2008 Toyota Tacoma

FRONT RUNNING LIGHTS MELTED THE PLASTIC CAUSING CHARRING AND A FIRE. PICTURES WERE SENT TO TOYOTA NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS SAFETY PERSONNEL UNDER FILE # [XXX], INCIDENT [XXX]. TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGES THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH 2005-2011 TACOMAS AND STATED THIS CONDITION WAS COVERED UNDER A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM" AND THE DEAL WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT QUALIFY. I INQUIRED PROFUSELY AS TO THE PROCESS USED TO DETERMINE THE VIN NUMBER RANGE, HOW THIS PROBLEM IS BEING FIXED AND WAS TOLD THESE ARE NOT PUBLICLY RELEASED DOCUMENTS. I WAS NOT OFFERED A METHOD TO FIX THIS CONDITION TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN -- "WE APOLOGIZE BUT ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO AVAIL A POINT OF CONTACT IN TOYOTA SAFETY MANAGEMENT TO DISCUSS YOUR CASE. AS WE HAVE PROVIDED OUR POSITION ON THESE MATTERS, WE DO NOT HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION TO OFFER IN THIS REGARD." ROBERT BROWNING TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. I HAVE SEARCHED THE NHTSA DATA BASE AND SEE OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS UNDER NHTSA ID: 10523691, 10510776, 10457435, 10448124, 10427052, 10405463. I ASK THAT TOYOTA BE RESPONSIBLE TO VEHICLE OWNERS AND BE REQUIRED TO RE-EXAMINE THEIR VIN RANGE ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. THE FRONT TURN SIGNALS ARE CHARRED AND MELTED SO BADLY THEY ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE AND WILL LEAD TO FUTURE ACCIDENTS. THE PLASTIC ALSO HEATS UP ENOUGH TO CAUSE MELTING AND FIRE POTENTIAL IN THESE VEHICLES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2008 TOYOTA TACOMA, 4X4, DOUBLE CAB, 6 CYL NOTICED THAT THE EXTERIOR FRONT RUNNING-TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS ARE BROWN & ONE IS CRACKED. ORIGINAL LIGHT BULBS IN PLACE. FIRE HAZARD???? RUNNING HOT. REPORTED TO BEAVERTON TOYOTA IN OREGON THIS AM. PLEASE ADVISE. [XXX] OR [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY LIGHTS BEGAN GOING OFF AT NIGHT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD. NOT THAT FREQUENTLY, USUALLY RELATED TO MOISTURE OR MAYBE THE WIPERS DRAWING POWER TO CLEAR MOISTURE. TOYOTA SENT THIS VEHICLE HOME TWICE, PUTTING IT BACK ON THE ROAD WITHOUT RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE NOW FOUND THE ECU UNIT, OR ESSENTIALLY THE ELECTRICAL SWITCHBOARD HAS MALFUNCTIONED. *TR

IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE TOO ME TRUCK IS RUNNING FINE AND THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON TRUCK GOES INTO A LIMP MODE . HAS DONE IT TWICE ONCE RUNNING ABOUT THIRTY MILES PER HOUR THE SECOND TIME RUNNING 70 MPH IN BUSY I-10 TRAFFIC IN JAX FL RUSH HOUR BAD NEWS. TRUCK NEVER SHUTS OFF GOES TO A IDLE SPEED AND WILL NOT RUN OVER 20 MILES PER HOUR MAYBE IF YOU LUCKY . NO THROTTLE RESPONSE IT WILL ONLY HAVE A IDLE . NEVER SHUTS OFF . *TR

THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES WHICH MAKE A DEADLY COMBINATION. WHEN I STOP IN TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY THEN ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR WILL REV AT A HIGH RPM WHILE FAILING TO ACCELERATE AS IT WOULD UNDER NORMAL OPERATIONS. NOW THIS IS WHERE IT IS SCARY FOR ME. WHEN I LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, SOMETIMES THE RPM'S WILL GO DOWN AS YOU WOULD EXPECT BUT SOMETIMES THE RPM'S WILL STAY VERY HIGH EVEN AFTER I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. AT THAT POINT I STEP ON THE BRAKE, TURN ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS, PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE THEN TURN IT ON AGAIN. THIS IS ALL TOO REMINISCENT OF THE PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA CARS THAT ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. LUCKILY, THE FIRST ISSUE I MENTIONED, WHERE THE CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE PROPERLY AFTER STOPPING, IS STOPPING THIS CAR FROM ACCELERATING AT A HIGH SPEED AND CAUSING INJURY TO ME AND ANYONE IN MY PATH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CENTER CONSOLE SCREEN ON THE ROOF THAT DISPLAYED THE TEMPERATURE AND COMPASS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SOLDER POINTS CONNECTING TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

ON 5/2/12 ONE OF THE RIGHT TURN SIGNALS STOPPED WORKING. WHILE INSPECTING THE LIGHTS TO DETERMINE WHICH BULB TO REPLACE, I NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC LENS IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE TURN SIGNAL BULBS ON BOTH SIDES IN THE FRONT IS BLACKENED AND MELTING FROM THE HEAT OF THE BULB. ADDITIONALLY, THE LENS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT IS CRACKED ON THE INSIDE WHERE THE BULB HAS OVERHEATED THE LENS. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE LAMP SOCKET SHOWS HEAT FATIGUE AND DISCOLORATION DUE TO OVERHEATING. IT APPEARS AS IF THE LIGHT BULB IS TOO CLOSE THE LENS AND THERE IS INADEQUATE VENTILATION FOR THE HEAT. I AM CONCERNED THAT CONTINUAL HEATING OF THE LENS AND THE SOCKET MAY LEAD TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE OF THAT COMPONENT, CAUSING A FIRE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS TRUCK MODEL'S RUNNING LIGHTS (WHICH ARE ALSO THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS) ARE ALWAYS ON WHENEVER THE HEADLIGHTS ARE OFF, THERE IS NO WAY OF SHUTTING THESE LIGHTS OFF. FYI: INTERNET SEARCHES HAVE TURNED UP NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. MANY CONCERNED CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED THE ISSUE TO TOYOTA (MYSELF INCLUDED), HOWEVER, TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE. I HAVE TAKEN THE LIBERTY OF LOOKING AT THE TURN SIGNAL LENSES OF PARKED TACOMA TRUCKS JUST TO SEE IF THEY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS MINE. AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE TRUCKS SHOW THE SAME TYPE OF DEFECT. *TR

MY 08 TOYOTA TACOMA DRL (DAYLIGHT RUNNING LIGHT/TURN SIGNAL) LENS BURNED/MELTED/CRACKED THE LENS BUT THE BULB IS STILL WORKING SO CHANCES ARE IT COULD CATCH ON FIRE. I HAVE EXCEEDED MY WARRANTY BUT I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND REPLACE MY LIGHT LENS. LIGHT LENS SHOULD NEVER BURN/MELT/BREAK REGARDLESS OF HOW OLD OR HOW MANY MILES THE VEHICLE HAS ON IT. NOT ALL TACOMA'S HAVE DRL , THIS IS A SAFETY OPTION, NOT SO SAFE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD TOYOTA WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT BECAUSE I HAD EXCEEDED MY WARRANTY. NICE CUSTOMER SERVICE. *TR

SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2007, I DROVE A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. JULY 13, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:55 A.M., I WAS STEPPING ON MY BRAKE TO COME TO A STOP BEHIND A VEHICLE AT A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. I STARTED BRAKING SLOWLY AS USUAL. IT APPEARED THE BRAKES WERE WORKING BUT NOT CATCHING AS FAST AS USUAL SO I PUT EXTRA PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE. GETTING TOO CLOSE THAN I SHOULD BE FOR A STOP, I PUSHED THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR & MY TRUCK DIPPED A BIT APPEARING TO COME TO A STOP BUT THEN KEPT ROLLING & HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR SEEMED TO MOVE FROWARD JUST BEFORE THE TAP AS IF IT WERE GOING TO MAKE THE TURN AT THE STOP SIGN SO THE IMPACT WAS LOW. THE CAR THEN STOPPED BUT SINCE MY TRUCK HADN'T, ALTHOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL HAD THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR, I PUMPED MY BRAKE AND STOMPED IT TO THE FLOOR AGAIN AND MY TRUCK LAUNCHED OUT SLAMMING INTO THE CAR AGAIN. THIS WAS A LOW IMPACT COLLISION IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA COMING TO A STOP SIGN IN THE MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK. THE BRAKES HAD FAILED PRIOR TO THE ACCELERATION ISSUE THAT FOLLOWED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY & TOYOTA CLAIM TOYOTA IS THE ONLY COMPANY ABLE TO RUN ANY TESTS ON THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT MY TRUCK. TOYOTA WRITES THAT IT IS THEIR UNDERSTANDING MY ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED WHEN MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED & REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THAT'S ONLY A PORTION OF MY CLAIM. THEY OVERLOOKED THE INITIAL CAUSE OF THE BRAKE NOT CATCHING. I UNDERSTAND THAT IN SOME CASES PEOPLE PANIC & STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR. EVEN IF THAT HAD HAPPENED CAUSING THE SECOND HIT, THE FIRST HIT THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED ANY PANIC WAS BECAUSE THE BRAKE DID NOT WORK. THE LETTER REGARDING MY INSPECTION CLAIMS MY BRAKES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. THE TOYOTA RECALL ON MY VEHICLE SAYS SAFETY RECALLS OR SERVICE CAMPAIGNS, "HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED FOR YOUR VEHICLE" AND I'LL BE NOTIFIED AS SOON AS THERE'S A REMEDY. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THAT VEHICLE. THE POLICE ON THE SCENE SAID I COULD BE HELD NEGLIGENT IF I CONTINUED DRIVING AFTER MY BRAKES FAILED. I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW TRUCK. *TR