2003 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE EMISSIONS INSPECTION PERFORMED, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE UNDERBODY, SHIELDS, WELDING, LOWER FRAME, UPPER FRAME AND THE SUB-FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO INDICATED THAT THE PLATE BY THE BRAKES WAS RUSTED. THE TECHNICIAN WELDED THE FRAMES AS AN INTERIM FIX AND SUGGESTED THAT THE MANUFACTURER NEEDED TO REMOVE THE CORRODED FRAMES AND COMPONENTS AND REBUILD THE FRAME OR IT MAY POTENTIALLY FRACTURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STUCK AND ADJUSTMENTS HAD TO BE MADE IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,600.

WE PURCHASED A USED TACOMA IN MARCH 2014. WE INSPECTED IT VERY CAREFULLY FOR RUST. NONE WAS NOTED. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER MY SON WAS CHANGING THE OIL AND NOTICED THAT RUST WAS APPEARING AROUND THE HOLES NEAR THE SWAY BAR. NOW THE HOLES ARE GETTING DANGEROUSLY LARGE. WE PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THE TRUCK IN A FEW MONTHS. THE FRAME RUSTS FROM THE INSIDE OUT SO YOU CAN'T SEE THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. WE HAVE TALKED TO TOYOTA AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO HELP BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF IT BEING SPRAYED EVEN THOUGH I HAVE EVIDENCE IT WAS AT A TOYOTA DEALER SEVERAL TIMES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE. TOYOTA RECEIVED A SETTLEMENT FROM [XXX] FOR SUPPLYING THE DEFECTIVE FRAMES BUT THEY AREN'T WILLING TO FIX THEIR DEFECTIVE FRAMES. SOME ONE WHO DOESN'T SPEND MUCH TIME UNDERNEATH THEIR TRUCK IS GOING TO HAVE A FRAME BREAK WHILE THEY'RE SPEEDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND GET HURT. WE ARE GOING TO BE OUT A LOT OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECTIVE FRAME. PLEASE HOLD TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LEAF SPRING FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RUST HOLE THAT HAD RUSTED THROUGH THE FRAME NEAR THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,500. UPDATED 10/22/14*LJ

THIS TRUCK IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD AND THE FRAME IS RUSTED OUT. THERE IS A HOLE ABOUT 12 INCHES LONG IN THE FRAME RAIL, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH CAUSED MY SHOCK MOUNT TO BREAK IN THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I TOLD THEM I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. THIS FRAME SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 11 YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION) AND STATED THAT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BEFORE THE NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL SPRAYED THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WOULD NOT BE HONORED DUE TO THE COATING OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED AND MAY FRACTURE. A LIFT PLATE INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME WAS COVERED WITH UNDERCOATING AND THE LIFT PLATE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,880.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME HAD RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

CAR STUMBLES/HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. HAVE SPENT TIME/MONEY TROUBLE SHOOTING THE PROBLEM/MAKING REPAIRS WITH NO AFFECT ON PROBLEM. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE BODY TOYOTA PART # 22030-62020 (TOYOTA DATA PER VIN SHOWS THIS PART SHOULD NOT BE ON MY CAR). TOYOTA HAS A PROGRAM TO REPLACE THROTTLE BODY IF FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE (FOR A LIMITED TIME) EXCEPT PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED IN THE SHOP AND IT DOES NOT CAUSE ANY CODES. ON-LINE RESEARCH INDICATED PROBLEM IS WITH THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TSP) OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR (APPS) ON THE THROTTLE BODY FAILING. RESEARCH INDICATES TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS THEY WILL REPLACE PART FREE IF PROVEN DEFECTIVE AND APPARENTLY HAS REDESIGNED THEIR THROTTLE BODY. ISSUE IS, MOST OF THE TIME THE DEALER CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM IN THE SHOP AND SINCE IT DOES NOT CAUSE A CODE THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED WITHOUT PROVING THE PART IS DEFECTIVE. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS THROTTLE BODY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN VEHICLES WITH AS LITTLE AS 30000 MILES TO OVER 250000 MILES PER ON-LINE RESEARCH. WHILE RIDING WITH ME THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN HAS SEEN AND FELT THE STUMBLE/HESITATION (RPM DROPS ABOUT 150 TO 250 RPM WHEN TRAVELING AT A CONSTANT SPEED FOR NO REASON) BUT HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT IN THE SHOP OR IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. THIS STUMBLING/HESITATION OCCURS EVERYTIME THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR LONGER THAN 20-30 MINUTES SINCE THE 1ST OCCURRENCE. TWICE IT HAS STUMBLE WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION CAUSING ME TO ALMOST GET HIT BY AN ON COMING VEHICLE. THIS THROTTLE BODY IS A NON-SERVICEABLE PART AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED, PER THE DEALER IT IS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED AS A UNIT. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND TOYOTA REQUIRED TO REPLACE IT AT NO COST NOW INSTEAD OF ONLY WHEN IT FAILS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR

VEHICLE HAS GONE THROUGH 2 RECALLS, FRAME AND SPARE TIRE HOLDER. BACK BUMPER IS CORRODING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER AND SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V542000 (TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.