2005 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

2005 TOYOTA TACOMA FIRST ISSUE IS THE STEERING, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE TURNING THE STEERING HAS "LOCKED UP" , THE STEERING GETS EXTREMITY HARD TO TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. AFTER MY OWN RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THE UNIVERSAL JOINT ON THE STEERING SHAFT WILL LOCK UP OR GET EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN IF NOT GREASED. THE JOINT IS OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS AND HAS NO PROTECTIVE BOOT OVER IT. THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE FROM TOYOTA FOR THE JOINT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH. IF THE OPERATOR DOES NOT HAVE THE UPPER BODY STRENGTH TO FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN WHEN THE JOINT LOCKS UP IT MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS ISSUE IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED BY MECHANICS CAUSE EXPENSIVE UNNECESSARY REPAIRS (NEW STEERING RACK). THE SECOND ISSUE IS FRAME RUST. THE FRAMES ARE A POOR DESIGN, HAVE NO PROTECTIVE COATING AND ARE MADE OF INFERIOR METAL. A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH FOR "TACOMA FRAME RUST" WILL SHOW PLENTY OF HORROR STORIES OF FRAMES LITERALLY RUSTING AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK. THE OLDEST 2ND GENERATION TACOMAS (2005 PRODUCTION YEAR) ARE NOW 9 YEARS OLD, A FRAME ON A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE HAVING RUST ISSUES IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. ALONG WITH THE FRAMES RUSTING AWAY ALL COMPONENTS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME CAN FAIL. (LEAF SPRINGS, SHOCKS, MOTOR MOUNTS ETC). TOYOTA DID THE RIGHT THING WITH THE 1ST GENERATION TACOMAS THAT HAD THIS ISSUE. THEY ISSUED RECALLS AND BOUGHT BACK TRUCKS. CONSUMERS WERE LED TO BELIEVE THE FRAME RUST ISSUES WERE CORRECTED ON THE SECOND GENERATION TACOMAS BUT THEY WERE NOT. AS OF NOW TOYOTA IS HANDLING FRAME RUST ISSUES ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. SOME PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING TO GET NEW FRAMES AND SOME PEOPLE ARE LEFT WITH A TRUCK THAT IS RUSTING AWAY WITH NO HELP FROM TOYOTA. FRAMES RUSTING AWAY TO THE POINT THAT A HOLE THE SIZE OF A HAND CAN FIT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

WAS ADVISED OF SEVERE RUST PROBLEM ON FRAME OF VEHICLE BY INDEPENDENT GARAGE. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR INSPECTION AFTER OPENING A CASE WITH TOYOTA (1308190057). DEALER SERVICE MANAGER WROTE ON INVOICE "ADVISED CUSTOMER THAT HOLE IN FRAME FRT LEFT SIDE CALL #800 NUMBER FOR TOYOTA NO PROGRAMS OR WARRANTY AT THIS TIME. ADVISE CUSTOMER TO FIX FRAME BEFORE DRIVING CANNOT TELL IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER SPOTS IN FRAME THAT WILL RUST THRU. ADVISE CUSTOMER TO FIX FRAME BEFORE DRIVING VEHICLE." THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF RUST ON THE FRAME AND VARIOUS OTHER PARTS UNDER THE VEHICLE, AS EVIDENCED BY MY INSPECTION AND LARGE RUST STAINS ON MY DRIVEWAY. SENT LETTERS TO TOYOTA REGIONAL OFFICE IN NJ AND TO THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, BOTH OF WHICH WENT UNANSWERED. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA PICK UP LISTED ABOVE. BACK IN THE FALL OF 2013 I WAS ADVISED BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC THAT MY TRUCK HAD FRAME ROT NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO LIA TOYOTA IN COLONIE, NY AND THEY DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM. SEVERAL MONTHS PAST AND I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM. I CALLED THE NATL CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 800-331-4331, WHO ADVISED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DOCUMENTED, CASE #9735757600. I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH THE LOCAL DEALER BUT TO NO AVAIL. I AM NOT GETTING ANY FEEDBACK. I KNOW THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH FRAME ROT IN THE PAST AND IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY RECTIFIED BUT APPARENTLY NOT. I AM JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I DO NEXT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAD THIS VEHICLE INSPECTED BY TOYOTA AND THEY STATED SURFACE RUST ON FRAME. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 47000 MILES AND THE RUST IS NOT SURFACE RUST, IN MY OPINION, FOR THE MILEAGE. THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE IF TOYOTA DOESN'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE FRAME. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED 1995.5 THROUGH 2004 AND HAVE REPAIRED OR REPLACED FRAMES. TOYOTA NEEDS TO CONTINUE THEIR RECALL TO INCLUDE LATER VEHICLES WITH RUSTING PROBLEMS. IF TOYOTA DOES NOT STEP UP TO CORRECT THIS RUSTING PROBLEM IT WILL, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY BECOME A NATIONAL SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK IS RUSTING OUT AT AN ACCELERATED RATE. THE WELDS ARE RUSTING OUT AT HIGH STRESS POINTS (ENGINE MOUNTS AND SUSPENSION AREAS). TOYOTA HAS A HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TACOMA. *TR

I TOOK MY TRUCK TO GET IT INSPECTED AND THEY SAID THERE ARE HOLES IN THE FRAME A LARGE AS MY HAND. IT WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY 2 LITTLE SONS AROUND IN THIS VEHICLE WHICH HAS BEEN UNSAFE FOR A LONG TIME. THE HOLES ARE BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE STARTED YEARS AGO AS A SMALL HOLE WHICH MAKE THE TRUCK UNDRIVABLE. I HAVE A NICE LOOKING TRUCK THAT CANNOT BE DRIVEN. THE 1ST GENERATION TACOMAS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS SAME REASON. WHAT IS TOYOTA GOING TO DO? *TR

IT WAS CLEAR AND DRY ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE HOV LANE WAS DRY AND NEWLY PAVED. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65-60 MPG WHEN I SAW BRAKE LIGHTS. I BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND STEP ON THE BRAKES AT ABOUT 300 FEET. SUDDENLY, I NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WAS NOT STOPPING, BUT RATHER THAT IT HAD ALREADY STOPPED! AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AWAY FROM THE CAR, I PRESSED MY BRAKE PETAL TO THE FLOOR. AT 20 FEET BEHIND HIM, I SAID TO MYSELF THAT MY VEHICLE HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP BEFORE HITTING HIM. BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED AT THIS POINT. IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE WAS PUSHING MY VEHICLE FROM THE BACK (IT WAS NOT BEING PUSHED), OR THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, OR THAT THE ABS SYSTEM RELEASED THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES. THE RESULT WAS THAT I REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH OUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, NEITHER I NOR MY PASSENGER HAD CONTACT WITH THE AIRBAGS. I WAS PROBABLY GOING LESS THAN 15 MPH AT IMPACT. WHEN BRAKING, I NEVER FELT THE TATTLE-TELL FEELING OF A PULSATING BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE ABS SYSTEM GOES INTO EFFECT. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS SYSTEM IN THE PAST WHEN DRIVING IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE IN SNOW AND DRIVING OFF ROAD. THE ABS SYSTEM WOULD TAKE THE BRAKING CONTROL AWAY FROM ME, WHICH HAS CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS. THIS HAPPENED IN 2009 (OFF ROAD) AND 2010 IN DEEP SNOW. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE MY BRAKING AND ABS SYSTEM. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. IF THE ABS IS AT FAULT, THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2010 AND THE FIRST TIME ON DRY ROAD. THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR MY VEHICLE SAY THAT IT ONLY TAKES 126 FEET TO MAKE A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND SOLD BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY WILL HOLD IT FOR ONLY 4 DAYS FOR INVESTIGATION. THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED AND SERVICED FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA REGIONAL OFFICE ON 02/27/2014, BUT THEY WILL NOT DO AN INVESTIGATION. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT LUNGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. MH *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE, HE NOTICED THE FRAME UNDER THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS DETERIORATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED, DETERIORATED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. UPDATED 04/17/14*LJ *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM UNDER THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE METAL STRAPS USED TO SECURE THE FUEL TANK TO THE VEHICLE HAD RUSTED AND FRACTURED, CAUSING THE RIGHT FRONT SECTION OF THE FUEL TANK TO HANG FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FRACTURED METAL STRAP WOULD MAKE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT WHENEVER THE CONTACT WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000. ..UPDATED 04-22-14 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER WAS CHARGING HIM $1900 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. TWO MORE STRAPS BROKE, WHEN THE DEALER PUT THE VEHICLE ON THE RACK, WHICH CAUSED THE TANK TO FALL PULLING OUT THE GAS LINES AND WIRING, AS WELL AS CRACKING THE TANK. UPDATED 04/23/14.