2005 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

I AM THE SOLE OWNER/PURCHASER OF A 2005 TACOMA. LAST WEEK A LOUISVILLE, KY TOYOTA DEALER, OXMOOR TOYOTA, WAS REPLACING THE REAR U-JOINTS AND NOTICED RUST AND CORROSION THROUGHOUT THE FRAME. IT WAS SO BAD, THE TOYOTA TECHNICIAN CONSIDERED IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE CALLED TOYOTA USA BUT THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO... THERE SEEMS TO BE NEGLIGENCE AND LIABILITY HERE. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TRUCK FRAME WAS INSPECTED FOR RUST DAMAGE BY TOYOTA IN 2016 AS PART OF A RECALL. TOYOTA FOUND THE FRAME TO BE SOUND AND TREATED IT WITH ANTI-CORROSIVE MATERIAL. JUST FOUR YEARS LATER, THE TRUCK FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH IN SEVERAL SPOTS MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

AS I WAS DRIVING I WENT TO MAKE A TURN AND THE STEERING BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT AND DOSE NOT RESPOND AS IT SHOULD, TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THE STEERING SHAFT MUST BE REPLACED, I ALMOST RAN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE STEERING PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES ON CITY STREETS COUNTY ROUTES AND US HIGHWAY ROUTE 22 IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

THE FRAME OF THIS TACOMA IS RUSTED AND HAS SIGNIFICANT HOLES, VERY UNSAFE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MIXED MESSAGES BY DIFFERENT TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP NEEDS TO TAKE CARE IF THIS RECALLED FRAME AND STOP TELLING ME THEY DO NOT COVER MINE. I WILL NOT ACCEPT THE EXCUSE OF THE RECALL HAS EXPIRED. IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE AT THE RESIDENCE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE REAR DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF LA CROSSE (800 3RD ST S, LA CROSSE, WI 54601) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 122,000.

VEHICLE HAS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN, SPECIFICALLY IN THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. IT MAKES NOISE WHILE DRIVING.

THE HEAD GASKET HAS CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE CYLINDER. ACCORDING TO MANY OTHER OWNERS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 AND 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA 4.0L V6 ENGINES AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS FINALLY REVISED IN 2007

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA NEEDING A NEW BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. I'M A MECHANIC THE PRICE WAS RIGHT SO I BOUGHT IT WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT WHEN INSTALLING THE ALTERNATOR I SAW RUST HOLE IN THE FRAME IN FRONT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE A LITTLE MORE INSPECTION SHOWED THERE IS NOT MUCH FRAME LEFT THERE IS A WHOLE CROSS MEMBER MISSING THE FRAME IS BROKEN IN FRONT OF THE REAR SPRING HANGER AND ONE OF THE STRUTS IS SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME THE WHOLE FRAME SEEMS TO BE DELAMINATING BUT NO RUST IN THE BODY ANYWHERE I NOTICED ANYWAY I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TOYOTA HAD FIXED THIS PROBLEM I CHECKED THE SERVICE REPORT 2/9/16 169000 MILES RUST PRESENT BUT NO PERFORATION FOUND. OK AT THIS TIME. EXACT WORDS SO HERE I AM FOUR YEARS LATER 189000 MILES WITH A ROTTEN FRAME AND TOYOTA SAYING YOU MISSED THE WINDOW I HAVE TO WONDER HOW MANY MORE OF THESE DANGEROUS PICKUPS ARE ON THE ROAD THIS ONE RUNS AND DRIVES WELL.

BOUGHT TRUCK IN VIRGINIA AND BROUGHT TO SOUTH CAROLINA IN 2016. SOON AFTER I GOT RECALL ON FRAME RUST. DAVE EDWARDS TOYOTA SPARTANBURG, SC INSPECTED AND DOCUMENTED "OK". NEEDING TO SELL TRUCK IN 2019 I CLEANED/SCRAPED FRAME AND REMOVED 6 POUNDS OF RUST FROM ONLY 1/2 OF THE TRUCK--TOOK TRUCK AND PICTURES IN TO DAVE EDWARDS AND THEY LOOKED AT PICTURES AND REFUSED TO LOOK AT TRUCK OR DO REPAIRS TO FRAME OR LEAF SPRINGS (ON RECALL). SO, I SPENT $20,000 ON A TRUCK THAT THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CONDEMN. SO, IS TRUCK UNSAFE TO DRIVE? WILL TOYOTA BE RESPONSIBLE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO TRUCK, OR MY FAMILY, OR SOMEONE ELSE?

THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE NEXT TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. IT HAS TWO RUST HOLES THAT ARE CONNECTED WITH A CRACK THAT THE RUST IS STARTING TO WIDEN. THE HOLES ARE APPROXIMATELY 1-2 INCHES IN SIZE. I FIRST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2013 AT MY HOME OF RECORD (MINNESOTA) IN-BETWEEN DUTY STATIONS. I'M ACTIVE MILITARY AND I'M STATIONED IN NORTH CAROLINA. I DEPLOYED IN 2017 AND DIDN'T GET BACK UNTIL LATE 2018. IN EARLY 2019 STEVENSON HENDRICK TOYOTA CONTACTED ME TO HAVE RECALLS PERFORMED ON MY TRUCK. I TOOK IT IN AND THEY DID THE SEAT BELT, THROTTLE PEDAL, AND LOAD RATING STICKER. HOWEVER, I WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT MY FRAMED WAS RUSTED THROUGH. I FOUND OUT AFTER I HAD TO TROUBLESHOOT MY O2 SENSORS. AT WHICH POINT I CONTACTED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS IN REGARDS TO UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA CASE NO. 2:15-CV-02171-FMO-FFM TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPLACE MY FRAME OR AT LEAST REPAIR IT; AS I UNDERSTOOD THE TIMEFRAME HAD PAST THAT TOYOTA WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION ABOUT THIS AND THAT I WAS DEPLOYED AS WELL DURING THIS TIME. TOYOTA STILL REFUSE TO FIX THE FRAME. WHEN I TAKE THE TRUCK IN TO GET SERVICED SOMETIMES THEY TURN ME AWAY; AS THEY DON'T WANT TO HELD LIABLE BECAUSE OF THE FRAME. FOR THE PRICE TO REPLACE THE FRAME I CAN PURCHASE A USED VEHICLE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DISPOSE OF MY VEHICLE WHEN IT RUNS FINE AND IS PAID FOR. SINCE THEN I HAVE TRIED TO FIND SOMEONE WITH THE EXPERTISE TO REPAIR MY FRAME, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO DO THE REPAIRS AND POSSIBLY BE HELD LIABLE AFTERWARDS.