2009 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD BECOME STIFF. THIS CONDITION CAUSED HIM TO INCREASE HIS STOPPING DISTANCES. ON ONE OCCASION THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR, WHICH DISABLED HIM FROM PUSHING THE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY BECAUSE HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55000.

FIVE MONTHS OLD 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER, V6 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. HAD MADE SHORT TRIP FROM HOME AND WAS RETURNING. PROCEEDING DOWN SLIGHT GRADE ABOUT THREE BLOCKS FROM HOME MANUALLY DOWNSHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO 4TH. SEEING RED SIGNAL SEVERAL BLOCKS AHEAD DOWNSHIFTED AGAIN TO 3RD, THEN 2ND, SLOWING ENOUGH SO AS TO HAVE GREEN LIGHT AT INTERSECTION. MADE BRAKING RIGHT TURN AT INTERSECTION, AWARE FROM EXPERIENCE THAT I WOULD NOW HAVE RED LIGHT AT NEXT INTERSECTION AND WOULD HAVE TO STOP. AGAIN SLIGHT DOWNGRADE AFTER MAKING TURN. TRUCK REQUIRED MORE THAN NORMAL BRAKING TO SLOW PROPERLY AFTER TURN, FINALLY USED BOTH FEET TO APPLY MAXIMUM BRAKE PRESSURE. TRUCK STOPPED, BUT AFTER STOPPING ENGINE SURGED REPEATEDLY, CAUSING REAR WHEELS TO INTERMITTENTLY SPIN UNCONTROLLABLY ON DAMP PAVEMENT. ONLY FRONT WHEEL BRAKES WERE HOLDING TRUCK FROM CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. MANAGED TO SHIFT INTO PARK AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. WHEN RESTARTED, OPERATION WAS NORMAL. FLOOR MATS NOT INVOLVED! ENGINE WAS REPEATEDLY SURGING AND RETURNING TO NORMAL RPM. BOTH FEET WERE ON BRAKE PEDAL AND NOT ON ACCELERATOR. ODOMETER: 3850. CONDITIONS: NIGHT, HEADLIGHTS ON, HEATER BLOWER ON, A/C OFF, RADIO OFF. DUE TO SHORTNESS OF TRIP ENGINE WAS MOST LIKELY NOT FULLY WARMED UP TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. AFTER ARRIVING HOME TOOK TRUCK OUT FOR ANOTHER SHORT TRIP OVER SAME ROUTE. UNABLE TO REPLICATE SITUATION. AS RETIRED ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT THIS TYPE OF INTERMITTENT ISSUE IS FOR TOYOTA TO REPLICATE OR CONFIRM, BUT IT IS HAPPENING, AND IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, NHTSA. AND IT IS A LOT MORE THAN "FLOOR MATS". FLOOR MATS MIGHT OCCASIONALLY CATCH AN ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THEY DON'T MAKE AN ENGINE REPEATEDLY SURGE. BEEN DRIVING 50 YEARS... KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT. *TR

1. WAS PARKING TACOMA IN GARAGE AT ABOUT 5 MPH OR LESS; WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. PUT GEAR INTO NEUTRAL TO AVOID CRASH. (SEPT 2009; ABOUT 1500 MILES ON VEHICLE) 2. WAS SLOWING DOWN; AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. PUT GEAR INTO NEUTRAL TO AVOID CRASH. (NOV 25, 2009; ABOUT 2500 MILES ON VEHICLE) ---->>> DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR MAT REMOVED ON NOV 26, 2009. <<----- 3. WAS SLOWING DOWN; AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MPR I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. PUT GEAR INTO NEUTRAL TO AVOID CRASH. (DEC 2, 2009; ABOUT 3000 MILES ON VEHICLE) THIS HAPPENED EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT HAD BEEN REMOVED. ADDITIONAL INFO: RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM JENNETTE AT (ROSVILLE, CA ??) TOYOTA ON DEC 14, 2009. I EXPLAINED THE 3 INCIDENCES TO JENNETTE. SHE GAVE ME TOYOTA CASE NUMBER 0912121226. JENNETTE TOLD ME TO TAKE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA. TOOK VEHICLE TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN CHICO, CA ON DECEMBER 16, 2009 AND PROVIDED EXTENSIVE DETAILS ABOUT THE PROBLEM TO SERVICE ADVISOR GARY SWIETANSKI. THEY NOW HAVE THE VEHICLE AND ARE GOING TO CHECK IT OUT. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT TOYOTA TOLD HIM THAT THEY STILL HAVE NO "FIX" OR CAMPAIGN TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT. *TR

THE SOUND SYSTEM TURNS ON -- LOUDLY -- BY ITSELF. CANNOT BE TURNED OFF UNLESS YOU TURN OFF ENGINE. I BELIEVE DEALER WAS COGNIZANT OF THIS BEFORE I WAS SOLD BRAND NEW 2009 TACOMA, AND (CALIFORNIA) TOYOTA ASSURES MY PROBLEM IS BEING RESOLVED, AND I WILL GET A NEW WORKING SOUND SYSTEM, BUT ALL I SEEM TO GET ARE PROMISES. AS I STARTLE EASILY -- THIS IS A MOST DANGEROUS PARADIGM! *TR

RADIO TURNS ON AND OFF ERRATICALLY, HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND IS NOW DOING IT AGAIN,NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN UNFORTUNATELY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEAR INTO NEUTRAL AND THE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED TO 4500. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 8636. UPDATED 1/4/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD THE TRUCK RUNNING IN PARK WHILE HE RETRIEVED HIS MAIL. WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE TRUCK, HE PUT HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND PROCEEDED TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER FROM PARK TO DRIVE IN A DOWNWARD MOTION. AS SOON AS THE SHIFT LEVER ENTERED NEUTRAL THE MOTOR BEGAN TO RACE FROM 4,500 TO 5,00 RPM'S. THERE WAS NOTHING OBSTRUCTING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE CONSUMER QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. UPDATED 01/06/10. *JB SEE ALOS ODI 10325627 AND 10367974. *DSY

WHILE SHIFTING MY 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA FROM PARK INTO DRIVE THERE WAS A BRIEF SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHICH REQUIRED ME TO APPLY MAXIMUM BRAKE PRESSURE TO KEEP THE TRUCK FROM MOVING FORWARD. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A SCHOOL PARKING LOT AND THERE WERE OTHER VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

WHILE IN CRUISE AT 70MPH ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY,VEHICLE SHIFTS DOWN FROM DRIVE TO SECOND. THUS REDLINING THE ENGINE.BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA AND THEIR ANSWER WAS,"VEHICLE IS OPERATING PROPERLY AND IS DOING WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO DO". SO THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY HAVE DESIGNED A VEHICLE THAT IS DESIGNED TO SHIFT DOWN TO SECOND, NOT THIRD AT 70MPH. *TR

2009 TOYOTA TACOMA W/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AFTER DECELERATING BELOW 20 MPH TO ACCOMMODATE TRAFFIC OR TO MAKE A TURN THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE WITH TRAFFIC OR OUT OF THE TURN. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SEARCH FOR THE CORRECT GEAR FOR 2 - 3 SECONDS BEFORE RESPONDING TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WILL SOMEONE NEED TO DIE AFTER BEING STRUCK BROADSIDE TRYING TO COME OUT OF A TURN BEFORE TOYOTA IS FORCED TO RESPOND TO THIS PROBLEM? *TR

ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009, I WAS COMING OUT OF A STOP LIGHT AND THE THROTTLE WENT TO FULL OPEN AND STUCK. (2009 TACOMA - JUST A YEAR OLD) I AM A CONSERVATIVE DRIVER AND DO NOT GUN THE ENGINE. I WAS PULLING INTO THE INTERSECTION GRADUALLY AND HADN'T EVEN LET THE CLUTCH OUT ALL THE WAY YET TO SHIFT OUT OF FIRST WHEN THE THROTTLE WHEN TO FULL. (THANK GOODNESS I HAVE A STANDARD!) I BABIED THE CLUTCH TO GIVE ME JUST ENOUGH GAS TO MOVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND STOP ON THE OTHER SIDE. I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, IT WAS FINE. THE ENGINE SMELLED AWFUL! I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT WHEN I STOPPED BECAUSE I KNOW IT CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS AND I HAD A NON-CONFORMING MAT, SO I KEEP AN EYE ON IT, BUT THE MAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM. ALSO, I NEVER HAD THE ACCELERATOR DOWN VERY FAR AT ALL WHEN THE THROTTLE OPENED UP, SO I DON'T SEE HOW THE MAT COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE TO OPEN FULL, STICK YES, BUT OPEN FULL BY ITSELF? I DROVE IT THE REST OF THE WAY TO WORK (LESS THAN 2 MILES) AND THE SMELL BLEW AWAY AND ALL SEEMED OK. I HAD IT IN THE SHOP TODAY AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND TOLD ME TO REMOVE THE MATS. FINE, I CAN DO THAT, BUT MEANWHILE IT MAKES ME NERVOUS THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE AGREED WITH ME THAT HE DIDN'T SEE HOW THE MATS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS BEING A GENERAL PROBLEM AND IN THE NEWS RIGHT NOW (I DON'T WATCH TV AND IF I MISS THE NPR STORY OR IT ISN'T FRONT PAGE, I MAY NOT HEAR THINGS). WHEN I FOUND OUT OTHERS WERE HAVING THE PROBLEM, I THOUGHT I SHOULD WRITE ABOUT MINE. *TR