2006 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON LAST WEEK AND I FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE RECALL FOR THE AIRBAG LIGHT DUE TO A SPIRAL CABLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY TOYOTA WAS NOT COVERED FOR MY TACOMA MODEL. FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC REVEALED IT IS THE SPIRAL CABLE AND THEY ARE CHARGING ME $600.00. THEY SAID IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. *TR

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON LAST WEEK AND I FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ONLINE. WHEN I BROUGHT MY TACOMA TO THE DEALERSHIP THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THE RECALL FOR THE AIRBAG LIGHT DUE TO A SPIRAL CABLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT COVERED FOR MY TACOMA MODEL. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE CURRENT RECALL WAS FOR A CERTAIN SPIRAL CABLE NOT IN MY MODEL TACOMA AND THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE THE ISSUE. THE NEXT DAY THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AND SAID FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC REVEALED IT IS THE SPIRAL CABLE AND THEY ARE CHARGING ME $600.00 TO REPAIR A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THIS WAS A SAFETY CONCERN AND THAT THE AIRBAG WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED IF I WERE TO HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING HOME MY TRUCK STARTED MAKING A NOISE FROM THE BACK END. WHEN I GOT HOME I LOOKED AT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK AND BOTH SPRING SHACKLES WERE RUSTED AWAY AND HOLES IN THE FRAME ABOVE THEM. THE FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE PROBLEM BUT WE AREN'T GOING TO FIX IT. *TR

RETURNING HOME WITH MY GRANDSON FROM VISITING A STATE UNIVERSITY I HEAD A KNOCKING SOUND IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT A RUBBER BUSHING HAD FAILED BECAUSE PREVIOUS MODELS OF TOYOTAS (TERCELS) MADE THE SAME SOUND WHEN THE TORSION BAR BUSHINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPON RETURNING HOME I FOUND THE SWAY BAR HAD COME OUT OF THE LEFT BRACKET WHICH SECURES IT TO THE FRAME AND WAS STRIKING THE FRONT LEFT SPRING OF THE SPRING AND SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLY. THE SWAY BAR BRACKET HAD BENT UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE SWAY BAR BECAUSE THE FRAME HAD RUSTED OUT WHERE THE REAR SWAY BAY BRACKET MOUNTING BOLT CONNECTS TO THE FRAME. THERE IS NO FRAME MATERIAL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME TO REATTACH THE SWAY BAR BRACKET.THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME HAS RUSTED OUT. LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME IT HAS EXCESSIVE RUST. I HAVE OWNED TOYOTAS SINCE 1977 OR 78. OWNING TERCELS, COROLLA, CAMRY, 1995 TOYOTA PICKUP AND A 4RUNNER. TOYOTA QUALITY THIS TACOMA IS NOT! *TR

I HAVE OWNED MY TRUCK FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS. THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAS SIGNIFICANT RUST AND ROT. THERE ARE SEVERAL HOLES THROUGH THE FRAME DUE TO ROT AND CORROSION WHICH ARE NOT NORMAL FOR A VEHICLE LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD. ON THE DRIVERS SIDE NEXT TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THERE IS A HOLE. ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN THE REAR OF THE BODY MOUNT THERE IS A HOLE AS WELL AS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME WHERE THE C CHANNEL BUTTS TOGETHER RIGHT BELOW THE BODY MOUNT. THE PASSENGER SIDE ALSO HAS A HOLE BY ONE OF THE EXHAUST HANGERS ABOUT 2"X3". THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RUST AND FLAKING ALONG THE ENTIRE FRAME. THE TOW HITCH HAS SIGNIFIACNT RUST AND HOLES AS WELL. ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO IN MID JUNE AFTER FILING A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA AND HAVING THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, IN RIVERHEAD NY, LOOK AT MY FRAME AND SUBMIT SOME PICTURES TO TOYOTA CORPORATE ONLY TO BE TOLD TOO BAD WE AREN'T REPLACING FRAMES IN NY. I HAD A GAS TANK SUPPORT STRAP FAIL WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, LUCKILY I DIDN'T LOSE THE GAS TANK AND END UP IN A BALL OF FLAMES. I ALSO REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I WAS LIABLE TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK STRAPS. THERE IS A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES WITH THESE FRAMES BUT WHEN I LOG ON TO THE TOYOTA OWNERS WEBSITE I CAN NOT FIND ANY MENTION OF SUCH CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER THERE IS THREAD ON A TACOMA ENTHUSIAST SITE, TACOMAWORLD.COM WHERE PEOPLE ARE POSTING AND TRACKING THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRESS WITH TOYOTA AND THE ISSUES WITH THEIR FRAMES. THE MANAGER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE FRAME PROBLEMS HOWEVER RIGHT NOW TOYOTA IS NOT REPLACING FRAMES. I SPOKE TO SOMEONE AT TOYOTA CORPORATE ABOUT MY PARTICULAR FRAME AND SHE STATED THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUES AND MY FRAME MEETS THE CRITERIA TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE IT. SO BASICALLY TOYOTA TOLD ME I'M SOL. *JS

SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 6 YEARS-OLD I'VE EXPERIENCED A HIGH DEGREE OF FRAME RUST. SINCE THIS TIME, ON A ANNUAL BASIS, I'VE SPOT PAINTED (WITH RUST PROTECTANT PAINT) AREAS OF THE FRAME THAT IS 'PEPPERED' WITH RUST. RECENTLY, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS RAMPANT THROUGHOUT THE TACOMA COMMUNITY, SO I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED TOYOTA. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NON-RESPONSIVE, SO I AM IN THE PROCESS OF DEALING WITH THE CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AS I WRITE THIS, I AM AWAITING THEIR RESPONSE. I FIND THIS FRAME RUST PROBLEM DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE. MY LOCAL CLIMATE ONLY SEES AN AVERAGE HUMIDITY LEVEL OF 5%, WITH VERY LITTLE RAIN, YET STILL THE FRAME IS PEPPERED WITH RUST EACH YEAR I DO MY INSPECTION. *JS

PARKING BRAKE SLEEVE BROKE AT REAR WHEELS CAUSING THE CABLE TO SEIZE IN THE SLEEVE AND MAKING THE REAR WHEELS LOCKUP OR PARKING BRAKE TO FAIL. *TR

SIGNIFICANT RUST IN THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. BASEBALL SIZE HOLE IN THE FRAME ADJACENT TO THE DRIVER SIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. MAJOR RUST THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE FRAME. YOU CAN SEE SWELLING IN SOME AREAS WHERE THERE ARE TWO LAYERS OF STEEL THAT ARE SANDWICHED TOGETHER. BRAKE AND FUEL LINES HAVE SEVERE CORROSION. FACTORY INSTALLED TOWING HITCH IS COMPLETELY UN-USABLE DUE TO SEVERE RUST. TOYOTA CORPORATE TOLD ME I AM OUT LUCK. WOULD HATE TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN A CRASH OF ONE OF THESE TRUCKS WITH A DEFECTIVE FRAME! THE BRAKES COULD FAIL ALSO DUE TO THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES. FUEL LINES COULD ALSO START LEAKING AT SOME POINT CREATING A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

DUE TO THE RUSTED FRAME ISSUES THAT I REPORTED TO TOYOTA ON 04/16/2014 (MULLER TOYOTA AND TOYOTA CORPORATE) MY CLUTCH PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOOR WHEN CROSSING AN INTERSECTION ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH WHEN THE RUSTED CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER STUCK . THERE ARE BIG RUST HOLES IN THE FRAME AND TOYOTA FREELY ADMITS THAT THEY ARE DEFECTIVE FRAMES , BUT WON'T HAVE A RECALL ON THOSE MODEL TACOMAS UNTIL ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN OR GET INJURED OR KILLED ! SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THESE DEFECTIVE FRAMES THAT RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT. *JS

HEAVY RUST ON VEHICLE FRAME. THE FRONT TOW BAR IS RUSTED THROUGH. YOU CAN SEE THE THREADS OF ONE OF THE BOLTS THAT MOUNTS THE SKID BARS THROUGH THE FRAME. HEAVY RUSTING OF FRAME MOSTLY IN THE FRONT UNDER THE ENGINE. THE FRAME IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THIS IS EVIDENT WHEN YOU WIPE THE INSIDE RAILS OF THE FRAME AND RUST DEPOSITS ARE FOUND. THE TOW BAR IS HOLLOW AND MULTIPLE 2-3IN LONG BY 1/8-1/4IN PIECES HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT. OTHER PARTS OF THE FRAME HAVE SIMILAR PIECES FOUND ALTHOUGH NONE HAVE BEEN FOUND THAT ARE QUITE THAT LARGE. THE RUST IS CAUSING THE FRAME TO BUBBLE UP AND IS OFTEN TWICE THE WIDTH OF THE FRAME. SOME PARTS ARE FINE. THERE IS A SPOT ON THE FRONT FRAME THAT LOOKS BRAND NEW WHEN WIPED DOWN. IT IS BLACK AND SHINY WHILE RIGHT NEXT TO IT IS SOME OF THE WORST RUST. THE ONLY HOLES I HAVE FOUND SO FAR ARE IN THE FRONT. I HAVE A QUALITY VEHICLE INSPECTION FROM BIG ISLAND TOYOTA WHEN MY THE VEHICLE HAD 70801 MILES NOTING THE RUST ON FRAME. THIS WAS IN APRIL 2012. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN HAWAII AND HAS BEEN IN HAWAII EVER SINCE. THAT INSPECTION WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SIX YEARS OLD. OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE ARE SHOWING EXTENSIVE RUST AS WELL SUCH AS BRACKETS, NUTS, BOLTS, WHEEL HUBS AND RIMS. *TR