1998 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

POWER STEERING METAL TUBING RUSTED OUT CAUSING FLUID LEAK AND ULTIMATELY STEERING FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG FUEL SMELL COMING IN THROUGH THE VENTS. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE YET THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAD SUFFERED VARIOUS RESPIRATORY COMPLICATIONS SINCE THE FAILURE BEGAN AND BELIEVED IT WAS CAUSED BY THE FUEL ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

LETTER FROM SENATOR CASEY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE HIS 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DAMAGED ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND HAS A RECONSTRUCTED TITLE. TOYOTA RECALLED THE VEHICLE DUE TO A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT FOR FRAME RUST. TOYOTA DENIED THE RECOMMENDATION OF INCLUDING THE VEHICLE IN THE BUY BACK PROGRAM, DUE TO THE RECONSTRUCTED TITLE, EVEN THOUGH THE FRAME WAS CAUSED BY TOYOTA THREE YEARS PRIOR DURING THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

WHEN WEATHER TEMPERATURE DROPS TO 30 OR BELOW THE BRAKES START TO ACT UP. THERE ARE NO BRAKES UNTIL THE TRUCK IS WARMED UP. THE BRAKES SEEM TO GRAB ON FLAT ROADS BUT GOING DOWN EVEN THE SLIGHTEST HILL AND THE BRAKES LOCK. BEING A GIRL, I THOUGH I NEEDED NEW BRAKES. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND HAD A BRAKE JOB DONE. THE NEXT YEAR THE TEMPS DID NOT DROP TO 30 DEGREES . THE WINTER WAS MILD. THIS YEAR IT IS COLD AGAIN AND THE BRAKES ARE ACTING UP AGAIN. WITH ALL THE TOYOTA PROBLEMS, I THOUGH I SHOULD REPORT IT. ESPECIALLY AS BEING A GIRL, THE DEALER DOES NOT TAKE ME SERIOUSLY. I SEE ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS CONTINUED PROBLEM WITH MANY TOYOTA OWNERS. YOUR SYSTEM WILL NOT EXCEPT THE VN NUMBER, SO HERE IT IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MAIN FRAME AND REAR BUMPER EXHIBITED SEVERE RUST. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT AND REAR SHOCKS WERE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND WITHIN A ONE YEAR PERIOD, BOTH NEW SHOCKS REQUIRED A SECOND REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EXAMINED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 182,000. UPDATED 02/07/11 *BF UPDATED 04/21/11

I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP. TODAY OCTOBER 14, 2010 I WAS DRIVING ON A SURFACE STREET AND MY GAS PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR AS I WAS DRIVING. THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO EXTREMELY HIGH RPM'S. I TRIED TO STOP, BUT MY NEW BRAKES WERE BARELY ABLE TO SLOW ME DOWN. I HAD TO PUT THE ENGINE INTO NEUTRAL AND PARK THE TRUCK. A FRIEND AND I LOOKED THE ENGINE OVER AND WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS ABOUT TWO INCHES OF PLAY IN THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WERE THE CABLE MEETS THE ENGINE. WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN WHY I WAS HAVING SUCH POOR PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. IS THIS COVERED BY ANY RECALLS? THANK YOU *TR

MY SON WAS IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT. AN SUV RAN A RED LIGHT WHEN HE HAD A GREEN LIGHT. HIS TRUCK WAS SMASHED IN THE FRONT AND WAS TOTALED. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA PRE-RUNNER. I'VE HEARD THAT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY AT 35 MPH. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE. *TR

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING FRAME RUST *TGW THE MECHANIC FROM THE INSPECTION STATION NOTICED LARGE AMOUNTS OF RUST AND SCALE ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRAME RAILS BETWEEN THE CAB AND BED. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRAME RAILS WERE ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH. *JB

I OWN A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA THAT SHOULD FALL INTO THEIR RUSTY FRAME BUYBACK BUT WAS TOLD IT DIDN'T QUALIFY BECAUSE OF A MASSACHUSETTS RECONSTRUCTED TITLE. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS SINCE THE REBUILD. THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH IN SOME PLACES AND THE PASSENGER SIDE BODY MOUNT HAS RUSTED AWAY FROM THE FRAME . IT SEEMS TO ME THE FRAME RUST HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THE TRUCK WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE RECALL SHOULD BE IN EFFECT, PROBABLY WITH A LOWER REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO THE SALVAGE TITLE. IF THE POINT IS TO GET UNSAFE VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD, A RUSTY FRAME IS A RUSTY FRAME WHETHER THE TRUCK HAS BEEN REBUILT OR NOT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE TENSIONER. THE DRIVER WOULD BE UNABLE TO WEAR THE SEAT BELT DURING TRAVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,669 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,700.