2001 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

NO FAILURE AS OF YET, BUT HAVE TWO LOWER BALL JOINTS ON MY VEHICLE THAT BOTH ARE OUT OF TOLERANCE AT THE SAME TIME. SEEMS THAT MY MAKE AND MODEL YEAR HAD A RECALL ON THE LOWER BALL JOINTS BUT THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT MY VEHICLE WASN'T INCLUDED. IT SEEMS VERY ODD THAT THE BALL JOINTS ARE BOTH OUT AT THE SAME TIME, ALMOST LIKE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MORE OF THE JOINTS THAN THEY INITIALLY EXPECTED. *NM

FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT. MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB VIN [XXX] HAS DIAGNOSED WITH A WORN LOWER RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT A NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION FOR THE PAST 50,000+ MILES. INITIALLY THE NOISE OCCURRED WHILE TAKING LEFT TURNS, NOW THE NOISE OCCURS DURING ALL PHASES OF OPERATION (LEFT& RIGHT TURNS, AND STOPPING). TOYOTA CLAIMS MY THAT THE RECALL IS VIN SPECIFIC AND MINE IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL/TSB. YET MY VEHICLE EXHIBITS ALL THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN TSB 05015 (NHTSA #100015504) AND HAS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS CAUSING THE NOISE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V225000, REGARDING THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. UPDATED 3/20/2006 - *NM

ON FEB 2.01 WHEN REVIVING A NEW 200L TOYOTA TACOMA, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED (WOULDN'T TURN AT ALL). I GOT THE SALESPERSON WHO CAME WITH ME. HE JERKED THE STEERING WHEEL HARD AND IF WAS FREED. I ASKED IF THAT IS NORMAL, HE RESPONDED "IT'S OK, THEY ALL DO THAT." OVER THE YEARS WHENEVER IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE RIGHT, I REMEMBERED THE STATEMENT "IT'S OK, THEY ALL DO THAT". ON SEP 8, 2005 IN THE WALL-MART PARKING LOT WITH 18 CASES OF BOTTLED WATER TO TAKE TO MY CHURCH FOR SHIPMENT TO HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS IN BILOXI, MS, MY IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN NOR WAS I ABLE TO GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED, REPAIRED, AND PICKED IT UP. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT MY HISTORICAL PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING/IGNITION SINCE THE DAY I PICKED IT UP NEW. I MAILED THEM A LETTER BUT THEY TOTALLY IGNORED IT. I BELIEVE THEY ARE BEING NEGLIGENT BY NOT DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS RELATED TO 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUPS STEERING COLUMN/IGNITION PROBLEMS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANKS AND I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A NICE DAY. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WAS TRAVELING AT 35 MPH WHEN THE TIRE STARTED MAKING NOISE. VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE PROBLEM. DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT BROKE. THE CONSUMER CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN, ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE LOCATION OF THE BALL JOINT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT BALL JOINT. THE CONSUMER WAS HAVING THAT FIXED TODAY. TOYOTA OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY TO THE CONSUMER.*AK UPDATED 11/2/2005. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A TOYOTA RECALL ON 2004-2004 TOYOTA TACOMAS REGARDING THE FRONTAL BALL JOINTS. THE CONSUMER HAS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WHICH DID NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL CAMPAIGN, BUT THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS ON JUNE 8, 2004. THERE WAS A VIBRATION AND A RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WAS STATED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER; THEY OPENED A CASE AND DID PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH CASE NUMBER 200508100951. *AK THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED.

MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT. AT THE TRIAL THE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION PERSON SAID HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CRASH HAPPENED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE SOME ONE HAD YANKED THE WHEEL VERY HARD. THE TRIAL WAS FOR MANSLAUGHTER AND IT TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE RECALL. THE TRUCK WAS NEVER INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. I FEEL THIS WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE ACCIDENT. *JB

DT: WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHIFT TO THE RIGHT AND THE FRONT TIRES WERE WEARING TOO FAST, AND DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS SWOLLEN. CALLER STATED ALL THE TIRES WERE AFFECTED. DEALER COULDN'T TELL IF THIS VEHICLE WAS IN RECALL. CALLER SAID COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH MANUFACTURER. RECALL WAS ON BALL JOINTS, BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET CONTACTED VEHICLE'S OWNERS.*AK

DT: CONTACT STATES DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT BALL JOINT FELL OFF, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO COME OFF. THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE TOYOTA RECALL CAMPAIGN.*AK

WHILE BRAKING AT NY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE, AND THE PEDAL PULSATED. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. *AK