2009 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

WHEN I TOOK MY TACOMA PICKUP TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR ITS 35,000-MILE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION, THEY POINTED OUT THAT THE LENSES ON BOTH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE BURNED AND DISTORTED, APPARENTLY FROM THE HEAT OF THE AMBER BULB. THEY SAID THERE IS NO SOLUTION OTHER THAN REPLACING THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT MODULE ON BOTH SIDES. PARTS AND LABOR WOULD BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN $700 AND $1,000. I'M PAST THE THREE-YEAR WARRANTY COVERAGE. I SENT AN E-MAIL COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THIS IS A COSMETIC PROBLEM THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX. WRONG. THIS IS A FIRE SAFETY PROBLEM. FROM ONLINE RESEARCH, I HAVE NOW LEARNED THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH TACOMAS. ON NEW MODELS, IT HAS BEEN FIXED WITH A REDESIGNED HEADLIGHT MODULE THAT MOVES THE BULB SOCKET FARTHER BACK TO PREVENT THE HEAT FROM THE BULB FROM DAMAGING THE LENS. ON OLDER MODELS, YOU COULD JUST REMOVE THE BULB TO AVOID A FIRE EXCEPT THAT THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT BULB IS ALSO THE TURN SIGNAL BULB. I HOPE YOU WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I WAS COMING INTO A RIGHT HANDED CORNER ON DRY PAVEMENT DOING 45MPH (LESS THAN THE SUGGESTED SPEED FOR THE CORNER). AS I LET OFF THE THROTTLE AND TURNED INTO THE CORNER THE VEHICLES STABILITY CONTROL KICKED IN CAUSING THE TRUCK TO GO STRAIGHT. I HAD TO FIGHT AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL AND MANAGED TO OVERPOWER THE STABILITY CONTROL BUT BY THEN I WAS IN THE ON-COMING LANE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DTR LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED AND MELTED THE HEADLIGHT CASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE DTR LIGHT BULB ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,569. *TR

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, I NOTICED THAT THE TRUCK NUDGES OR SLIGHTLY MOVES WHILE AT A STOP, BRAKE ON AND ENGINE RUNNING. WHEN BRAKE IS RELEASED IT NUDGES AGAIN. I AM UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE OR A BRAKE ISSUE. I HAVE TAKEN TO TOYOTA ON NUMBER OF TIMES. NOTHING DONE. ONE COMMENT FROM TOYOTA ONLINE WAS THIS IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT YEAR TRANSMISSION. FUNNY, IT DID NOT DO THIS WHEN PURCHASED. NOW I CANT SELL IT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA. ANOTHER FIND ONLINE FROM OTHERS WAS THAT THIS IS A DRIVE LINE WRAP. SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT WHILE UNDER LOAD. THE TRUCK RUNS GREAT AND I DO NOT EXPERIENCE ANY ISSUES WITH THE SHIFTING OR DRIVE-ABILITY OF THE TRANSMISSION WHILE MOVING. NEW TIRES WERE INSTALLED LAST MONTH AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO DIMINISH. IT IS NOW BACK TO THE SAME PATTERN...AT EVERY STOP. CAN YOU ASSIST WITH ANY SOLUTIONS? I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT FIXED. HOPEFULLY BY TOYOTA ON THEIR NICKEL. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, IN SEPT 2011, I HAD MY TRUCK FOR ONLY A FEW WEEKS AND I WAS DRIVING AND HIT A SMALL BUMP AND HEARD AS WELL AS FELT A LOUD THUMP COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AREA, I ALSO NOTICED MY BED WAS MOVING A LITTLE AS WELL. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO THE DEALERSHIP AS SOON AS I HEARD THE ISSUE, BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY DIDN'T HEAR OR FEEL ANYTHING. NOW WHEN I HIT ANY BUMP (BIG/SMALL) I CAN LITERALLY SEE THE BED ON MY TRUCK MOVE IN MY SIDE MIRRORS, THE ISSUES ARE PROGRESSING AND MY TRUCK IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND I WANT THESE ISSUES FIXED ASAP, ESP SINCE ITS STILL UNDER WARRANTY . EXTREMELY HARSH RIDE, AND FEELING UNSAFE TO DRIVE, NEEDS TO BE FIXED ASAP. *TR

DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE TOO HOT CAUSING THE PLASTIC LENSES TO CRACK, MELT, AND BURN. TOYOTA IS TREATING THIS AS PURELY COSMETIC IN T-SB # 0129-11 (FOR 6 MODEL YEARS THEY WERE AWARE OF IT). THIS LISTING SHOULD BE CHANGED TO A SAFETY RECALL, THAT AMOUNT OF HEAT COULD START A VEHICLE FIRE. *TR

I HAVE A 09 TACOMA AND THE DRL'S HAVE ACTUALLY BURNED, MELTED AND POPPED THE LENS IN FRONT OF THEM. ALSO, THE BULBS THEMSELVES, UPON EXAMINATION, HAVE BURNED THE SOCKET IN WHICH THEY ARE HELD. YOU CAN SEE BLACK AROUND THE BASE OF THEM. TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AT 59K MILES AND I HAVE THE PLATINUM 7YEAR/100000MI WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ME 1100 FOR PARTS ALONE TO FIX, OFFERED NO HELP AND LIED TO ME AND SAID THEY HAVE HAD NO OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE AND ITS A RARE PROBLEM NEVER BEFORE SEEN. I HAVE REMOVED MY DRL BULBS OUT OF CONCERN OF A FIRE STARTING AND THEN I PROBABLY GET STUCK WITH THAT BILL OF A BURNT FRONT END. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE TOYOTA PUT IN A BULB THAT'S TOO HOT OR BECAUSE TOYOTA DECIDED TO MAKE A CHEAP PLASTIC COVER FOR THE BULBS. I HAD ZERO INFLUENCE ON THIS FAILURE. THERE ARE COUNTLESS POSTS ON ALL KINDS OF WEBSITES CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. I CAN TRACK DOWN OVER 1000 IN LESS THAN 30 MIN. PLEASE HELP. WHEN I CALL TOYOTA I JUST GET BULLIED AROUND AND TALKED TO LIKE I'M DUMB OR DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. *TR

AT MY STATE INSPECTION I WAS TOLD THE FRONT BALL JOINTS WERE VERY BAD. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY, THEY WOULD COST $800.00 TO REPAIR AND THEY HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE BEFORE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. THIS YEAR I TOOK MY TRUCK IN FOR INSPECTION TO FIND THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS ON BOTH SIDES WERE BROKEN. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER I WAS AGAIN TOLD IT WAS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AND THEY HAD NOT EXPERIENCED IT BEFORE. I ASKED TO HAVE THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE TOYOTA DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE, BUT WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT GIVE THAT INFORMATION OUT. I SENT A COMPLAINT VIA EMAIL TO TOYOTA CORPORATE AND AT THIS POINT HAVE RECEIVED NOT RESPONSE. THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOPS TELL ME THEY HAVE REPAIRED MANY OF THESE TRUCKS FOR THESE PROBLEMS. THE INTERNET IS AWASH WITH COMPLAINTS REGARDING BROKEN SPRINGS. I WAS LUCKY, I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE SPRING PIECE REACHED MY REAR TIRE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE COMPANY IS TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY TO RESOLVE. *TR

DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS LENS MELTED AND CRACKED ON BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY, CAUSING AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE TOO CLOSE IN PROXIMITY AND WAS CAUSING THE CONTACT TO ERRONEOUSLY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,800.