2005 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

LAST MONTH I LOOKED UNDERNEATH MY TRUCK AND DISCOVERED SIGNIFICANT FRAME RUST. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AREAS ARE BETWEEN STEEL FRAME COMPONENTS THAT ARE RIVETED TOGETHER. RUST HAS FORMED BETWEEN THESE PLATES AND IS PUSHING THEM APART. THERE IS UP TO 3/8" DEFORMATION BETWEEN PLATES. THE PLATES WERE ORIGINALLY IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. THE PLATES ARE STILL IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AT RIVET POINTS. THE CONDITIONS OF THE CONCEALED PORTIONS OF THE RIVETS ARE UNKNOWN. THE RUST IS LOCATED PRIMARILY UNDER THE TRUCK BED, BUT THERE IS SOME UNDER THE PASSENGER CAB. AN INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN MISTREATED AND HAS FOLLOWED ALL MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE. I AM ALSO AWARE OF THE 2001-2004 TACOMA FRAME RECALL. I WILL BE CONTACTING TOYOTA IN THE NEAR FUTURE WITH THE HOPE THEY WILL PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS SITUATION. *TR

I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA NOW FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS ABOUT EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME OF MY 2005 TACOMA. I HAD EVEN REPORTED IT ON HERE BEFORE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF RUST. MY TRUCK WAS AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE MANAGER WANTED TO SHOW ME 2 HOLES IN MY FRAME AS A RESULT OF RUST. ONE HOLE WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL AND THE OTHER ABOUT THE SIZE OF A MARBLE. I HAVE DONE SOME MORE RESEARCH AND NEAR ALL OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT RUST ON THE SECOND GENERATION TACOMAS ARE IN THE SAME LOCATION. THE HOLES ARE ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAT. CONVERTS. APPARENTLY TOYOTA HAS REPLACED SOME OF THE SECOND GENERATION FRAMES BUT IT IS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. IRONICALLY THAT HAVE CHANGED THE FRAME SLIGHTLY ON THE 2009-2013 AND HAVE INCLUDING A PLASTIC SHIELD OF SORTS IN THE LOCATION OF MY HOLES. IT SEEMS TO ME THEY REALIZE THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT OWN UP TO IT LIKE THEY HAVE IN THE PAST WITH THE 98-2004 MODELS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AS THEIR ARE MANY OTHERS THAT ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS I AM IN RIGHT NOW. THE TRUCK LOOKS GREAT ON THE OUTSIDE BUT NOW IS A DEATH TRAP DUE TO THE FRAME. *TR

THERE WAS NO INCIDENT, BUT THERE IS EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME OF MY TRUCK. PIECES OF RUST REGULARLY FALL OFF WHILE I'M PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. I FEEL THE AMOUNT OF RUST IS EXCESSIVE FOR THE AGE OF THE CAR AND IS PROBABLY A DANGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRAME WAS PERFORATED DUE TO RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 184,000. UPDATED 12/20/13*CN

BACK IN JULY OF 2012 I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK FROM MORITZ CHEVROLET USED CARS IN FT. WORTH, TEXAS. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE FRAME RUSTING AT THE TIME. RUST ON A FRAME IS NOT USUALLY AN ISSUE TO EVEN HAVE TO CONSIDER WHILE BUYING A VEHICLE THAT NEW IN TEXAS. I MOVED TO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA IN JUNE AND ON MY TRIP UP I NOTICED THE TRUCK WAS VIBRATING/SHIMMING. I TOOK MY TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE TO BARREL TOYOTA IN CRANBERRY, PA TO CHECK IT OUT. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN NOTICED IT THEN AND TOOK SOME PICTURES OF THE RUSTED AREAS. I MADE MY FIRST CALL TO TOYOTA AT THIS TIME. NOT MORE THAN A MONTH LATER I HAD TO HAVE A BARRING REPLACED AT GUYS SERVICE STATION, KNOB HILL, PA. WHILE UP ON THE LIFT I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO SEE THE RUST DAMAGE FOR MYSELF.I DID CALL MORITZ CHEVROLET AND SPOKE TO THE SALES REP., [XXX], SHE ADVISED ME TO TRADE THE TRUCK IN. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA GLOBAL I WAS TOLD THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY HAD RECALLED TACOMAS UP TO 2004, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. ALL THAT THEY COULD DO WAS ASSIGN ME A CASE NUMBER. I RETURNED TO BARREL TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY COULD OFFER ANY HELP OR MAYBE A TRADE IN FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. THEY REFUSED. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THERE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA TRUCKS AND WHILE HE COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME, HE COULD RECOMMEND SOMEONE TO WELD IT. HE ALSO INFORMED ME AT THIS TIME THAT I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET MY TRUCK INSPECTED AFTER A WINTER HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA. NOW I'M NOT THE SMARTEST PERSON BUT EVEN I KNOW THAT THE FRAMES OF VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE A CERTAIN WAY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AND IF YOU WELD IT, IT WOULD COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE DESIGN. AFTER MY FRUITLESS RETURN TRIP BACK TO BARREL TOYOTA I SENT AN LETTER TO TOYOTA. STILL NO RESPONSE TO THIS DAY ! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE GETTING MY VEHICLE WORKED ON A TECH STATED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RUST ON MY FRAME. THE TOYOTA REP CAME TO LOOK AT IT AND SAID IT WASN'T TOO BAD BUT THAT I MIGHT WANT TO SELL THE CAR IN A YEAR OR TWO RATHER THAN DEAL WITH THE RUST. AN 8 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE A FRAME THAT RUSTED. *TR

ORIGINALLY NOTICED HEAVY RUST STAINS IN DRIVEWAY AND CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK TO INSPECT. HEAVY RUST WAS OBSERVED OVER MORE THAN 3/4 OF THE TRUCKS FRAME. LARGE, CHUNKY PIECES OF RUST WERE EASILY SEPARATING FROM THE FAME. FRONT CROSSMEMBER SHOWING HEAVY SIGNS OF DEEP RUST. CONTACTED THE TOYOTA CORP. AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAYING THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL OR PROGRAM IN PLACE FOR THE 2005+ TACOMAS DEALING WITH RUSTY FRAME ISSUES. I ALSO HAVE MANY UNNATURAL NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY THAT SOUND IF PARTS ARE NOT CONNECTED PROPERLY OR ARE MAKING CONTACT WITH OTHER PARTS. I WANTED TO FILE A CLAIM TO HOPEFULLY PROMOTE FURTHER ATTENTION TO THIS MODEL TACOMA. IN THE PAST YEARS OTHER TACOMAS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND WERE EVENTUALLY ADDRESSED. IS TOYOTA WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE BEFORE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD STICK WHEN ROUNDING A CURVE. THEN IT WOULD BE OK . AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND ABOUT 200 MORE MILES THE STEERING WHEEL HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN IT MOVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE WITHOUT MOVING THE TIRES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE UNIVERSAL JOINT FOR THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAD NO BEARINGS LEFT IN IT. SCARY.. *TR

WENT TO DRIVE HOME FROM WORK AND SAFETY BELT ON RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE PULLED ALL THE WAY OUT, WILL NOT RETRACT. HAVE HAD MANY ISSUES WITH THE SAFETY BELTS SINCE BUYING THE TRUCK, SUCH AS FOLDING UP, NOT RETRACTING ALL THE WAY, GETTING CAUGHT, BUT NONE AS BAD AS THE CURRENT ISSUE. RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM TOYOTA REGARDING THE SEAT BELTS IN THIS ACCESS CAB MODEL, BUT WAS INFORMED TODAY BY THE DEALER IN PLACERVILLE THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE SEATBELTS ON THESE ACCESS CAB MODELS ARE AFFECTED BY THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE REAR DOORS, AND HAVE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW. BECAUSE I NEED MY VEHICLE FOR MY COMMUTE, GOING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, HOWEVER, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE SOMEONE DYING BECAUSE OF THE FLAWS IN THE SEATBELTS IN THE 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA ACCESS CAB MODEL. *TR

DRIVER'S AIR BAG WARNING APPEARED, LATER DISAPPEARED. THIS HAS HAPPENED OFTEN OVER THE LAST YEAR. ACTIVATION OF THE TURN SIGNAL SOMETIMES CAUSES THIS. OTHER TIMES THE WARNING LIGHT JUST APPEARS BY ITSELF. A BLOW TO THE STEERING COLUMN SOMETIMES CAUSES THE LIGHT TO GO OUT. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM ADDRESS IN RECALL NHTSA # 12V092000 BUT TOYOTA SAYS MY TRUCK DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS. IS MY TRUCK COVERED OR NOT? *TR