2003 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

FRAME RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT CAUSED FRAME OF TRUCK TO SNAP IN HALF WHEN LIFTED WITH A HYDRAULIC LIFT AT THE MECHANIC'S SHOP

THE REAR BRAKE LINES THAT CONNECT OVER THE REAR AXLE RUSTED INTO AND CAUSED THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK FROM THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN INTO A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIR TO THE BRAKES THE SERVICE CENTER REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE BRAKE LINES BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS RUSTED SO SEVERELY THAT IF PUT ON A LIFT THE FRAME WOULD FALL APART AND THE TRUCK WOULD BREAK IN HALF. THE SERVICE CENTER DETERMINED ALSO THE TRUCK WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. SERVICE RECORDS AT THE DEALERSHIP ARE ON FILE WHERE THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION OF THE FRAME AND REPORTED THE TRUCK DID NOT HAVE A RUST ISSUE AS DESCRIBED IN THE LETTERS I RECEIVED AND HEEDED THE WARNING TO HAVE THE TRUCK INSPECTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY SERVICED BY A MECHANIC WHO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION OF THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS FOR THE FRAME. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ON 12/17/18 REPRESENTATIVE STATED NOTIFCATION WAS MAILED W/O A RESPONSE. CONSUMER STATED NO NOTIFICATION WAS SENT, REPRESENTATIVE STATED SHE WOULD GET BACK TO THE CONSUMER ON 12/18/18 BUT NEVER DID.*JB

WE BOUGHT A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA IN A PRIVATE SALE. UPON INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING DAY WE REALIZED THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF RUST AND ACTUAL HOLES IN THE FRAME. MY FIANC AND I REACHED OUT TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER WHO REFUSED TO SPEAK WITH US. I CONTACTED A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER TO SEE IF I COULD OBTAIN SERVICE RECORDS AND I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE RECORD WHERE THE IMAGES OF THE FRAME WAS SENT TO HEADQUARTERS FOR THE FRAME REPLACEMENT. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TOLD THEM WHAT HE HAPPENED, THEY CONFIRMED A FRAME REPLACEMENT WAS APPROVED BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD ISSUES WITH THE TITLE AND IT PUSHED IT OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY THE TIME IT WAS FIXED. TOYOTA REFUSES TO HONOR IT, THE REPRESENTATIVE ACTUALLY SAID 'YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT A VEHICLE THAT WAS SO OLD'. I WAS APPALLED. THEY OFFERED NO AID, NO DISCOUNT. ALL SHE SAID WAS THAT WE SHOULDN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN IT'S CONDITION. MY FIANC HAS NO CHOICE AND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY WITH HIS NEPHEW WHEN HE LOST THE BREAKS (DUE TO THE RUSTED DUST SHIELD SLICING THE BRAKE LINE) AND HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. NOW HE IS MISSING WORK BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE ONE VEHICLE. I AM COMPLETELY BAFFLED BY TOYOTA AND THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. WE SPEND ALL OF OUR SAVINGS ON THIS VEHICLE AND THEY BASICALLY TOLD US TOO BAD.

WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH, RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY BROKE OFF AT THE BALL JOINTS. THE TIRE FOLDED UNDER THE CHASSIS AND THE TRUCK SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE ROAD SHOULDER.

WE BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN 2015 AND WAS NEVER INFORMED OF ANY RECALLS.WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE FRAME RECALL WHEN IT BROKE.IT ALSO HAS 5 OTHER RECALLS WHICH WE WERE NEVER INFORMED ON THOSE EITHER SO WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA THEY SAID THE FRAME RECALL AND THE FRAME WARRANTY HAD BOTH EXPIRED BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS OWNER DIDN'T MAKE GOOD ON THE RECALL LETTER HE RECEIVED BUT MAYBE HE NEVER RECEIVED ONE BECAUSE I KNOW WE NEVER DID ON ANY OF THE 6 RECALLS AND WE STILL HAVEN'T EVEN AFTER CALLING THEM.WE ARE STILL PAYING ALMOST $400 A MONTH AND STILL HAVE 13 PAYMENTS LEFT AND WE CANT EVEN DRIVE IT.I WOULD SAY IF TOYOTA NEVER SENT OUT THE LETTERS THEN THAT'S NOT OUR FAULT AND THEY SHOULD MAKE GOOD ON THE RECALLS AND FIX THEM INCLUDING THE FRAME REPLACEMENT WHICH IS THEIR FAULT DUE TO A MAUFACTUIRING MESS UP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE SERVICE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

FRAME CORROSION, TOOK TACOMA IN FOR INSPECTION WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, FRAME FAILED INSPECTION BUT TOYOTA DENIED CLAIM DUE TO OUTSIDE INFLUENCES.

WE BOUGHT OUR 2003 TACOMA BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN 2003, EXPECTING THIS TO BE A 30-YEAR INVESTMENT. WE HAVE KEPT UP ALL MAINTENANCE ON THIS TRUCK WITH OUR MECHANIC. HE CHECKED IT LAST YEAR AND FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE FRAME OTHER THAN SOME NORMAL RUST. LAST WEEK WE TOOK IT TO HIM BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR WAS ON, AND HE DISCOVERED THAT OUR FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH WITH HOLES IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE. HE DEEMED IT COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS NEAR THE POINT OF BREAKING IN HALF. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICES FROM TOYOTA. WE PERFORMED ALL RECALLS THEY ISSUED. AFTER AN ONLINE SEARCH, WE DISCOVERED THE EXTENT OF THIS FRAME ROT PROBLEM OVER MANY TOYOTA TRUCKS. WHEN WE CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE, THEY DISMISSED US AND TOLD US THAT WE WERE OUT OF LUCK RECEIVING ANY HELP OR COMPENSATION FOR THIS DEFECT BECAUSE WE HAD MISSED DEADLINES ON A CLASS ACTION SUIT AND ALSO THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED ONLY FOR SOME TACOMAS IN CERTAIN COLD WEATHER STATES. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY OF THIS INFORMATION AND HAVE LIVED AT THIS SAME ADDRESS WITH THE SAME CONTACT INFORMATION SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE. WE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT AND THEY ALSO COMPLETELY DISMISSED US, TELLING US THAT IT WAS OUT OF THEIR HANDS AND WE COULD TRY TO CONTACT CORPORATE TO JOIN ALL THE OTHER TRUCK OWNERS WITH THIS FRAME ROT PROBLEM AND TRY TO SEE IF THEY MIGHT HELP US. THIS TRUCK HAS ONLY 37,479 MILES. AS MUCH AS I'M DEVASTATED THAT WE ARE NOW OUT MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S UNSCRUPULOUS POLICIES, I'M MORE ANGRY THAT THEY KNOWINGLY HAVE PUT MILLIONS OF LIVES IN JEOPARDY BY COVERING UP THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. HOW MANY MORE VEHICLES ARE CURRENTLY ON THE ROADS EVERY DAY WITH THE RISK OF RIPPING IN HALF AND KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE? THIS PROBLEM MUST BE FIXED PLEASE!

ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING EARLY MORNING 9/7/18. RETURNED HOME AND CALLED LOCAL MECHANIC, SUPREME AUTOMOTIVE. MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND TOOK THE TRUCK IN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED. CALLED LATER TO TELL ME FRAME RUST WAS TOO BAD TO REMOVE CERTAIN BOLTS TO TEST EXHAUST SENSORS. UNABLE TO CALCULATE A REPAIR ESTIMATE. SINCE I HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH A 1999 TACOMA THAT HAD EXTENSIVE FRAME RUST, WHICH TOYOTA RECALLED AND EVENTUALLY BOUGHT BACK, I DECIDED TO CALL TOYOTA BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF MY TACOMA HAD RESPONDED TO A 2009 CORROSION RECALL NOTICE. THE UNDERCARRIAGE HAD BEEN TREATED. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK FROM FOX TOYOTA IN SPRING 2011 AFTER MY 1999 WAS DEEMED UNSAFE. NONE OF THE SERVICE RECORDS FOR THE 2003 INDICATED EITHER THE RECALL OR THE TREATMENT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE SO-CALLED SUBSEQUENT RECALL, OF WHICH I WAS NEVER INFORMED, EXPIRED 6/13/18. NOTIFICATION SUPPOSEDLY SHOULD HAVE REACHED ME THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA DMV, EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK ORIGINATED IN MICHIGAN. HAD I RECEIVED NOTICE I WOULD HAVE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY, AS I HAD WITH THE 1999 TACOMA.