1999 TOYOTA TOWING HITCH KIT Complaints

WHILE NORMAL CONDITIONS I HAVE EXPERIENCED A MAJOR BRAKE MALFUNCTION, BOTH THE ABS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON. THE VEHICLE BARELY HAS BRAKES, THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE 2 YEARS AGO. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE 6 TIMES TO HAVE TO IT FIXED, AND THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. BRAKES REPEATEDLY FAIL ON A REGULAR BASES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE ACCUMULATOR, BRAKE COMPUTER, RESET THE BRAKE PISTON CALPALTORS, AND THE RELAY THAT CONTROL THE BRAKES, AND THE 12 VOLT BATTERY. NONE OF THESE REPAIRS HAVE WORKED. BRAKES STILL FAIL REGULARLY. COMPLAINT LODGE WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CENTER. *TR

HEAD GASKET REPLACED BY TOYOTA (SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN V06) AT 109,574 MILES. REPLACEMENT HEAD GASKET FAILED SUDDENLY AT 189,000 MILES, DRIVING ON LEVEL GROUND (40 MPH), AND WITHOUT WARNING (NO OVERHEATING OR LEAKS). UNDRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT REPEATED HEAD GASKET FAILURES ON THESE PICKUPS (1990-95). CALLED TOYOTA CORP, BUT THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE THE GASKET AGAIN AT NO COST BECAUSE THEY CLAIM THAT THESE VEHICLES WERE "FIXED" WITH THE REPLACEMENT GASKET. THIS TRUCK DOES NOT HAUL OR PLOW AND HAS BEEN MECHANICALLY WELL MAINTAINED. THE HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. AFTER READING MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, THIS ISSUE MOST CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED BY TOYOTA! *TR

WHITE SMOKE FROM EXHAUST AT STARTUP, ROUGH IDLE, LOSS OF POWER, OVERHEATING. REPLACED RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT. COOLANT RUNNING OUT OF EXHAUST. DETERMINED TO BE BLOWN HEAD GASKET. NEED NEW ENGINE. *NM

WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE THE TRAC SYSTEM LIGHTS KEPT COMING ON AND THE BRAKES FELT MUSHY; WE TOOK IT IN TO TOYOTA AND THEY REPLACED THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WHICH SEEMED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THEN ABOUT 9 MO TO A YEAR LATER THE LIGHTS KEPT COMING ON AGAIN AND THE BRAKES FAILED TWICE, TOYOTA STATED THEY WOULD REPLACE THE BRAKE SYSTEM FLUID AND THE MASTER CYLINDER AT OUR COST BECAUSE WE HAD TAKEN IT ELSEWHERE AND THEY FELT THAT IT HAD CONTAMINATED BRAKE FLUID, WHICH OUR MECHANIC STATED IN WRITING WAS NOT. ALTHOUGH WE TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO HAVE TOYOTA FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY; WE GOT THE VEHICLE REPAIRED THROUGH OUR OWN MECHANIC AND THEN SHORTLY LATER THE BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN A CRASH ON THE FREEWAY. WHEN IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE SEQ WOULD BE REPAIRED VIA INS THERE WAS A CODE THAT SHOWED UP ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT SHOWED THAT BRAKES INDEED DID FAIL; HOWEVER WHEN TAKING IT TO TOYOTA THE SAME CODE DID NOT SHOW UP. THE VEHICLE DID WELL, HOWEVER WE LIVE BY A DIRT ROAD AND WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD OR GOING AROUND A CORNER QUICKLY THE TRAC SYSTEM LIGHTS GO ON AND NOW THE VEHICLE ACTS LIKE IT WON'T GO WHEN THE TRAC SYSTEM IS ON AND YOU SLOW DOWN OR START UP AGAIN--AT PRESENT THE SYSTEM IS TURNED OFF; IT HAS REALLY NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY. *NM

1996 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER PURCHASED NEW BY ME WITH APPROXIMATELY 89,000 MILES. AT APPROX 88,000 MILES, THE DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM FAILED. IN PARTICULAR, THE OPENING MECHANISM BROKE WITHOUT ANY PRIOR INDICATION OF IMPENDING PROBLEMS. AS A RESULT, THE DOOR WAS UNABLE TO BE OPENED FROM EITHER INSIDE THE VEHICLE OR OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT WAS NECESSARY TO CRAWL OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT FROM THE PASSENGER DOOR (AND BACK IN TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR). THE DEALER HAD TO REMOVE THE INTERIOR DOOR PANEL WHILE THE DOOR WAS CLOSE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE PANEL AND SEAT. THEREAFTER, THE DOOR OPENING MECHANISM WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. TOTAL COST FOR PARTS AND LABOR WAS APPROXIMATELY $750 PLUS THE ADDITIONAL $350 COST TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED DOOR PANEL. *JB

BOTH 02 SENSORS WENT OUT ALONG WITH FUEL SENSOR WITH UNDER 2000 MILES. THEN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT OUT UNDER 5000 MILES. THE AIRBAG LIGHT ARE OFF THEN ON ??? DEALER SAID WORKING PROPERLY? DEALER SAID IT WOULD BE FIXED 18 DAYS LATER? THEY SAID PARTS WERE BAD AND NOT THE RIGHT PARTS FOR THE CAR? CAR STALLS AND ACCELERATES. IT GET 12MPG SINCE 02'S AND FUEL SENSORS FIXED. BAD GAS MILEAGE. *JB

INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE/TRANSMISSION HESITATION AND SHIFTS IN SPEEDS LOWER THAN 40 MPH. PROBLEMS NOTICED FROM TIME CAR WAS PURCHASE TO CURRENT. DEALER HAS CHECKED THE CAR FOUR TIMES AND DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE CHANGES GEARS SEVERAL TIMES WHEN DRIVING AT 25 MPH. ORIGINALLY THE SHIFTING PROBLEMS LURCHED,JERKED, AS IF SOMEONE WAS HITTING FROM BEHIND. TSB 00505 WAS APPLIED ON JULY 28, 2005 BY THE DEALER. IT CHANGED THE SHIFTING PROBLEM SO THAT IT ISN'T A JERK BUT SOUNDS LIKE A BUMP FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, ALSO CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DELAY WHEN VEHICLE IS AT A STOP AND THEN ACCELERATED. MANY INSTANCES MADE ME UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT SAFETY: PULLING OUT WHEN THERE'S A BREAK IN TRAFFIC, HESITATION HAPPENS SIGNIFICANTLY LONG ENOUGH FOR THERE NOT TO BE A BREAK ANYMORE; COMING TO FOUR WAY STOP, WHEN ITS MY TURN TO GO, HESITATION CREATES CONFUSION TO OTHER DRIVERS. THE PROBLEM IS ALSO DISTRACTING WHEN DRIVING IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE DRIVER IS TRYING TO SECOND GUESS THE VEHICLE TO ALTER THE PROBLEM. *JB

PURCHASED TRUCK NEW IN 2001. EXCESSIVE FRONT BRAKE PAD WEAR OUT SINCE NEW 6,000 TO 10,000 MILES PER SET. NOTICED A LOOSENESS IN FRONT END EARLY ON AND PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS TIME WENT ON INCLUDING WOBBLING AND LURCHING WHILE BRAKING. AT 36,000 + MILES TOYOTA REPLACED COMPLETE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE SYSTEM WITH A HEAVER DUTY SYSTEM AT NO COST. FRONT END STILL FELT LOOSE. AT 52,000 MILES DEALER REPALCED FRONT ROTORS AND SECOND SET OF PADS SINCE SYSTEM UP DATE AT MY EXPENSE. STILL THE FRONT END FELT LOOSE. AT 76,000 MILES F/L WHEEL ASSEMBLE BREAKS OFF THE TRUCK WHILE DRIVING OVER A SMALL SPEED BUMP AT LESS THEN 10 MPH DAMAGING FENDER AND DOOR. A TOYOTA DEALER FIXED THE TRUCK. THE FRONT END STILL FEELS LOOSE AND THE DEALER WILL NOT CHECK OR WORK ON THE TRUCK BECAUSE I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BUREAU OF AUTO REPAIR. MY COMPLAINT WAS THE DEALER DID NOT RETURN TO ME THE REPALCED PARTS WHICH I REQUESTED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER TOLD ME HE DID NOT HAVE TO GIVE MT THE DAMAGED PARTS AND THAT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS FRIENDS WITH THE LOCAL CONSUMER REP. I WAS CONTACTED BY A CONSUMER REP AND HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING AND THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO BUT PUT A NOTE IN THE DEALERS FILE. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY OFFICIAL REPORT SINCE FILING MY COMPLAINT. MY TRUCK IS UNSAFE AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT.

WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH A VERY STRONG VIBRATION, SUDDENLY THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED, SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. THE AIR BAGS SYSTEMS NEVER ACTIVATED. THE COMPUTER HAVE AN IMPACT CODE, BUT THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF GRINDING BRAKE NOISE WHEN STOPPING. DEALER REPLACED FRONT ROTORS AND PADS WITH "UPDATED" VERSIONS AND REPLACED BRAKE FLUID. WHEN FIRST DRIVEN AFTER "UPDATE" BRAKE PEDDLE WENT TO FLOOR AND CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STOP. PEDAL SOON BECAME LESS SPONGY, BUT REQUIRED MORE PRESSURE AND MORE PEDAL TRAVEL TO STOP CAR THAN IN THE PAST. DEALER SERVICE WRITER SAID PEDAL FELT NORMAL. AFTER TWO OR THREE CLOSE CALLS CONSUMER FIN REAR ENDED ANOTHER STOPPING CAR, CAUSING OVER $12,000 IN DAMAGE TO SUBJECT CAR AND CAR THAT IT HIT. NO INJURIES. AFTER COMPLETE REPAIRS OWNER TRADED IN THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS STILL TOO HARD TO STOP. SALESMAN NOTICED THE SAME THING WHEN HE DROVE CAR TO BACK LOT AFTER TRADE IN.*AK