1998 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

I HAD EXITED THE FREEWAY FOR FUEL. I HAD TO COME TO A FULL STOP AND THEN MAKE A LEFT TURN TO GO OVER THE FREEWAY. AS I MADE THE TURN, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BROKE A BALL JOINT AND THE TIRE/WHEEL SWUNG OUT AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE CAR. GIVEN THE MILES ON THE CAR, I ACCEPTED THE FAILURE OF THE PART. HOWEVER, THE INITIAL FAILURE WAS REPAIRED BY A TOYOTA DEALER. YESTERDAY, 6/30/15, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED. I CAME TO A STOP TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. THE SAME THING OCCURRED. MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BROKE A BALL JOINT AND THE TIRE/WHEEL TURNED AT 90 DEGREES TO THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM. TO BREAK A BALL JOINT, INSTALLED BY A DEALER, AFTER ABOUT 13 MONTHS IS UNREASONABLE. MY TRUCK IS REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND I'VE ASKED MY MECHANIC TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE BALL JOINTS AFTER MY FIRST PROBLEM. HE REGULARLY INSPECTED THEM AND KEPT THEM GREASED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER, FRONT PASSENGER, AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO BUCKLE AND REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000. UPDATED 8/31/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA HAD NOT HONORED THE PROMISE TO REPLACE THE RUSTED FRAMES. UPDATED 10/14/2015*JS

FRAME RUSTED THROUGH . TOYOTA SAYS RECALL EXPIRED . GOW CAN SAFETY ISSUE OF THIS MAGNATUDE EXPIRE?

MY VEHICLE'S FRAME IS DANGEROUSLY RUSTING OUT. I HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL AND WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO THE SAID I HAD JUST MISSED THE CUT OFF. SINCE THEN IT HAD GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE BODY MOUNTS HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME AND WHERE THE LEAF SPRING IS ATTACHED IS GETTING READY TO SEPARATE. THESE ARE ALSO HOLES IN THE FRAME. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY ADVISE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT THAT THEY COULD HAVE A RECALL AND I WAS NEVER CONTACTED AND WHEN I CONTACTED THEM THAT THEY TOLD ME I MISSED IT BY ONLY MONTHS?

BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT HAVE VARIOUS PROBLEMS - FRAYING, JAMMING, TOO SHORT, NOT RETRACTING, NOT EXTENDING. DEALER WANTS $500 TO REPAIR THE DRIVER'S SIDE ALONE. THIS IS TOO MUCH. THEY SHOULD FIX IT FOR FREE OR A REASONABLE PRICE CONSIDERING NIT IS FAULTY AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. *TR

WHEN CHECKING TO SEE IF MY SHOCKS NEED TO BE REPLACED I FIND I HAVE A RUSTED FRAME ABOVE RIGHT REAR WHEEL AND IN FRONT OF LEFT FRONT WHEEL. THIS WAS THE FIRST I HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE OF IT. A FRIEND ADVISED ME THERE WAS A RECALL SO I CALLED TOYOTA. I WAS ADVISED THEY STILL HAD THE PREVIOUS OWNERS INFORMATION EVEN THOUGH I PURCHASED IT FROM A DEALER ON 2/11/2005. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP. THE TRUCK IS STILL A GOOD 4WD TRUCK. *TR

THIS TRUCK BELONGS TO MY SON WHO IS IN THE NAVY. HE WAS ON DEPLOYMENT AND I TOOK THE TRUCK TO GET IT INSPECTED AND IT FAILED DUE TO A RUSTED FRAME. NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY SON WERE AWARE OF THE FRAME RECALL DONE BY TOYOTA. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO HELP US WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE THE RECALL HAS EXPIRED. WE HAVE OWNED 3 TOYOTA TACOMA'S AND NEVER HAVE HAD AN EXPERIENCE SUCH AS THIS. THEY TOLD ME TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOUR COMPANY IF I WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE END RESULT AND I OF COURSE AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. MY SON SERVES THIS COUNTRY AND NOW HE IS OUT A VEHICLE AND CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE IT. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN TRUCK WAS ON LIFT AT MEINEKE, THEY DISCOVERED THE FRAME NEAR THE BACK WHEELS WAS RUSTED THROUGH SO THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT. IMMEDIATELY, I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE FOR THE SAME REASON. THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON TOYOTA BODY FRAMES WHEN I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TWO DIFFERENT TIMES IN TWO DIFFERENT YEARS AND WAS TOLD THE BODY WAS FINE. ONE YEAR AND 2 OR 3 MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL WAS OVER, I AM TOLD THAT MY TRUCK'S FRAME RUST MAKES IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I ONLY HAVE 123,595 MILES ON IT AND EXPECTED TO DRIVE IT FOR AT LEAST 2-400,000 MORE. EVERY AUTO SERVICE PERSONNEL THAT HAS EVER LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD HAS TOLD ME I HAVE KEPT IT IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. SHOULDN'T TOYOTA EXTEND THE RECALL IN MY PARTICULAR CASE? I HAVE ALL THE SERVICE RECORDS FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT IT IN 2006 WHEN IT HAD 64004 MILES. *TR

DRIVING DOWN A BUSY BOULEVARD, MY WHEEL FELL OFF AND MY VEHICLE SLAMMED ON THE GROUND. I AM LUCKY TO NOT HAVE KILLED ANYONE, AND AM STILL AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. FAULTY BALL JOINTS + RUSTED FRAMES MAKE THIS VEHICLE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. TOYOTA INITIATED A PROGRAM TO BUY TACOMAS BACK DIRECTLY FROM CONSUMERS, BUT I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROGRAM. NOW I AM STUCK WITH A POTENTIALLY INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS TRUCK. *TR