2008 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR SPRING WAS FOUND TO BE FRACTURED IN TWO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THAT THE SPRING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR WHEN CARRYING A LIGHT LOAD. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

BETWEEN 42000 AND 47000 MILES, THE DRIVER SIDE LEAF SPRING BROKE. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATES PASSENGER SIDE LEAF SPRING IS LIKELY TO BREAK SOON. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECT TO ANY HEAVY LOADS, OFF-ROAD TRAVEL OR TOWING. OWNER EXPECTATIONS BASED ON PREVIOUS VEHICLE OF SAME MAKE AND MODEL (1998) ON WHICH THE LEAF SPRINGS LASTED 100,000 MILES SUBJECT TO THE SAME DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR

LEFT REAR LEAF SPRING FOUND BROKEN ON USED TACOMA THAT I PURCHASED. A QUICK WEB SEARCH REVEALS THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS ISSUED A TSB FOR REPLACEMENT OF WEAK SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES STILL UNDER THE NEW VEHICLE COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY. THE AFTERMARKET SPRING SUPPLIER THAT I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT SPRING FROM STATED THIS IS HIS BEST SELLING SPRING; I THINK THAT IS A STRONG INDICATION OF A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAD 4 PASSENGERS AND ABOUT 200 POUNDS OF GEAR IN THE TRUCK BED AND IT HAS A LEER CAP ON.ON BUMPY ROADS IT BEGAN TO HIT THE BUMP STOPS AS IF IT WERE OVERLOADED, THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 20 TIMES.ON THE RETURN TRIP ON I 57 N AS I CROSSED OVER A BRIDGE THE TRUCK BOTTOMED OUT SLAMMING THE BUMP STOPS AND THE VEHICLE ALMOST VEERED OFF THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT, THE REAR SUSPENSION AFTER HITTING THE BUMP STOPS HARD SEEMED TO RETURN ERRATICALLY AND DISTURB THE BALANCE OF THE VEHICLE. ON ANOTHER TRIP A FEW WEEKS LATER WITH 3 OF THE SAME PEOPLE IN THE CAR IN SNOW CONDITIONS I AGAIN HIT THE BUMP STOPS BUT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND I LOST CONTROL DUE TO LACK OF TRACTION. TOYOTA HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE ON 2 OCCASIONS IN REGARD TO THE BOTTOMING OUT ISSUE, BOTH TIMES THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG, DID HAVE THE FACTORY TSB DONE FOR THE SUSPENSION EARLY ON BUT IT HAS NOT HELPED, AS TRUCK GETS OLDER THE LACK OF CONTROL AFTER HITTING THE BUMP STOPS IS REPEATABLE AND PREDICTABLE EVEN WITH LESS WEIGHT THAN IT IS RATED FOR. *TT

THIS 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB WAS PURCHASED NEW IN LATE 2007. IT IMMEDIATE DEVELOPED LEAF SPRING NOISE WHICH TOYOTA ADDRESSED THROUGH TSB TSU01207 - GREASE SPRINGS. TSB 027409 WAS ISSUED IN 2009 WHICH INSERTED A NEW SILENCER PAD DESIGN. THOSE WORE OUT IN A YEAR. NO RESOLUTION HAS BEEN OFFERED BY TOYOTA SINCE - ALTHOUGH PROMISED - AND TACOMA OWNERS STOP ME IN PARKING LOTS TO ASK ABOUT THE ISSUE. A VIDEO OF THE PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTP://YOUTU.BE/YGN9EX7CEVU. *TR

SEVERE STEERING DRIFT AND SHIMMY. NEW TIRES DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. HAD TIRES REBALANCED, DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FREEWAY DRIVING IS MORE SEVERE, I'M FIGHTING THE STEERING TRYING TO KEEP THE VEHICLE TRACKING STRAIGHT. IF I HIT A BUMP THE VEHICLE WANTS TO JUMP TO THE SIDE. TOWING A LIGHTWEIGHT SINGLE AXEL TRAILER IS VERY DIFFICULT, THE TRAILER IS WHIPPED BECAUSE OF THE TRUCKS STEERING SITUATION. IT FEELS LIKE PREMATURE BALL JOINT FAILURE, OR IN THE CASE OF AN OLD STYLE STRAIGHT AXEL (KING PIN WEAR) THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS. THIS IS A TRD MODEL WITH BILSTEEN FRONT STRUT AND REAR SHOCK SUSPENSION. FEELS LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM IS INITIATING ONE SIDE OF THE FRONT BRAKES, THUS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL TOWARD THAT SIDE, THEN I HAVE TO CORRECT THE STEERING. I DO NOT HAVE THE AUTOMATIC ROLL-OVER SYSTEM ON THIS TOYOTA. I'VE SEEN OTHER POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON THE SAME VEHICLE. *TR

WE HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK WITH THE ENGINE REVVING WHEN WE FIRST START IT UP. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THIS IS "NORMAL" LAST WEEK WE TOOK IT IN DUE TO A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS THAT TOYOTA CLAIMS IS DUE TO FLOOR MATS. DEALER CUT DOWN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM, ROTATED THE TIRES. UPON PULLING OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED (SIDE TO SIDE) AND CAR BUCKED (FRONT TO BACK) THERE WERE LOUD GRINDING AND BANGING NOISES. CAR PULLED STRONGLY TO THE LEFT. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR . INSTEAD OF SLOWING, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED UP. DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON BOTH SIDES OF US, I FOCUSED ON STEERING US OUT OF TROUBLE BY KEEPING US IN OUR LANE. I DID NOT APPLY BRAKE. I HAD THOUGHT THAT WITHOUT GAS, THE CAR WOULD GRADUALLY SLOW DOWN ON ITS OWN. INSTEAD OF SLOWING THE ENGINE REVVED UP! TRUCK SUDDENLY LURCHED 90 DEGREES TO LEFT, JERKED STEERING WHEEL OUR OF MY HANDS VEHICLE LURCHED INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE, WHOLE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE ASSEMBLY CAME OFF AND HEADED ONE WAY AND THE TRUCK WENT THE OTHER. WE WERE THROWN FORWARD, DOWN AND TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE KEPT MOVING UNTIL WE CRASHED INTO CONCRETE ENTRANCE/EXIT OF DEALERSHIP. I PUT ON EMERGENCY BRAKE. DEALER SAYS "SIMPLE HUMAN ERROR MECHANIC FORGOT TO TIGHTEN BOLTS ON TIRE" I THINK THIS GOES WAY BEYOND A TIRE PROBLEM. THEY MESSED WITH COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I CAN'T SEE HOW TIRES CAUSE ENGINES TO REV UP. UPDATED 01/28/11 *BF UPDATED 02/07/11 *TR

THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM ON MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB HAS FELT INCORRECTLY CALIBRATED SINCE THE TRUCK WAS NEW. WHEN I GO OVER A BUMP, HIT A POT HOLE OR AM GOING DOWN A HILL WITH UNEVEN PAVEMENT WHILE BRAKING, THE ABS WILL DISENGAGE THE BRAKES. I HAVE ALMOST RUN INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT. IN THE WINTER, IT ALSO HAPPENS REGULARLY IN ANY SNOWY CONDITIONS. THE LOCAL DEALER HAS CHECKED IT AND TOLD ME IT TESTS WITHIN THEIR SPECIFICATIONS. THEY DID REPLACE THE SUSPENSION, SHOCKS AND SPRINGS, SAYING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN CORRECTED BY A SLIGHTLY SOFTER SUSPENSION. I DISAGREED WITH THE ASSESSMENT BUT LET THEM MAKE THE CHANGE IN THE HOPE THAT IT MIGHT WORK. IT DID NOT. THE INCIDENT DATES ARE ONGOING. *TR