2001 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

RUST SEEMS TO BE COMING OFF BY THE HANDFULS AND PIECES THICK ENOUGH THAT I AM CONCERNED. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK AND AMONG OTHER THINGS, METAL LINES (BRAKE, STEERING, NOT SURE), THE GAS TANK, AND STEERING LINKAGE BECAME MY BIGGEST CONCERN. BY THE THICKNESS OF RUST I HAVE GOTTEN FROM MY VEHICLE I AM CERTAIN IT IS NOT SURFACE RUST. HOW MUCH WILL SOMETHING RUST BEFORE IT BECOMES A FAILURE, ESPECIALLY WITH A LINE UNDER PRESSURE SUCH AS BRAKE LINES? THE LAST TIME I FILLED UP I NOTICED GAS LEAKING ON THE CONCRETE. I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS COMING FROM THE TANK ITSELF OR NOT.

THE FRAME HAS CORROSION. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THIS ITEM. THEY SAID THE ONLY REMEDY WAS A FRAME UNDER COATING BUT THAT THIS OFFER HAD EXPIRED. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT WAS DISCOVERED ON COUNTLESS OTHER TOYOTA TRUCKS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ITEM IS NOT A REQUIRED REPAIR. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN KEPT IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO A CONDITION BEYOND MY CONTROL. THE TRUCK WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE CORROSION WAS FOUND. THIS TRUCK WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE A CORRODED SPARE TIRE HOLDER, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER RECALL. I BELIEVE THE FRAME CORROSION SHOULD BE REPAIRED AS WELL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, A LOUD NOISE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE REAR END. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE AND DRIVE TRAIN HAD NO OIL PRESENT, WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA AND NOTICED IT NEEDED TO GO IN FOR A RECALL FOR THE SPARE TIRE BEING IN NEED OF REMOUNTING. I NOTICED THE FRAME RUST WAS BAD. AS IN FIST SIZE HOLES ALL DOWN THE FRAME. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE RECALL AND MENTIONED THE FRAME RUST AND THE RECALL ON THE FRAMES. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULDNT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE RUST. IM NOW STUCK WITH A VERY UNSAFE TRUCK FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN TO BE IN AND A COMPANY THAT FLAT OUT MADE A MISTAKE AND WONT OWN UP TO IT. I WILL UPLOAD DETAILED PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE LATER ON.

FRAME IN REAR IS RUSTED COMPLETELY OUT TOYOTA REFUSING TO FIX. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL MECHANICS TRUCK IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.

IN 2012, I DROVE MY TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP TRUCK TO A LOCAL DEALER IN RESPONSE TO A RECALL LETTER. I WAS RESPONDING TO A NOTICE THAT TOYOTA HAD MAILED TO ME. THE RECALL WAS FOR A SPARE TIRE CARRIER THAT MAY FALL OFF THE FRAME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BECAUSE OF A KNOWN CORROSION PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S FRAME WAS TOO BADLY CORRODED. THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A FRAME INSPECTION, & THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE HAD "FAILED". THE DEALERSHIP DID NOTHING, EXCEPT TO CONTACT TOYOTA CORP. REPRESENTATIVES FROM TOYOTA HAVE TELEPHONED ME TWICE TO SAY THAT THEY WILL DO NOTHING. THE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES SAID THAT MY TRUCK "DID NOT MEET THE PARAMETERS OF THEIR PROGRAM". SINCE THEN, I HAVE RECEIVED THREE MORE NOTICES FROM TOYOTA CONCERNING THE FAULTY SPARE TIRE PLATE. EACH TIME I BRING MY PICKUP TRUCK IN RESPONSE TO THESE RECALL NOTICES, I'M TURNED AWAY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED HOW TOYOTA HAD BOUGHT BACK VEHICLES LIKE MINE BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY STEEL USED TO MAKE THE FRAME. MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH ELDERLY. SHE HAS THREE FORMS OF CANCER, AND WE DEPEND IN THIS VEHICLE. WHEN MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED THE TACOMA NEW IN 2001, WE ALSO PURCHASED A $2,200 EXTRA PROTECTION PACKAGE. WE HAD HOPED THAT TOYOTA WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT SHOULD ANYTHING GO WRONG. THEY REFUSED. THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE IS BUCKLING. IT SHAKES AND GROANS WHEN MOVING ALONG THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP & TOYOTA BOTH INFORMED US THAT OUR TRUCK IS UNSAFE, & THEN WALKED AWAY WITHOUT OFFERING A REMEDY. WE FEEL WE'VE BEEN TRAPPED BY UNJUST BUSINESS PRACTICES. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, EVERYONE INVOLVED HAS REFUSED TO HELP US. NOW THAT THE NHTSA IS INVOLVED, WILL YOU HELP US? [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB*JB

INSPECTION FAILED. TOLD FRAME RUSTED BADLY AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CONTACTED TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE FELT WEIGHTED IN THE REAR AND WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT FELT AS IF THERE WERE A HEAVY LOAD SHIFTING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CHECKED THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000. UPDATED 02/10/16*LJ; UPDATED 05/03/18 *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CENTER FRAMING CORRODED AND DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 350,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR SUBFRAME WAS EXCESSIVELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.