2001 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

VEHICLE ACCELERATES SUDDENLY TO HIGH SPEED WHILE IN OPERATION WITHOUT OPERATOR ACTION.

PREMATURE EXTENSIVE FRAME RUST / CORROSION. TOYOTA DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THE CONDITION OR NEED TO MONITOR OR OF 2016 DEADLINE FOR WARRANTY RECALL REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. NOW THEY WILL NOT EVEN PRO-RATE COSTS TO FIX.

BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW FROM DEALER IN AUSTIN,TX. CARRIED IN YESTERDAY FOR TIRE ROTATION AT AMERICAN TIRE AND WAS TOLD THE TRUCK HAD THE WRONG LUG NUTS ON THE WHEELS AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE FROM SHOP. I PURCHASED NEW WHEELS SO I COULD SAFELY DRIVE THE TRUCK. I CALLED TOYOTA AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER. I WAS TOLD I NEED TO CARRY IT TO A DEALER AND LET THEM SEE THE WHEELS ALSO. THE IN MODESTO CA AGREED THAT THE TRUCK HAD THE WRONG LUGS ON IT BUT SAID THE WHEELS WAS PROBABLY OK TO USE AS LONG AS THEY HAD THE PROPER LUG NUTS ON THEM. I CALLED TOYOTA BACK AND ASK THEM TO MAKE THE TRUCK RIGHT AND THAT I WAS QUOTED $341.49 FOR CORRECT PARTS AT MODESTO, CA DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA TOLD ME THEIRS NOT ENOUGH HISTORY ON THE TRUCK OF DEALERS MAINTAINING IT AND WITH THE AGE OF THE TRUCK THEY WASN'T WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.MY FAMILY AND I HAVING BEEN DRIVING THIS TRUCK FOR YEARS AND COULD HAVE HAD A TIRE COME OFF WITH THE WRONG LUG NUTS. ALL I ASK FOR WAS TO MAKE THE TRUCK SAFE AND REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF THE AFTER MARKET WHEELS WHICH WAS $150.00.

EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST PERFORATION ON 1ST GENERATION TACOMAS WILL CAUSE THE FRAME TO BREAK LEADING TO AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION INCLUDING HANDLING ABILITY, ROLLOVER, LACK OF IMPACT PROTECTION, AND POSSIBLY LOSS OF LIFE. KEY AREAS ARE BY THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS AND CLOSE TO THE FRONT SWAY BAR. TOYOTA DID OFFER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FRAME, BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION THAT THE FRAME WAS DETERIORATING FROM THE INSIDE OUT OR THAT ALL THE FRAMES WERE MANUFACTURED WITHOUT PROPER CORROSION PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT AT DANA CORP, NOT JUST THOSE IN THE LISTED NORTHERN STATES.TOYOTA'S LETTER OF EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT LIST THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE, NOR DID IT RECOMMEND AN INITIAL OR ANY FOLLOWUP FRAME INSPECTION BY A QUALIFIED TOYOTA MECHANIC FOR THE NON-NORTHERN STATES, NOR DID IT MENTION THE NHTSA AS BEING INVOLVED. THE LETTER MENTIONS "A SMALL NUMBER OF 2001 THROUGH 2004 MODEL YEAR TACOMAS OPERATING IN SEVERE COLD CLIMATE AREAS WITH HIGH ROAD SALT USE..." . ALL TACOMA'S IN ANY ROAD-SALT STATE HAVE THE ISSUE. MANY STATES THAT DO USE ROAD SALT HAVE NOT BEEN INSPECTED, EVER. WHEN SOMETHING IS UNDER WARRANTY, PEOPLE TEND TO KEEP USING THINGS UNTIL THEY BREAK. UNDER A SAFETY RECALL, PEOPLE TEND TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED QUICKLY. THE TACOMA FRAMES ARE NOT ACTUALLY "BREAKING" DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD BUT THEY ARE BECOMING "DEFECTIVE" DURING THE PERIOD. MANY PEOPLE ARE DRIVING OLDER TACOMAS AND HAVE NO IDEA THE TRUCK IS ABOUT TO SNAP IN HALF. THIS FRAME RUST ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AS A SAFETY ISSUE BY EITHER TOYOTA OR THE NHTSA. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH FOR TACOMA FRAME RUST WILL REVEAL HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS OF PICTURES OF PERFORATED AND DANGEROUS FRAMES. INTERESTINGLY, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TIRE CARRIER WHICH SUFFERED FROM RUST AS A DIRECT RESULT FROM THE FRAME RUST. THE LETTER CLEARLY STATES THAT IN THE NON-EFFECTED STATES, "YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING AT THIS TIME".

MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS 150,000 MILES ON IT. I NOTICED MY FRAME COMPLETELY SPLIT. I DRIVE ALMOST ENTIRELY ON PAVED ROADS. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR UNUSUAL USE IN THE AREA OF THE BREAK. I TOOK IT INTO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT.

THE FRAME RUSTED OUT WITH ONLY 150,000 MILES, INFORMED VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE JUNKED OR HAVE FRAME REPLACED.THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING SERVICE TO CHANGE THE TIMING BELT, THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO BE PLACE THE VEHICLE ON A LIFT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS SO ROTTED THAT IT COULD FRACTURE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL A TOYOTA DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE THEIR GUIDELINES. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON A RESPONSE TO DETERMINE THEIR RECOMMENDED SOLUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED 21 TSBS FOR THE STRUCTURE, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE PERTAINING TO THE FRAME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *LN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING REPAIRS, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 1805082285. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

THE FRAME IS SHOWING SEVER SIGNS OF CORROSION. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO HAVE INVESTIGATED THE VEHICLE 2 TIMES LAST YEAR AND SAID THAT THERE IS NO ISSUES WITH THE FRAME BUT ONE CAN SEE SEVERAL 4 -5 INCH RUST HOLES IN THE FRAME. I AM NOT SURE IF THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE ANYMORE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BECAUSE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WAS DAMAGED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MOUNTED ONTO THE LIFT, THE FRAME FRACTURED IN BETWEEN THE CABIN AND THE BED OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD AND ALL RECALLS HAD EXPIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300,000.