2007 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

LAST WEEK I NOTICED TIGHTNESS IN THE STEERING OF MY 07 TOYOTA TACOMA INTERMITTENTLY. IT PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED AND AT TIMES WOULD BE VERY "JERKY". YESTERDAY IT WAS TIGHT NEARLY MY ENTIRE WAY TO WORK. I CALLED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED. ON MY WAY TO THE REPAIR SHOP, AS I WAS TURNING OUT OF A PARKING LOT, THE TRUCK STARTED TO TURN FINE BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN GOT VERY STIFF AND JERKED. I WASN'T EXPECTING IT AND ALMOST HIT A MAILBOX . THE QUOTE FOR MY REPAIR, WHICH INCLUDES A LOWER STEERING SHAFT, COUPLER, BOLTS AND REQUIRED ALIGNMENT, IS $820.00. AS I WAS LOOKING ONLINE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS A LEGITIMATE PRICING QUOTE, I NOTICED THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA TACOMA BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 005-2014. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL ISSUED.

LOWER STEERING SHAFT 4520304021 SEIZED. REPAIR COST IS SIGNIFICANT $400 PLUS. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS ITEM IS A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEM LIKE BRAKES OR BELTS. NOT TO MENTION IF IT SEIZES WHILE DRIVING COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT OR FATALITY. MINE HAS NOT SEIZED BUT IS CAUSING MUCH HARDER THAN NORMAL STEERING EFFORT. THERE IS NO WARNING PRIOR TO IT SEIZING. PLEASE ADVISE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON AND OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LA ROCHE TOYOTA IN FINDLAY OHIO WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EXTERNAL AIR BAG SENSOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BUMPER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

STEERING IS TIGHT WHILE TURNING THEN GOOD THEN TIGHT IT'S GETTING WORSE, I REPLACED POWER STEERING UNIT WASNT THAT, AND FRONT BEARINGS. IN MOTION AND WHEN TURNING

STIFF STEERING CAUSED MINOR COLLISION INTO SNOW BANK WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED ON CITY STREET. MANY COMPLAINTS/ACCOUNTS ON FORUMS RELATING TO THIS ISSUE

CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ABOUT A RECALL (REAR LEAF SPRINGS) THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE 2 RECALLS,BUT NOT TOLD TO THE OWNERS-NO NOTICE SENT OUT .THEY SAID THE OTHER RECALL IS THE ROTTING FRAME & IT WOULD BE CHECKED WHEN I BRING IT IN TO HAVE THE SPRINGS REPLACED,WHICH THEY HAD TO ORDER( ALSO THIS HAS BEEN 30 DAYS AGO).(NOTE) THIS TRUCK IS ALL I HAVE TO DRIVE.I CHECKED THE FRAME AND IT IS BAD ! THERE ARE PLACES THAT I CAN POKE MY FINGER THROUGH THE FRAME...IF SOMETHING HAPPENS I WILL COME BACK ON THE GOV. & TOYOTA FOR NOT PUBLICLY AND FORMALLY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. I ALWAYS LIKED TOYOTA BUT I WILL PROBABLY NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE.......

ON 29 NOV. 2017, WHILE DRIVING BACK FROM AN ERRAND, THE AB BRAKE WARNING SYSTEM TURNED ON. AT THAT INSTANCE, I LOST THE BRAKING CAPABILITY OF MY TRUCK. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NEAR MY HOME AND MANAGED TO PARK THE VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY, USING THE PARKING BRAKE AND PUMPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE SWERVED IN FRONT OF THE CONTACT CAUSING TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TRACTOR TRAILER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE INJURIES SUSTAINED THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER AND WAS DEEMED TOTALED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE & WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A BACK ORDER OF THE PART. AN INSPECTION INDICATED NO IMMEDIATE DANGER SO I WAS PLACED ON A WAITING LIST FOR THE LEAF SPRINGS & WOULD BE CALLED, BUT MONTHS PASSED &I WASN'T CALLED. I CHECKED MANY TIMES & IN BETWEEN CALLS, THEY GAVE MY PART TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER.WHEN THEY GOT ANOTHER SET, I ARRIVED FOR THE APPT &WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LEAF SPRINGS BECAUSE THERE WAS A LIFT BLOCK INSTALLED. I WAS TOLD THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN HAVE THE RECALL COMPLETED WAS TO PAY TO HAVE THE LIFT REMOVED FROM ANOTHER SHOP & THEN TOYOTA WOULD DO THE RECALL WORK. I PRICED THE COST OF HAVING THE LIFT REMOVED AND WAS TOLD BY THE AFTERMARKET SHOP THAT OTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS WERE DOING THE LEAF SPRING RECALL WORK WITHOUT REQUIRING THE LIFT TO BE REMOVED. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP & THEY STILL SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO THE WORK. I AM UNABLE TO AFFORD THE LIFT REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION, THE MODIFICATION THAT WAS DONE TO THE TRUCK IS A SIMPLE BLOCK THAT IS PUT UNDER THE LEAF SPRINGS SO ALL THAT TOYOTA WOULD NEED TO DO IS THE SAME WORK THEY WOULD ALREADY BE DOING IF THE LIFT WAS NOT PRESENT; THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS REMOVING 1 LIFT BLOCK FROM EACH REAR SIDE, & PUTTING IT BACK WHEN THEY PUT NEW LEAF SPRING ON. I EVEN TOLD THEM I'M WILLING TO SIGN ANY WAIVER NECESSARY. I AM UNABLE TO AFFORD THE WORK THEY ARE SAYING IS MANDATORY BEFORE THEY COMPLETE THE RECALL & AS TIME PASSES I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE INCLUDING THE RUST SPOTS ON THE LEAF SPRINGS. THE DEALERSHIPS THAT ARE WILLING TO DO THE RECALL SAID THEY WILL REPLACE THE LEAF SPRINGS BUT WHEN REASSEMBLING IT THEY WILL NOT PUT THE BLOCK BACK WHICH MEANS MY VEHICLE WOULD BE LIFTED IN THE FRONT BUT NOT IN THE REAR AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TOWED( UNABLE TO DRIVE IN THAT CONDITION) TO A SHOP TO REDO ALL THE WORK TOYOTA JUST PERFORMED!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER STEERING KNUCKLE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED, BUT WAS IN THE PROCESS. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED OR MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.