2005 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DOES NOT WORK DUE TO FAULTY WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. UPON INVESTIGATION OF ONLINE RESOURCES IT WAS FOUND THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE TACOMA MODEL. *TR

ON MAY 27, 2013 MY WIFE [XXX] AND I WERE TOWING MY BASS BOAT AND I BLEW OUT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET IT OFF OF THE ROAD TO CHANGE THE TIRE. IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE TIRE IN MY TRUCK, THE FRAME BENT UNDER THE PRESSURE OF THE JACK AND THE TRUCK, CAME OFF OF THE JACK, LUCKILY I HAD THE TIRE PARTIALLY ON THAT THE LUG BOLTS CAUGHT THE TRUCK. THIS RUSTING AND UNSAFE FRAME ISSUE DATES BACK TO 1/16/13 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 AM I WAS CONTACTED BY THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT DURING A REPAIR TO MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEY NOTICED THAT I HAD A HOLE IN MY FRAME AND THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. I FEEL TERRIBLE NOW, BUT I ALL BUT CALLED THE GIRL SERVICE MANAGER A LIAR AND ASKED THAT SHE TAKE ME A PHOTO OF THE HOLE AND SEND IT TO ME AT WORK. I WANT MY TACOMA FIXED, THE FRAME REPLACED AS I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE AND AFTER HAVING EXPERIENCED THE TRUCK FALLING OFF OF THE JACK AFTER THE FRAME BENT WHILE SIMPLY JACKING IT UP, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE WITH THIS ISSUE. IN MY RESEARCH I AM FINDING VOLUMES OF COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA IN KIND REGARDING FRAME ROT AND RUST. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED SOME INSTABILITY WHEN DRIVING, IT SEEMS TO HAVE A CONSTANT SHAKE IN THE STEERING. I HAVE PLACED NUMEROUS CALLS TO TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPLAINING IN DETAIL MY SAFETY CONCERN AND THE ANSWER I AM CONSTANTLY BEING GIVEN IS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT CURRENTLY PART OF THE RECALL PROGRAM. ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT, I FEEL THIS IS TERRIBLE ON TOYOTA'S BEHALF TO SUBJECT LOYAL CUSTOMERS TO SUCH POTENTIAL AND EMINENT SAFETY HAZARDS AS A WEEK AND INFERIOR FRAME! GOD HELP US IF WE ARE EVER INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT... HOW WELL WILL THESE FRAMES HOLD UP OR WILL WE BE CRUSHED LIKE A SODA CAN? SO MUCH FOR TOYOTA'S SAFETY RATING AT THAT POINT RIGHT? PLEASE HELP ME...PLEASE HELP ME. SINCERELY A CONCERNED TOYOTA OWNER, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DURING A REPAIR VISIT TO TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER I WAS INFORMED THAT MY FRAME WAS RUSTING IN SEVERAL PLACES. I WAS TOLD THAT AT THE PRESENT TIME THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT THAT THE RUST WOULD CONTINUE AND LEAD TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF RUSTING PROBLEMS WITH PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS. I SEE THAT THE 2004 AND EARLIER MODEL YEARS WERE RECALLED FOR RUSTING FRAMES. DEALERSHIPS WAS ALSO AWARE OF AN INCREASE IN FRAME RUSTING CASES IN 2005 TACOMA TRUCKS AS WELL. TRUCK ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES AND WAS NOT USED FOR HEAVY HAULING. REPAIR OR REINFORCEMENT IS NOT AN OPTION. ONLY REMEDY OFFERED BY TOYOTA WAS FOR ME TO REPLACE THE FRAME AT A COST OF $13,000. I FEEL THIS IS AN UNSAFE DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

STARTED HEARING RUBBING/GRINDING TYPE NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END. INSPECTED AND FOUND LF CV AXLE LEAKING GREASE, SO THOUGHT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THERE. REPLACED LF CV AXLE, AND THE NOISE DID NOT GO AWAY. INSPECTED FURTHER AND FOUND DRIVERS SIDE FRAME WHERE THE MOTOR MOUNT BRACKET IS WELDED TO CRACKED, CAUSING THE MOTOR TO FLEX AND THE FAN TO RUB ON THE FAN SHROUD. CONTACTED TOYOTA, WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO GET IT INSPECTED AT A DEALERSHIP. TOOK TO TOYOTA DEALER, WHO TOLD ME THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF DRIVER ABUSE, NO RUST, NOT REALLY ANYTHING THAT SHOWED WHY THE WELD HAD BROKEN, BUT THAT TOYOTA DID NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING DUE TO AFTERMARKET LIFT AND OVERSIZED TIRED. LIFT WAS ALREADY INSTALLED ON VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA CORPORATE TOLD ME THEY DID NOT WANT TO HELP BECAUSE VEHICLE IS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY. THE STEERING SHAFT IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE PART OF THE MOTOR THAT IS SAGGING DOWN, AND I AM AFRAID IF IT WERE TO BREAK COMPLETELY IT MIGHT STOP THE VEHICLE FROM BEING ABLE TO TURN. ALSO, IS THERE NOW EXTRA STRESS ON ANY OF THE WIRING? IS IT FLEXING AND POTENTIALLY BREAKING ANY FUEL LINES? I HAVE DONE SOME REASEARCH ON THIS, AND FOUND A LOT OF PEOLPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR TRUCKS. TOYOTA HAS STARTED PUTTING UPDATED FRAMES WITH MORE SUPPORT FOR THE MOTOR MOUNTS ON THE 2007 MODELS, KNOWING THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THE 05/06S, BUT ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND FIX THE ONES THAT HAVE BROKEN. *TR

MASSIVE AMOUNT OF FRAME RUST, WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY. REVIEWED BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER AND TOYOTA REP THAT HAPPENED TO BE AT DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD THAT RUST WAS NOT NORMAL AND PICTURES WERE TAKEN, TOLD THAT IT WAS DOCUMENTED BUT NOT TO EXPECT FURTHER ACTION. *TR

UPON INSPECTING THE UNDERSIDE OF MY 2005 TACOMA, I DISCOVERED HOLES IN BOTH SIDES OF THE INNER FRAME BEHIND THE FRONT WHEELS THAT HAD RUSTED RIGHT THROUGH THE FRAME. THE RUST CONTINUES TO SPREAD AND THE HOLES ARE GETTING LARGER. *TR

PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY TO PARK MY 2005 TACOMA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TACOMA ACCELERATES FORWARD AND PLUNGES INTO THE REAR END OF MY 2000 CORVETTE WHICH WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE, AND DOES $1321.22 IN DAMAGE. THE FORCE FROM THE TACOMA KNOCKED MY CORVETTE ABOUT 3 FEET FORWARD INTO A FREEZER IN THE GARAGE. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET BEHIND THE CORVETTE, AND THE CORVETTE WAS IN GEAR AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED, WHEN THE TACOMA SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. I HAVE BEEN PARKING IN SAME LOCATION OR 9 YEARS AND THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. I HAVE HAD ALL RECALLS DONE CONCERNING THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH THE TACOMA. THIS WAS NOT A PEDAL PROBLEM, IT IS A TOYOTA PROBLEM. IF HIS HAD HAPPENED AT A INTERSECTION WHO KNOWS WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED. SOMEONE NEEDS TO "FIX" THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2005 TACOMA FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO A HOLE IN THE FRAME FROM RUST. VEHICLE INSPECTED BY THE DEALER FROM WHICH IT WAS PURCHASED. HAD PURCHASED VEHICLE JUST LESS THAN ONE YEAR EARLIER, SECOND OWNER. NO ACCIDENTS AND WELL CARED FOR. IRONICALLY ENOUGH, WE BOUGHT THIS TACOMA TO REPLACE THE 1998 TACOMA WE LOST DUE TO A FRAME RUST PROBLEM IN THE TOYOTA BUYBACK PROGRAM. DEALER DID FIX AT NO COST UNDER USED CAR WARRANTY. REPORTED ISSUE TO THE TOYOTA USED CAR SALESMAN WHO SOLD US THE TRUCK AND HE STATED HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY FRAME RUST ISSUES ON 2005 TACOMAS. AFTER A CURSORY INVESTIGATION I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE. APPARENTLY TOYOTA HAS NOT THOROUGHLY ADDRESSED FRAME RUST ISSUES THAT PLAGUED EARLIER MODELS. A COMPLAINT WILL BE FILED WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT RECURRING RUST PROBLEM IN FUTURE WHICH WOULD LIKELY LEAVE US WITH A WORTHLESS VEHICLE BASED ON TOYOTA'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE ON-GOING FRAME RUST PROBLEMS. HOPEFULLY THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WILL STEP UP. *TR

FRAME AT PASSENGER SIDE MOTOR MOUNT IS CRACKED AND FAILED. BECAUSE IT'S VERY UNUSUAL FOR A TRUCK FRAME TO CRACK, NOTIFIED TOYOTA (HILO, HAWAII) OF THE PROBLEM AND ASKED IF THERE IS A RECALL TO ADDRESS IT. TOYOTA SAID IT'S NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND THERE IS NO RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE METAL FRAME WHERE IT BEGAN TO SEPARATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE FRONT PORTION OF THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. ..UPDATED 12-30-13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR FRAME WAS BEGINNING TO CORRODE. UPDATED 1/22/2014 *JS