1995 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

1. TRUCK PRIMARILY USED AS A PASSENGER VEHICLE. ONLY INFREQUENT USE TRULY AS A TRUCK. 2. WHILE CARRYING A MODERATE LOAD ON THE HIGHWAY, A GRATING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE SPRING. THE LOWER LONG LEAF (2 LEAF + HELPER) HAD BROKEN OFF FORWARD OF THE DIFFERENTIAL AND DISLODGED ITSELF FROM THE ASSEMBLY SUCH THAT IT WAS RUBBING AGAINST GAS TANK SEAM. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR LEAF SPRING WAS ALSO BROKEN BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY DISLODGED. BOTH HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE THE BROKEN ENDS WERE WELL RUSTED. 3. WAS APPROX. 200 MILES FROM HOME AND FORTUNATELY HAD A HAMMER TO FREE THE BROKEN SPRING FROM THE TANK. STOPPED EVERY 30 MILES TO CHECK IT. THE PROBLEM IS NOT YET CORRECTED AND STILL INSTALLED ON VEHICLE. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED A FIRE IF THE TANK WAS RUPTURED. TOYOTA WAS CALLED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS ISSUE. THEY TOOK MY VIN NUMBER AND SAID THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT MY PARTICULAR VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. IN TRYING TO OBTAIN USED PARTS FROM AUTO RECYCLERS, MORE THAN ONE HAS STATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW INQUIRIES FOR USED SPRINGS FOR TACOMAS. AND AFTER SEARCHING THE NHTSA DATABASE, I BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN IS REPORTED TO TOYOTA OR THE NHTSA.

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE USED 1995 TACOMA, UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE MIDDLE REAR DRIVER'S SPRING APPARENTLY BROKE AND CAME IN CONTACT WITH SHOCK, CAUSING HARD SQUEAKING. CHECKING WITH LOCAL SUSPENSION REPAIR SHOPS AND JUNKYARDS, ALL PARTIES INDICATE HOW COMMON AN OCCURANCE THIS IS. SEVERAL JUNKYARDS STATED THEY CANNOT KEEP ENOUGH OF THESE REPLACEMENT SPRINGS IN STOCK.*AK

TOM SCOTT MOTORS OF CALDWELL IDAHO SOLD ME A USED VEHICLE THAT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IN CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT RESOLVED AND THEY ARE WAITING TO SEE IF THEY CAN PURCHASE THE PARTS FROM A WRECKING YARD. THE DEALERSHIP KNEW THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED NEW LEAF SPRINGS ON THE REAR OF THE TRUCK( THIS IS EVIDENT BECAUSE THEY UNDER COATED THE BROKEN PARTS) THEY DID NOTHING TO FIX IT BEFORE SELLING IT AND ALLOWED ME TO PURCHASE IT AND DRIVE FROM CALDWELL IDAHO TO LA GRANDE OREGON WHICH IS ABOUT 140 MILES ONE WAY. *JB

REAR 3-LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED TWICE,BOTH TIMES BREAKING IN THE MIDDLE AND DAMAGING REAR SHOCK. BOTH TIME THIS HAS BROKEN WERE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WITH LITTLE OR NO LOAD. LOCAL DEALERSHIP DENY'S HEARING OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS QUICK TO SCHEDULE A REPLACEMENT FOR $1200!. *AK

THE HUB CAPS ARE LOOSE AND MOVE AROUND ON THE RIM. THE HUB CAPS SHEARED THE VALVE STEMS, CAUSING AIR TO LEAK . THIS HAPPENED TWICE. *AK (TIRE VALVE STEM WAS CUT FROM THE HUB CAP) *SC *JB

THE HUB CAPS HAD 2 PIECES CONNECTING INNER AND OUTER VALVE STEM. THIS CAUSED THE VALVE STEM TO RUB AGAINST THE HUB CAP. *AK

IN JUNE 2003, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE IT WAS NOT RIDING SMOOTHLY IN THE REAR. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE LEAF SPRINGS WERE SPLIT IN HALF. *AK THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT HE HASN'T FIXED A LOT OF THESE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

THE HEADLIGHTS WORKED INTERMITTANTLY, THEN THEY STOPPED WORKING AT ALL. I AM AN ELECTRICIAN, AND I STARTED DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, FINDING NO GROUND TO THE HEADLIGHTS. FOLLOWING THE WIRING DIAGRAM, THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE DIMMER SWITCH PORTION OF THE COMBINATION SWITCH ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAD FAILED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE BLACK/WHITE GROUND WIRE FOR THAT SWITCH ON THE WIRING HARNESS SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR UNDER THE DASH WAS BLACKENED FROM EXCESS HEAT. ALSO THE TERMINAL INSIDE THE CONNECTOR WAS ALMOST MELTED. THE WIRE FROM THE SWITCH ITSELF TO THE CONNECTOR IS A 16 GUAGE WIRE, BUT THE WIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR, GOING INTO THE WIRING HARNESS TO GROUND IS ONLY A 20 GUAGE WIRE. EACH HEADLIGHT IS FUSED AT 10 AMPS, WITH A POSSIBILITY OF A 20 AMP DRAW ON A 20 GUAGE WIRE. THE NOMINAL CURRENT DRAW FOR THE HEADLIGHTS WAS ALMOST 10 AMPS, WHICH IS CERTAINLY TOO MUCH FOR SUCH A SMALL WIRE. FOR SOME TIME I HAD BEEN SMELLING AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR AT TIMES WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND NOW I KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. THE WIRE WAS BLACKENED, AND THE TERMINAL MELTED, SO A FIRE WAS A DEFINATE POSSIBILITY.

MIDDLE LEAF IN BOTH REAR SPRINGS ON 1995 TOYOTA TACOMA 4X4 STD CAB WERE FOUND BROKEN IN TWO. BREAK IS JUST IN FRONT (TOWARDS ENGINE) OF AXLE U-BOLTS. DRIVERS SIDE FRONT BROKEN PIECE HAD ROTATED INWARD TOWARDS 18 GALLON GAS TANK (WITHIN TWO INCHES) AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT BROKEN PIECE HAD ROTATED INWARD AND HIT AND DENTED SHOCK CASING. *NLM

A BOLT FELL FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO SPINS FREELY. *JB DEALER TIGHTENED LOOSE STEERING WHEEL NUT. THIS ALSO ENABLED THE AIR BAG SENSOR HARNESS AND HORN. CONSUMER DECLINED TO HAVE SRS AIR BAG LIGHT REPLACED. *TT