2009 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN# T-SB-0129-11 TOYOTA KNEW THERE IS A MELTING/SAFETY ISSUE WITH DRL YET I WAS NOT INFORMED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN WARRANTY BACK IN SEPTEMBER 2011, WHEN THE TSB ABOVE WAS PUBLISHED BY TOYOTA. TOYOTA STILL WANTS ME TO PAY AT 31,000 MILES 2009 TACOMA ALMOST $300 TO FIX IT. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE SINCE MELTING HAS DIMMED THE LIGHTING OUTPUT & POSES A FIRE HAZARD AS THE MELTING HAS ALSO REACHED THE BACK OF THE BULB SOCKET WHERE THE WIRING IS. PLEASE HELP. *TR

2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. LAST WEEK I HAVE TO CHANGE THE BURNT LIGHT BULB FOR THE TURN/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT AND NOTICED THAT THE LENS INSIDE THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WAS BROKEN IN HALF. BY LOOKING FROM THE FRONT SIDE I CAN SEE THAT THE PLASTIC LENS HAS BEEN MELTED DOWN. AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTION, I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A TRACE OF OVERHEATING ON THE SOCKET. THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE A FIRE ON THIS VEHICLE. I HOPE TOYOTA WILL STAND FOR IT'S REPUTATION AND CORRECT THIS ISSUE. BECAUSE, IT WILL CREATE A FIRE HAZARD IN THE FUTURE. *TR

THE PLASTIC HOUSING/PLASTIC LENS COVERING THE AMBER DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND THE CLEAR FOG LIGHTS ARE BURNED, MELTED, CRACKED AND BROKEN. THIS IS NOT DUE TO ANY FRONT END COLLISION BUT DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT GENERATED BY THE ORIGINAL FACTORY-INSTALLED LIGHT BULBS. THE LIGHTS ARE GENERATING SO MUCH HEAT THAT THEY ARE MELTING, BURNING AND CRACKING THE PLASTIC HOUSING WHICH THEN BREAKS UNDER DRIVING STRESS. COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN OFF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. EITHER THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS MUST BE ON OR THE HEADLIGHTS MUST BE ON. THEREFORE, THE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO BURN THE PLASTIC HOUSING. TOYOTA WILL NOT COMPLETELY COVER THE COST TO REPAIR AND REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE LIGHT SYSTEMS STATING THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS ONE YEAR OUT OF THE 3 YEARS MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY THIS PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR OVERNIGHT BUT IS THE RESULT OF 4 YEARS OF USE. THE LENS HAVE BEEN PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. BECAUSE THE LENS ARE BURNED, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT A FIRE COULD OCCUR. *TR

HEADLIGHT HOUSINGS TURN SIGNAL/DTRL LENS IS BURNED AND CRACKED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM BULB. APPARENTLY FROM WHAT I HAVE READ IN FORUMS AND OTHER ON LINE SOURCES, TOYOTA IS AVOIDING THIS PROBLEM BY SAYING NO REMEDY DUE TO FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED OR COMPLETELY DENYING IT. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE MADE AVAILABLE UPGRADED REPLACEMENT PARTS. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN MARCH 2011 AND NOTICED THIS CONDITION RIGHT AFTER PURCHASE. IT HAS NOW WORSENED TO THE POINT THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE NOW HAS 48,381 MILES. *TR

THE PLASTIC HOUSING/PLASTIC LENS COVERING THE AMBER DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND THE CLEAR FOG LIGHTS ARE BURNED, MELTED, CRACKED AND BROKEN. THIS IS NOT DUE TO ANY FRONT END COLLISION BUT DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT GENERATED BY THE ORIGINAL FACTORY-INSTALLED LIGHT BULBS. THE LIGHTS ARE GENERATING SO MUCH HEAT THAT THEY ARE MELTING, BURNING AND CRACKING THE PLASTIC HOUSING WHICH THEN BREAKS UNDER DRIVING STRESS. COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN OFF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. EITHER THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS MUST BE ON OR THE HEADLIGHTS MUST BE ON. THEREFORE, THE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO BURN THE PLASTIC HOUSING. TOYOTA WILL NOT COMPLETELY COVER THE COST TO REPAIR AND REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE LIGHT SYSTEMS STATING THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS ONE YEAR OUT OF THE 3 YEARS MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY THIS PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR OVERNIGHT BUT IS THE RESULT OF 4 YEARS OF USE. THE LENS HAVE BEEN PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. BECAUSE THE LENS ARE BURNED, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT A FIRE COULD OCCUR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I/S 95 IN ATTLEBORO, MA AT ABOUT 2:45 PM ON 6/6/13 IN A 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP. MY WIFE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE ONLY OTHER PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 60 MPH AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE TO TAKE EXIT 2 ONTO RT 1A SOUTHBOUND. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND ENGAGED. WHEN I FLIPPED THE LEVER TO DISENGAGE (CANCEL) THE CRUISE CONTROL THE TRUCK DID NOT START TO SLOW DOWN (MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL). IF ANYTHING, THE TRUCK STARTED TO ACCELERATE. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES VERY FORCEFULLY, WITH LITTLE, IF ANY AFFECT. I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL. BY THIS TIME, I WAS OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ON THE EXIT RAMP. CENTRIFUGAL FORCE WAS PUSHING ME TO THE LEFT. IT PUSHED THE TRUCK OVER THE CURB AND GRASS AND INTO THE ENTRANCE RAMP FROM 1A SOUTH ONTO I/S 95 SOUTH. AT THIS TIME, I SAW A VEHICLE ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP HEADED TOWARD ME. HAD I TRIED TO STEER TO THE RIGHT THE TRUCK WOULD MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE SKIDDED AND BLOCKED THE RAMP ENTIRELY, SO I TURNED TO THE LEFT, TURNING INTO THE SKID, HOPING THAT THE ONCOMING VEHICLE WOULD HAVE ROOM ENOUGH TO PASS TO MY RIGHT. MY TRUCK CONTINUED SKIDDING TO MY LEFT AND I BELIEVE HIT THE CURB ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE RAMP. IT THEN FLIPPED ONTO THE DRIVERS SIDE, SKIDDED ALONG THE PAVEMENT, HIT SOMETHING ELSE MOST LIKELY THE GUARDRAIL AND FLIPPED BACK TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION. IT CAME TO REST ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE RAMP. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT BECAME OF THE PREVIOUSLY ON-COMING AUTO. THERE WAS NOTHING TO INDICATE CONTACT BETWEEN CONTACT BETWEEN THE TWO VEHICLES. BOTH SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. BOTH OF US HAD OUR SEAT BELTS ATTACHED. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN, THE ROOF SEVERELY DENTED, SCRAPES ALONG THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND GLASS THROUGHOUT THE CAB. THE RESCUE ARRIVED AND TRANSPORTED US TO THE HOSPITAL.

DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHT COVERS BURNT FROM THE HEAT OF LIGHT BULBS BEING MOUNTED TO CLOSE TO LENS COVER. LENS COVER CRACKED, BURN AND AT SOME TIMES SMOLDERS. *TR

DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT (DTRL) HOUSING BURNED/MELTED/CRACKED ON BOTH LH & RH. SAFETY RELATED SYSTEM WITH PROPER OEM FACTORY BULBS STILL INSTALLED. *TR

INSIDE THE FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS A COMBINATION TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR/ EMERGENCY FLASH INDICATOR/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT. *TR THE LENSE FOR THIS COMBINATION INDICATOR INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS MELTED AND AFFECTED THE INTEGRITY OF THE COMPONENT. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TWICE AND TOYOTA CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BY TELEPHONE. BUT THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CORRECTING THE PROBLEM, EXCEPT FOR TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPLETE ASSEMBLY AT MY EXPENSE. BY THE REGULATIONS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH THE DOT TOYOTA SHOULD COMPLY WITH PART 564 OF THE SAFETY REGULATION REQUIREMENTS, AND BY THIS SHOULD NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE OPTIONAL REPLACEMENT PARTS AS A SERVICE BULLITIN WITH A MAILED NOTIFICATION LETTER. BECAUSE OF THIS OVERSIGHT TOYOTA HAS CHOSEN TO ADAPT A STRATAGY TO USE AN EXCEPTION TO THEIR WARRANTY CONTRACT BY LIMITING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IN EFFECT OF COMPONENT EXCLUSIONS I.E. LIGHT BULBS BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S INABILLITY TO RECOGNISE AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH A NOTIFICATION. MANY OF THE DEALERS AND OWNERS WHO COULD HAVE CORRECTED THE IMPROPER MATCHING OF THE ASSEMBLIES, BEFORE DAMAGE TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE SIGNAL INDICATORS REQUIRED SAFE OPERATION WAS LOST AND TOYOTA GAINED CONSIDERABLE FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY.

THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DRL'S) ON MY 2009 TACOMA HAVE BUBBLED UP AND CRACKED THE LENS/PLASTIC. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS BECAUSE THE BULB IS TOO CLOSE TO THE PLASTIC OR THE WATTAGE IS TOO HIGH FOR THE PLASTIC. THE DRL'S ARE ALSO USED AS FRONT END TURN SIGNALS. IF THESE FAIL, IT COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. DEALERSHIP DENIED TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT FOR IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE AGREEMENTS OF MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR