2001 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

TRUCK 'WANDERS' AND WON'T TRACK STRAIGHT WITHOUT CONTINUOUS CORRECTION WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. ESPECIALLY BAD WHEN HITTING BUMPS OR ON 'RAIN GROOVES' OR OTHER UNEVEN SURFACES. DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN LANE DISCIPLINE AND ESPECIALLY SCARY IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES WITH NARROW LANES AND CONCRETE DIVIDERS NEARBY. HAD FRONT END ALIGNED (NO HELP), NEW TIRES PUT ON (NO HELP), NEW SHOCKS INSTALLED (NO HELP), TIRES BALANCED (NICER RIDE, BUT STILL 'WANDERED'), FRONT END ALIGNED AGAIN (MINOR IMPROVEMENT) AND FINALLY SOME NEW TIRES (AGAIN...NO HELP.) THERE IS 'PLAY' IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THERE IS A RECALL AND A TSB FROM TOYOTA FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL TRUCK FOR 'WORN LOWER BALL JOINTS'. BUT WHEN INQUIRING WITH TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, I WAS TOLD BOTH TIMES THAT "MY" TRUCK WAS NOT AFFECTED. IT SURE FEELS AFFECTED!

THE 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK I OWNED WAS RECALLED FOR RUSTING FRAME. AT THE TIME I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE THE FRAME ON MY TRUCK WAS ALMOST 90% RUSTED. ON MAY 7, 2010 I TOOK IT TO FOX LAKE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAID RECALL AND APPLICATION FOR A CORROSION PREVENTATIVE COMPOUND WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ON EARLY OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR I NOTICE THAT LARGE AMOUNT OF THE APPLIED COMPOUND ARE PEELING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP ON OCTOBER 20 FOR INSPECTION RELATED TO THE PEELING ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED BACK OCTOBER 22 INFORMING ME THAT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING SINCE ALMOST ALL OF THE COMPOUND ARE NOW GONE. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL CLAIM THAT UPON SPEAKING TO TOYOTA, IT WAS NOTED THAT THEY ARE RESEARCHING IT. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE MY VEHICLE BACK. I HAVE THE VEHICLE WITH ME NOW BUT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE NOT KNOWING IF THE FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGHOUT. I INQUIRED TO THE SERVICE PERSONNEL IF THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT DID NOT GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER. WITH WINTER APPROACHING THE VEHICLE WILL BE AGAIN SUBJECTED TO THE CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT. TO DATE I HAVE NOT RECEIVE A CALL BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP OR TOYOTA AS TO WHAT ACTION THEY NEED TO PERFORM. NO CLAIM NUMBER WAS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE DEALERSHIP FOR ME TO USE IN CASE I CALL TOYOTA DIRECTLY. *TR

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLECAB THAT I PURCHASED USED IN 2008. I RECENTLY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA STATING THAT I SHOULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE FRAME CHECKED OUT FOR CORROSION AND RUST. I DID AND IT FAILED INSPECTION. IT WAS PERFORATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAME AND HAD EXCESSIVE RUST. TOYOTA OFFERED TO REPLACE THE FRAME RATHER THAN BUY THE TRUCK BACK. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE ANYMORE. THE REAR BUMPER IS ROTTED THROUGH, THE FRAME , AND BY DOING RESEARCH I'VE FOUND SEVERAL RECALLS THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF. THEY WANT TO BREAK DOWN THE TRUCK TO THE FRAME AND REPLACE AND REBUILD IT WITH THE SAME OLD PARTS IN A DEALERSHIP, NOT A MANUFACTURING PLANT. I WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT BUY BACK 2001 TACOMAS AND REFUSES TO NEGOTIATE TO GET THIS VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT REBUILT WHEN I BOUGHT IT AND THINK THAT IT IS VERY UNFAIR THAT I ONLY HAVE ONE OPTION. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND I WILL NO LONGER DRIVE IT EVEN IF THEY REPLACE THE FRAME. THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE AN OPTION TO HAVE THE VEHICLE BOUGHT BACK FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH AT LEAST. *TR

2001 TOYOTA TACOMA REPLACED REAR AXLE BEARING TWICE ALREADY TRUCK HAS LESS 90000 MILES. IN BOTH INCIDENTS IT HAS RUINED THE INTERNAL PARTS OF THE AXLES CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CARRIER CASE. I BOUGHT A 3 RD TRD AXLE AT A WRECKING YARD TO FIND THE SAME PROBLEM IN THAT AXLE. I WAS FORTUNATE I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT. THE REAR AXLE COULD OF LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR DEATH RELATED TO AXLE FAILURE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON RT 24 NORTH OF NASHVILLE, THE HOOD ON OUR 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA FLEW COMPLETELY OPEN. THE RESULT WAS A SMASHED FRONT WINDSHIELD, A DENTED CAB ROOF AND A SEVERELY BENT HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE PULLED OVER WITHOUT ANYONE BEING HURT OR KILLED. WE REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD AND TIED DOWN THE HOOD. *TR

EMERGENCY BRAKE FAILURE, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS SEIZED FOR A SECOND TIME. WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SEIZED IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO OPERATE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE DESIGN OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ALLOWS THE SYSTEM TO SEIZE DUE TO CORROSION AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE ACTUATING LEVER MEETS THE MOUNTING BLOCK. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD THIS REPAIRED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER AT A COST OF $350 (2 MOUNTING BLOCKS@ $90.00 EACH AND 1 HOUR LABOR PER SIDE TO REMOVE AND REPLACE MOUNTING BLOCKS AND ACTUATING LEVER(S). THE PROTECTIVE RUBBER BOOT WHICH SHOULD PROTECT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE LEVER AND MOUNTING BLOCK IS LOCATED APPROX 1/8" FROM THE JOINT, WHICH PROVIDES NO MEANINGFUL PROTECTION FROM WATER AND SALT I.E. CORROSION. ONCE A SMALL AMOUNT OF CORROSION OCCURS THE JOINT SEIZES AND RENDERS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE UNUSABLE. *TR

THE FRAME MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WAS BUILT ON IS ROTTING AND HAS A WHOLE IN IT. TOYOTA WANTS TO REPLACE THE FRAME, BUT THE COST EXCEEDS THE VALUE OF TRUCK. I DO NOT THINK THIS IS LEGAL. THE FIRST CUSTOMER SERVICE REP I SPOKE TO SAID "SHE WOULD NOT FEEL SAFE IN A TRUCK IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES". *TR

JUST PAID TOP DOLLAR FOR A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA ONLY TO FIND ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AWAY AND IS VERY UNSAFE WITH ANY WEIGHT LOADED IN IT. HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF PREMATURE FRAME FAILURE DUE TO FAULTY MATERIALS DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET. NEW FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH NEW FASTENERS. *TR

MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS A PERFORATED FRAME. I WAS ISSUED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA EXPLAINING THE OPTIONS. ONE OPTION WAS TO REPLACE MY FRAME. THE OTHER OPTION WAS FOR TOYOTA TO BUY BACK MY VEHICLE AT 1.5 % OF EXCELLENT KELLY BLUE BOOK. I WAS NOT GIVEN THE BUY BACK OPTION AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FORCE THE FRAME REPLACEMENT ON ME. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THE REMEDY THEY HAVE SELECTED FOR ME. THIS VEHICLE MAY NEVER BE THE SAME AFTER THE FRAME IS REPLACED. THIS IS NOT ANY EASY FIX . TO MANY PARTS ARE INVOLVED AND I WAS INFORMED IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 2 MONTHS TO COMPLETE THESE REPAIRS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 6 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE THE CONTACT HAD HER FOOT DEPRESSING THE BRAKES. SHE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE UNATTENDED ACCELERATION AND PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO HER HOME. THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS AND A DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000. UPDATED 07/19/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/23/10*JB