2005 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, 4X4, 4-CYLINDER, 5-SPEED MANUAL, PURCHASED NEW. IT HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE FILED TWO COMPLAINTS, GOING BACK THREE YEARS, WITH MY DEALER AND WITH TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS REGARDING EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE. BOTH HAVE TOLD ME IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR THE FRAME TO BE RUSTING. I DISAGREE. A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD EASILY LAST OVER 200,000 MILES SHOULD BE BUILT ON QUALITY FRAMES. AT SOME POINT IT WILL CAUSE ISSUES AND COULD BE A DANGER IF JOINTS START RUSTING. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE AND SEEN OTHER SIMILAR TRUCKS AND ALL OWNERS COMPLAIN OF THIS ISSUE. THE FRAME AND BRACKETS ARE ALL RUSTING EXCESSIVELY, MUCH MORE EXCESSIVELY THAN ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. THIS STARTED OCCURRING SHORTLY AFTER OWNING THE CAR AND IT HAS GOTTEN TREMENDOUSLY WORSE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN FRAME DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND THE TRUCK IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, HAS BEEN WASHED WITH REGULARITY AND EVEN GARAGED. I AM SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAIN WITH THE HOPE OTHERS ARE ALSO COMPLAINING. I KNOW TOYOTA DID A RECALL OF THEIR PREVIOUS MODELS DUE TO THIS ISSUE AND NOTHING IN THEIR PRODUCTION HAS IMPROVED THE WAY THESE FRAMES ARE MADE AND I BELIEVE A RECALL SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO REMEDY THESE MODEL YEAR ISSUES TOO. *TR

2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 YEARS AGO, HE EXPERIENCED HIS FIRST SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE HAD HIS RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE FELT AS THOUGH IT WANTED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED HOME, HE CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT, BUT IT WAS FOUND TO BE PROPERLY SECURED. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE REGARDING SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUES. WHEN HE CONTACTED THE DEALER, HE WAS INFORMED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND HE WOULD RECEIVE A CALL WHEN THEY ARRIVED. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH. THE CONSUMER HAD HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGIN TO REVVED UP WITH THE REAR WHEELS SPINNING AND HOPPING WHILE SLOWLY MOVING FORWARD. THE CONSUMER TURNED THE IGNITION IN THE OVER DRIVE POSITION AND THERE WAS SOME DIFFICULTY TRYING TO PLACE THE SHIFTER IN THE PARK POSITION. THE CONSUMER FINALLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED. HOWEVER, TWO MONTHS LATER,WHILE SLOWING DOWN, WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV AGAIN. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED UNWANTED ACCELERATION SEVERAL MORE TIMES. *JB

SPIRAL CABLE, AIR BAG, STEERING COLUMN, CHARGED $609.82 BY DEALER TO REPAIR, WAS IN OTHER REPAIR SHOP THIS WEEK, HEARD ANOTHER CUTOMER COMPLAIN OF SAME PROBLEM, ALSO HAD 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. EVERY SINGLE LIGHT CAME ON, ON THE DASH, SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME. MANUAL SAYS TAKE IMMEDIATELY TO DEALER. WHAT A RIP OFF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 95,261. UPDATED 10/27/11*LJ

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN DRIVING ONE DAY. AS I DID RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE NEWER TACOMAS ARE FAULTY. THERE ARE ENTIRELY TOO MANY OF THESE THINGS GOING BAD. A SIMPLE SEARCH ON GOOGLE FOR TACOMA SPIRAL CABLE BRINGS UP SCORES OF PEOPLE WITH THESE THINGS GOING BAD, SOME AT 30-40 THOUSAND MILES! IT IS REDICULOUS THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD THIS ONGOING PROBLEM AND DONE NOTHING! AFTER ALL THE CRAP ABOUT UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND FLOORMATS I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, BUT APPARENTLY SAFETY SYSTEMS ARE'T THAT IMPORTANT TO THEM. NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE CHRONIC FAILURES, BUT THE DEALERSHIPS ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CHARGE $100 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH ALMOST EVERY CASE IS THE SPIRAL CABLE. THE TOTAL BILL COMES TO ANYWHERE FROM 4-500 DOLLARS DEPENDING ON THE DEALERSHIP, FOR A REPAIR THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IS ONE THING, BUT SINCE WHEN IS THERE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON AIR BAGS? *TT

2005 PRERUNNER SR5 HAD GRINDING SOUND FROM RIGHT FRONT AT ABOUT 40MPH WHEN TURNING LEFT. NO SOUND WHEN TURNING RIGHT. DEALER CHECKED AND DETERMINED LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD. REPLACED LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING ($516.32). WHEN LEAVING DEALER LOT AFTER PICKING UP THE TRUCK I NOTICED THE SOUND STILL CAME FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL . BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER WHO CHECKED AGAIN AND DETERMINED RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD. ALSO SAID LEFT REAR MAY BE GOING BAD. COST TO REPLACE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING $337.01 (DEALER DIDN'T CHARGE LABOR THIS TIME). ABOUT 1 YEAR AFTER BEARINGS REPLACED THE GRINDING SOUND HAS RETURNED. VEHICLE NOW HAS ABOUT 107K MILES. RELUCTANT TO RETURN TO DEALER AND PAY ANOTHER $800-$1000 TO REPAIR WHEEL BEARINGS THAT APPEAR TO BE EITHER POOR QUALITY OR INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. DEALER CLAIMS REPLACING WHEEL BEARINGS AT 80K MILES IS NOT ABNORMAL. *TR

TRUCK BEGAN MAKING LOUD NOISES IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TRUCK WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING BAD MOTOR MOUNTS. AT TIME OF REPAIR, MOTOR MOUNT ASSEMBLIES WERE NOTED BY MECHANIC TO HAVE BROKEN OFF THE FRAME DUE TO BAD/WEAKENED WELDS. MOTOR IS RUBBING ON FAN/RADIATOR SHROUD. OWNER HAS DONE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH, INCLUDING COMPLAINTS FILED ON THIS SITE, AND HAS NOTED THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING ISSUE WITH 2005 TACOMAS. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER 4X4 WITH ONLY 83,000 MILES. THERE IS RECURRING ISSUES WITH THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS GOING OUT. FRONT LEFT HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 YEARS AGO, THEN FRONT LEFT STUB AXLE WAS REPLACED LESS THAN A YEAR LATER UNDER WARRANTY BY TOYOTA. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING ALSO WENT OUT 2 YEARS AGO AND WERE REPLACED AND NOW THE LEFT SIDE IS GOING OUT AGAIN. *KB

MY AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON FOR NO REASON - NO SERVICE OR IMPACT TO TRIGGER THE SENSOR. I PAID A TOYOTA DEALER $112 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND THEY FOUND CODES B1660 & B1801, REQUIRING ME TO REPLACE THE SPIRAL CABLE. THE COST WAS ABOUT $570 BEFORE TAX. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THE REPAIR, SO THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON. THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT FUNCTION IN A CRASH IF THIS WAS NOT REPAIRED. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY TOYOTA WHETHER I AM UNDER WARRANTY OR NOT BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE, AND OTHER MECHANICS WILL NOT WORK ON AIR BAGS. *KB

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR BRACKET BREAKS AND VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP OUT OF THE WAY AND BLOCKS DRIVER'S VIEW. *TR