2003 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND DROPPED FIVE INCHES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY DEEMED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

COMING TO A STOP APPROX 2 MPH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED VERY LOUDLY AND THE TRUCK SHOW FORWARD. THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP THE TRUCK. I SWERVED TO AVOID THE CAMPSITE WE WERE AT AND HIT A TREE VERY HARD. THE ENGINE HOWEVER CONTINUED TO REV LOUDLY AND I SHIFTED TO PARK. WITH THE ENGINE STILL VERY LOUD AND THE WHEELS SPINNING I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE BY REMOVING THE KEY. *TR

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE ENTIRE FRAME, FRONT BUMPER, AND UNDERCARRIAGE IS COMPLETELY RUSTED FROM THE FRONT BUMPER TO THE REAR. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010 , THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS SURFACE RUST ON THE VEHICLE. AS A REPAIR, THE DEALER APPLIED AN ANTI-RUST COATING ONTO THE FRAME TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE (COSMETIC COVER UP). I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC WHEN I WENT TO GET A RECENT OIL CHANGE ON 07/25/13 THE REPAIR DID NOT PREVENT THE FRAME FROM BECOMING COMPLETELY RUSTED AND HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE BECAUSE EVEN THE SEAMS WERE SHOEING SIGNS OF POSSIBLE FAILURE. BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND AFTER INSPECTION WAS TOLD THAT FRAME IS SAFE BY TOYOTA STANDARDS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE ORIGINAL MILEAGE WHEN BROUGHT IN FOR INITIAL RECALL WAS 24794, BUT AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 29,820

A TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP WAS TAKEN TO MY MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND FRAME RUST WAS NOTED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLIED THEY COULD DO NOTHING AS THE COST OF REPAIRING THE FRAME WAS NOT WORTH THE VALUE OF THE CAR. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL TOYOTA DIRECTLY AND HAVE BEEN TOLD I AM ON MY OWN. THERE ARE 96,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME RUST WAS NOTED. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATIONS THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS AS I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I AM STUCK WITH A VALUELESS CAR WITH NO HELP FROM THE PARENT COMPANY. *TR

THIS IS A FOLLOW FROM A RECENT CALL WITH THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER (MAY 2, 2013). I CALLED TO GET A STATUS UPDATE ON THE CLAIM REFERENCED IN CASE # [XXX] AND WAS INFORMED THE CLAIM WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE INVOICE FROM THE DEALER STATED THE SPARE TIRE WAS STOLEN. I NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE CLAIM WAS DENIED ALTHOUGH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT SUGGESTED A LETTER HAS BEEN MAILED. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEAL AND GET THE ?STOLEN? COMMENTS REMOVED FROM THE INVOICE. THE ORIGINAL INVOICE SUGGESTED THE SPARE TIRE WAS STOLEN BECAUSE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND PARTS PERSON AT THE DEALER SUGGESTED THE CABLE WOULD NOT BREAK AND THE CONCLUSION WAS THE CABLE MUST HAVE BEEN CUT AND THE TIRE STOLEN. THIS WAS IN AUGUST OF 2012 PRIOR TO THE RECALL NOTIFICATION. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT THE TIRE WAS STOLEN. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND ATTACHED IS AN UPDATED INVOICE WITH ?STOLEN? REMOVED. TO SAY I AM FRUSTRATED BY THE RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. THE FACTS ARE THE SPARE TIRE AND ASSEMBLY WERE MISSING. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THEY MUST HAVE BEEN STOLEN AND WROTE THAT ON THE ORIGINAL INVOICE. IT IS OBVIOUS FROM THE RECALL THAT THE CABLE BROKE AND THE TIRE AND ASSEMBLY WERE LOST AS A RESULT OF THE THIS MALFUNCTION. AGAIN DENIED. *TR

DURING A RECENT SAFETY INSPECTION SEVERE FRAME CORROSION WAS FOUND. THE GARAGE SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD A FRAME RECALL. WHEN I SPOKE WITH TOYOTA AMERICA THEY SAID IT HAD EXPIRED BECAUSE I HAD NOT ANSWERED THE RECALL NOTICES. WICH INEVER RECIEVED. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER AT THE SAME ADRESS AS THE TIME OF THE PURCHASE. THEY REVIEWED IT AGAIN AND THE NEXT DAY SAID THEY SENT THE REQUIRED NOTIFICATION 5 TIMES. BUT COULD NOT TELL TO WHAT ADDRESS THEY WERE SENT .THE FINAL ANSWER WAS I WAS NO LONGER COVERED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME, FRONT BUMPER, AND UNDERCARRIAGE WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED FROM THE FRONT BUMPER TO THE REAR. TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS SURFACE RUST ON THE VEHICLE. AS A REPAIR, THE DEALER APPLIED AN ANTI-RUST COATING ONTO THE FRAME TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. THE REPAIR DID NOT PREVENT THE FRAME FROM BECOMING COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000. *TR

WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO ADDRESS A RECALL RELATED TO THE SPARE TIRE SUPPORT, THEY TOLD ME THE VEHICLE FRAME WAS NOT SAFE AND THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS PERFORATIONS IN THE FRAME DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. I ADDRESSED WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE VALIDATED THE PROBLEM AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES BUT THAT TOYOTA AND "THE GOVERNMENT" DID NOT DEEM IT NECESSARY TO PUT A RECALL ON THE PROBLEM. MEANWHILE, THEY WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND INDICATED IT IS THE CUSTOMER.S RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR. THE TRUCK (NORMAL BLUE BOOK VALUE APPROX $7-8K) IS NOW UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO A FAULTY FRAME. *TR

I'M FILING THE COMPLIANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THESE OLDER FLY BY WIRE THROTTLE BODIES HAVE A FAULTY TPS THAT IS ONLY REPLACEABLE AS A WHOLE NEW THROTTLE BODY. THE COST ON THEM IS BETWEEN 700 TO 1000 DOLLARS. MY TACOMA DO HAVE A FAULTY TPS ON IT. I'M WAITING TO SAVE UP ENOUGH MONEY TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES THAT UPON PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC IT HAS ACTED UP. WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU GET A VERY BAD HESITATION OR LACK OF ACCELERATION TO THE POINT OF ENDANGERING MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. THE HESITATION HAS LASTED AS LONG AS 3 TO 5 SECONDS BEFORE THE THROTTLE WILL FINALLY RESPOND. THE CONDITION WILL ONLY HAPPEN DURING HOT SUMMER MONTHS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WOULD LIKE THE SEE THIS LOOKED INTO AND OR RESOLVED. I WILL BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY BECAUSE I WORK AT A DEALERSHIP AND GET THE PARTS AT COST. HOWEVER SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE UP THE COST FOR THE NEW PART. THANKS AGAIN SINCERELY!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL RELATED TO THE STRUCTURE; HOWEVER, THE RECALL EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 6/17/13 *CN