE ME SERIOUSLY. MY PLAN BY WEEKS-END IF I DON?T HEAR BACK SOMETHING POSITIVE, IS TO GO TO THE LOCAL AND THEN PERHAPS NATIONAL PRESS. A STORY WAS DONE OUT OF NASHVILLE LAST OCTOBER ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM OTHER TACOMA OWNERS ARE HAVING. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR STORY AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MY GUT FEELING IS THAT I NEED TO STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF TOYOTA AND THE NHTSA. LET THEM BE ON THE DEFENSIVE LIKE I AM DRIVING AROUND IN A DEATH TRAP! I UNDERSTAND THAT A RECALL IS EXPENSIVE. I VALUE MY LIFE HOWEVER FAR BEYOND WHAT TOYOTA COULD LOOSE AND I WILL NOT TAKE A SHRUG OF SOMEONE?S SHOULDERS FOR AN ANSWER. NOT BEFORE I DIE ANYWAY, EITHER BY NATURAL CAUSES OR IN THE TRUCK, PERHAPS WRAPPED AROUND A TREE. SO, HERE IS MY LONG STORY IN DETAIL AND I EXPECT SOMEONE WITH SOME GOOD SENSE WILL CALL ME AND MAKE ME A TRADE, THEIR NICE NEW TRUCK FOR MINE. *TR

PART 2: I STARTED UP THE ENGINE. IT ACTED NORMAL, NO ACCELERATION AND IT EASILY BACKED OUT OF THE SPACE. RELIEVED, I DROVE BACK TO MY BOYFRIEND'S HOUSE. I TURNED IT OVER AND OVER IN MY MIND WHAT HAD HAPPENED, TRYING NOT TO MISS A STEP. MY BOYFRIEND IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE MECHANICS OF A CAR, SO AS I EXPLAINED WHAT TOOK PLACE TO HIM AND HE SAID OVER AND OVER THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. I WAS SURE I HAD NOT MISTAKENLY HIT THE ACCELERATOR AND THE FLOOR MAT WAS CLEARLY UNDER, NOT OVER THE PETAL. I CHALKED IT UP, ONCE AGAIN TO A MYSTERY BECAUSE NEITHER OF US COULD MAKE SENSE OF IT. SEVERAL DAYS AGO, WE DROVE TO DOWNTOWN NEW ORLEANS. I WAS DRIVING AND I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL AVOIDING THE SPEED TRAP. WE DROVE ABOUT 15 MILES AND PARKED IN A LARGE OUTDOOR PARKING LOT. WE WERE GONE FOR SEVERAL HOURS. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE TRUCK, HE DROVE. ABOUT ONE MINUTE OR LESS INTO DRIVE AND WHILE STILL GOING THROUGH THE PAID LOT JUST COMING UP TO RAILROAD TRACKS, HE PUT HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE TRUCK ACCELERATED FORWARD, THE PETAL ONCE AGAIN PULLING ITSELF TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK TAKING OFF LIKE A JET. HE HIT THE BRAKE AND I BELIEVE THREW THE TRUCK INTO PARK. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH AND THEN I FELT THAT I HAD BEEN VINDICATED! HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, 'WOW' AND AGAIN I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS NEARLY THE SAME SCENARIO THAT HAPPENED TO ME. HE SAID, YOU HAVE BETTER CALL TOYOTA. WE HAD ONE PASSENGER WHO LOOKED AS SHOCKED AS MY BOYFRIEND AND WE ALL PONDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF A TRAIN HAD BEEN GOING BY AT THAT VERY MINUTE. PART 3 TO FOLLOW. *TR

PART 1: I AM REPORTING A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY 05 TACOMA SUDDENLY ACCELERATING WITHOUT REASON, TWICE NOW, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. FIRST OFF, LET ME OFFER MY TRUCK TO ANYONE WHO WISHES TO DISPUTE MY CLAIM THAT MY 05 TACOMA IS NOT A DANGER ON THE HIGHWAY. IN EXCHANGE, I WILL ACCEPT ANOTHER NEW TRUCK WHILE ONE OF THE 'EXPERTS' DRIVES HIS KIDS AROUND, WAITING FOR MY TRUCK TO CRASH AND KILL SOMEONE. PLEASE, JUST EMAIL ME AND WE CAN MAKE THE EXCHANGE RIGHT AWAY. BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAS HAPPENED. I JUST MOVED THIS TRUCK OUT FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHERE ONCE I REMEMBER THE TRUCK LURCHING FORWARD AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP, ENTERING A DRIVEWAY. NOT REALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE TRUCK THEN, I CHALKED IT UP TO MY DRIVING AND DIDN'T GIVE IT MUCH THOUGHT. LAST MONTH HERE IN LOUISIANA, I DROVE TO THE STORE USING MY CRUISE CONTROL ALONG A 10 MILE HIGHWAY KNOWN FOR FAST CARS AND FASTER TICKETS. IT IS HOT HERE IN LOUISIANA. I HAD THE AC ON AND LEFT IT TURNED IT ON WHEN I WENT INTO THE STORE. THE TRUCK WAS TURNED OFF OF COURSE. WHEN I RETURNED FROM SHOPPING AND BACK INTO MY TRUCK, I TURNED ON THE KEY AND THREW THE TRUCK INTO REVERSE. THE PETAL PULLED ITSELF TO THE FLOOR. IT LEFT MY FOOT AND WENT ALL THE WAY FORWARD. I HIT THE BRAKE AND IT WOULD NOT STOP, SO IN MY CONFUSION, I THREW IT INTO DRIVE AND IT LURCHED FORWARD EVEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE WHEELS WERE JUMPING AND THE TRUCK WAS INCHING FORWARD. EVERYONE AROUND ME WAS SCRAMBLING AWAY AS IT SOUNDED AS IF I HAD LITTLE TO NO CONTROL OVER THE ROARING ENGINE; YOU KNOW, SENSING SOMETHING WAS WRONG. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHIN SECONDS AND I HAD ALL MY WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE. I FINALLY HAD THE SENSE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND IT STOPPED, THEN I SAT THERE FOR A SECOND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I HAD DONE WRONG. LOOK FOR PART 2 AND 3 TO FOLLOW. *TR