2011 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V604000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD NOISE AND THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUEVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO OPERATE APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR LEAF SPRING WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT WAS RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V604000 (SUSPENSION). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY STEERING BINDING IN MY 2011 TACOMA. I NOTICE THAT WHEN DRIVING IN STRAIGHT LINE I HAVE TO USE MORE THAN NORMAL FORCE TO ADJUST THE WHEEL TO STAY IN LANE. I ALSO NOTICE IT WHEN TURNING CORNERS, IT WILL BE MOVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN BIND UP AND IT TAKES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE TURN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND HAD THEM CHECK THE STEERING FLUID. THEY ENDED UP PERFORMING A STEERING FLUSH. I STILL HAD THE ISSUE AND I FOUND THAT THE LOWER U-JOINT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS RUSTY AND BINDING UP. I SPRAYED IT WITH PENETRATING LUBE AND IT HAS FREED UP (FOR NOW). I WILL BE ORDERING A NEW ONE ASAP. I DO FEEL THAT THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA BUT AT THIS TIME THEY SAY THAT IT IS NOT.

HORN HAS STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. WILL ONLY WORK WHEN WHEEL IS TURNED OR WHEN VEHICLE IS IN THE OFF POSITION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V604000 (SUSPENSION) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT

DRIVING TO WORK THE SPARE TIRE UNDER MY TRUCK LET GO AND DRAGGED AND BROKE CABLE HOLDING IT THEN IT BOUNCED OUT FROM UNDER TRUCK AND ROLLED UP BESIDE ME IN OTHER LANE ROLLED TO SHOULDER AND KNOCKED A MAIL BOX OFF POST. ON A STRAIGHT AWAY IN TOWN LIGHT POT HOLES, TOLD DEALER HE TOLD ME TOYOTA HAD A RECALL ON SAME TYPE OF SPARE TIRE CONNECTION BUT FOR A DIFFERENT VEHICLE.

I STARTED MY TACOMA IN PARK, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE I PUT IT INTO REVERSE, THE ENGINE AND THEN STARTED TO ACCELERATE VERY FAST, SPINNING THE TIRES, IT WAS ON ASPHALT WITH SOME SAND. I PRESSED DOWN HARDER ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP IT IN PLACE AND SHIFTED BACK TO PARK, AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE RPMS WENT BACK TO IDLE. WHEN I RETURNED TO REVERSE EVERYTHING WAS BEHAVING NORMALLY. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN IN MY HEATED GARAGE FOR A WEEK, I DROVE IT 3-4 MILES IN DRY SUNNY COLD WEATHER(32), SHUT IF OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. IN THE FIVE YEARS I HAVE OWNED THE TRUCK THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED. THE LAST TIME WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHILE IN DIVE IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. BOTH CASES WERE QUITE ALARMING BUT FORTUNATELY DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE PRIOR INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO TOYOTA AND NHTSA.

AFTER RECALL/ REPLACEMENT OF REAR LEAF SPRINGS, WITH NEW 5 LEAF UNITS, THE TRUCK SAGS UNDER LOAD, RIDES AS ROUGH W/O CARGO COMPARED TO PRIOR 3 LEAF (THICKER) SET. THE TRUCK WAS NOT 4 WHEEL ALIGNED TO SPEC AND TOYOTA IS NOT VERIFYING THIS DONE, THE DRIVELINE HAS TORSION WRAP OR JERKY-SHUDDER UPON FULL STOP NOW, AS IF DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS. THE TRUCK WITH SIDE WINDS AND GROVES IN THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS WORK AND WITH TWO DIFFERENT NEW SETS OF MICHELINS (CHANGED THE SAME DAY THE SUSPENSION WORK WAS DONE), SHIFTED OFF LANE VIOLENTLY. COSTCO LOCALLY SAYS I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TIRES SO SWITCHED ME TO HIGHER SPEED RATED ONES (BUT I DO NOT DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS, I DRIVE CONSERVATIVELY). A LOCALLY WELL REGARDED TIRE-ALIGNMENT SHOP RECHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND FOUND IT WAS INCORRECT THOUGH MERCED TOYOTA INSISTS IT PASSED THEIR "GREEN" ZONE ON WHAT LOOKED TO BE OFF-CALIBRATED HUNTER MACHINE. FROM THE RESULTS OF THIS MACHINE, THE SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC BOTH STATED MY TRUCK'S FRAME WAS DAMAGED (SO WHY BOTHER WITH ALIGNMENT?). THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHECKED BY A BODY REPAIR SHOP WITH PROPER EQUIPMENT TO BE FOUND TO BE WITHIN ONE DIME'S THICKNESS DIFFERENT FROM RAIL TO RAIL, I.E. NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. TOYOTA WANTS ME TO RETURN TO THIS FAULTY DEALERSHIP EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TWO OTHERS W/ IN 60 MILES FROM MERCED CA. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE, REFUSES TO PAY FOR VERIFYING THE DEALERSHIP'S ISSUES. I SUSPECT THE SPRING SET USED IN THIS RECALL DOES NOT MATCH MY VERSION OF TRUCK, A TRD SPORT ACCESS CAB WHICH IS 300 LBS MORE CAPABLE IN SPRINGING IF THE CHARTS ARE CORRECT. ALL COMBINED, THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT SOLVED AND THE RIDE HAS BECOME DANGEROUS, ONE I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT, ONE THAT FOLLOWS THE RUTS IN THE ROAD AND IS MUCH MUCH MORE DANGEROUSLY SENSITIVE TO SIDE WIND GUSTS ON THE FREEWAYS + LESS LOAD CAPACITY.

HORN STOPPED WORKING AT APPROXIMATELY 48,000 MILES. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO THE SPIRAL CABLE. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLLED PHONE FUNCTION BEGAN AUTO-ACTIVATING INTERMITTENTLY WITH THE WORDS "TALKING" APPEARING ON THE RADIO DISPLAY (THIS FUNCTION IS ALSO RELATED TO THE SPIRAL CABLE). I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG MAY SOON BECOME INOPERABLE IF THE AIR BAG ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ON THE SPIRAL CABLE FAIL. WHILE MY VEHICLE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA DID FILE A PART 573 DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT WITH NHTSA FOR SELECTED 2009-2010 TACOMA VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE HORN IS CONSIDERED A SAFETY DEVICE, AND AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE, MY VEHICLE HORN BECAME INOPERABLE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED WHEN THE SPIRAL CABLE CONTACTS FOR THE AIR BAG FAIL. I WOULD EXPECT THAT THIS TYPE OF SAFETY CRITICAL DEVICE BE DESIGNED TO LAST FOR THE USEFUL SERVICE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. FAILURE AFTER LESS THAN 6 YEARS (AND 48,000 MILES) IS MUCH SOONER THAN SHOULD BE EXPECTED FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF NHTSA WOULD CONSIDER THIS INFORMATION ALONG WITH OTHER RELATED INFORMATION IN YOUR POSSESSION TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A BASIS FOR FOLLOW-UP WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION TO PROVIDE A REMEDY FOR VEHICLE OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE SPIRAL CABLE FAILURE THAT AFFECTS MULTIPLE VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICES. *TR

I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY 2011 TACOMA IS VERY OFTEN EXTREMELY STIFF TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION LAST YEAR. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. WAS TOLD: "LOWER SHAFT STARTING TO GET STIFF". WAS QUOTED A REPLACEMENT/REPAIR COST AROUND $550. COULD NOT AFFORD THAT AT THE TIME. THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT BUT NOW HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY TIME I USE THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO PAY TOYOTA TO FIX THIS. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE "STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NUMBER 2". IT SEEMS THIS PART IS EITHER DEFECTIVE OR POORLY DESIGNED AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON MANY AUTOMOTIVE WEBSITES WHICH SPECIFICALLY CITE THIS VEHICLE FOR A RANGE OF YEARS FROM 2005 ON. THERE IS NO PROTECTION AGAIN RUST AT ALL ON THIS PART. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. MY TRUCK IS 6YEARS AND A HALF OLD AND THE STEERING IS JAMMED. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT' NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A MAJOR SECURITY FAILURE AND IT SHOULD HAVE A SECURITY RECALL ON THESE VEHICULES.