2005 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

NORMAL DRIVING ON THE STREET I NOTICED A NOISE ON THE REAR RIGHT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE AND I STOPPED TO VERIFY WHAT HAPPEN WHEN AND I REALIZE THAT THE REAR RIGHT SPRING ASSEMBLY WAS BROKEN ( SPLIT APART IN TWO SECTIONS). *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS MOSTLY STAYED ON FOR QUITE A WHILE. TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE SPIRAL/CLOCKSPRING CABLE ON MY VEHICLE IN MARCH 2012, WHICH ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE PROBLEM ON MY VEHICLE HAS GOTTEN WORSE. I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER SHOP AND THEY INDICATED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE SPIRAL CABLE, AS WELL. SINCE THAT TIME, TOYOTA JUST ISSUED ANOTHER RECALL (APRIL 2014), AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE TACOMA AND OTHER VEHICLES. AGAIN, MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SECOND RECALL. I CONTACTED TOYOTA HQ TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THEY NOTED IT, BUT HAVE TAKEN NO ACTION. MY VEHICLE HAS THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN BOTH RECALLS FOR THE SAME VEHICLE, YET MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND OTHERS SINCE THIS PROBLEM CAN PREVENT THE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THERE COULD BE A GAP IN THE SCOPE OF TOYOTA'S RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP. *TR

FRAME RUST NOTICED WHILE CONDUCTING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON TRUCK. THE WHOLE FRAME IS NOT RUSTED BUT THERE IS A LARGE WHOLE JUST BEHIND THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE NEAR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *TT

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

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA VEHICLE, FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO A HOLE IN THE FRAME. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE ENTIRE FRAME AREA. A PINHOLE WAS DISCOVERED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DENIED A PASSING INSPECTION. WAS SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT TO A FRAME WELDING SPECIALIST TO HAVE IT WELDED. TOYOTA NEEDS TO GET IT TOGETHER. THERE ARE MORE TRUCKS LIKE THIS OUT THERE, THEY HAVE ALREADY REPLACED EARLIER YEAR FRAMES DUE TO THE SAME ISSUES. *JS

LIKE MANY OTHER TOYOTA TACOMA OWNERS, MY AIRBAG DASHBOARD LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED LAST YEAR. AFTER RESEARCHING IT, TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE ACKNOWLEDGING A PROBLEM WITH THE "SPIRAL CABLE" AND INDICATED THEY WERE GATHERING THE PARTS AND WOULD SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER AND AFTER INQUIRING, MY VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. AFTER RESEARCHING A BIT MORE, IT APPEARS MANY TACOMA OWNERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND WERE EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE AIRBAG DASHBOARD LIGHT NOW ILLUMINATES CONTINUOUSLY. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD BE $106 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM (WE ALL KNOW IT'S A SPIRAL CABLE ISSUE) AND FROM ALL ACCOUNTS, THE SPIRAL CABLE REPLACEMENT COST IS NORTH OF $500 (EVEN THOUGH TOYOTA'S PRESS RELEASE INDICATED IT IS A 30 MINUTE FIX). BY THE WAY, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A FRONTAL CRASH AS LONG AS THE AIRBAG DASHBOARD LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. THE COST OF REPAIR IS OUT OF RANGE FOR MOST AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THE DEALERSHIP HAD LITTLE CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THE OCCUPANTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THE NHTSA IS FAILING TO ANALYZE THE DATA AND MAKE A COMPELLING CASE TO TOYOTA TO EXPAND THE AFFECTED RANGE OF VINS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. IT IS YET ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR TOYOTA FOR DEMONSTRATING A LACK OF CONCERN FOR A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD END UP SERIOUSLY INJURING OR KILLING A VEHICLE OCCUPANT, UNNECESSARILY. GIVEN THE RECENT PUBLICITY OF THE FINE LEVIED AGAINST TOYOTA AND THE GRILLING GM IS NOW TAKING, YOU WOULD EXPECT THE AUTOMAKERS TO STEP UP THEIR GAME. MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THEY SIMPLY DON'T CARE. IF NHTSA IS NOT FORCING THEIR HANDS ON SAFETY ISSUES, IT'S OBVIOUS CAR MANUFACTURERS NO LONGER HAVE INCENTIVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. NHTSA, WE'RE COUNTING ON YOU TO ANALYZE THIS DATA FOR SAFETY SAKE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS AS 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V092000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURE AND DEALER WERE BOTH MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

LAST FALL, I WAS ADVISED BY A PRIVATE GARAGE THAT MY 2005 TACOMA HAD EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST. I BROUGHT IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND I SHOULD NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL THE FRAME WAS REPAIRED. I OPENED A CASE WITH TOYOTA AND HAVE HEARD NOTHING. I WROTE LETTERS TO THE GM AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN LAKEWOOD, NJ AND THE REGIONAL MANAGER IN NJ, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. I CANNOT SELL THE VEHICLE NOR TRADE IT IN THE SHAPE IT IS IN, NOR SHOULD I BE USING IT (ALTHOUGH I MUST). THERE IS A HOLE IN THE BOXED PART OF THE FRAME THAT IS ABOUT 8" LONG AND 2-3" HIGH. THERE MAY BE MORE BY NOW. THE RUST HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT IT IS STAINING MY DRIVEWAY, WHICH IS BLACKTOPPED! I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S REPUTATION. THEY DID THE RIGHT THING WITH THE FRAMES ON THE 1ST GENERATION TACOMA, IT ABOUT TIME THEY WERE ENCOURAGED TO DO SO WITH THE NEWER VEHICLES BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT. *TR

I HAVE NOTICED EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME OF MY 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA AND ALSO RUST HOLE THROUGH THE FRAME/LEAF SPRING MOUNT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. I DID CONTACT AND SEND PICTURES TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER FILE# STATING THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY WONT REPAIR THIS UNSAFE CONDITION THAT SO MANY TACOMA'S ARE HAVING. WHEN ONE OF THESE TACOMA'S GETS INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH THE FRAMES COMPROMISED BY THE RUST IT WILL CAUSE SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH TO THE OCCUPANTS AND THIS HAS TO BE FIXED NOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, HE DID AN INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.