2003 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

MY TRUCK HAD A RECALL THAT EXPIRED OCT 2017 BUT I DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT TILL RECENT WHILE DOING SOME REPAIRS THE FRAME FROM THE CAB BACK IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AWAY TO THE POINT THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE SO NOW I HAVE A VEHICLE THAT IS IN EXCEPTIONAL SHAPE BUT CANT FIX OR SELL I THINK THAT A DEADLINE ON SAFETY IS WRONG AND I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED WHAT THE TRUCK IS WORTH

WE BOUGHT A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA IN 2015 AND IT APPARENTLY HAD A RECALL FOR THE FRAME IN 2014 BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT GET IT FIXED SO WE ARE NOW STUCK WITH A TRUCK WE CAN'T DRIVE AND WE STILL OWE 14 PAYMENTS ON IT.I CALLED TOYOTA AND APPARENTLY THE WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED IN APRIL AND WE'VE NEVER GOT A LETTER ABOUT ANY RECALLS OR WARRANTYS SO WERE STUCK WITH A PIECE OF JUNK WE CAN'T DRIVE.SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED OUT OF POCKET.

ROTTED FRAME AND NEVER RECEIVED VOLUNTARY NOTICE ABOUT THIS AND COMPANY IS NOT SUPPORTING THEIR VOLUNTARY NOTIFICATION EXPLAINED THAT I NEVER RECEIVED IT THEY TOLD ME IT HAD EXPIRED BY 23 DAYS THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE CANNOT DRIVE IT I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE FRAME WHEN IT WENT TO BE INSPECTED AND FAILED . HOW DID TOYOTA GET AWAY WITH SELLING SUCH AN INFERIOR AND BEING ALLOWED TO BE DRIVEN ON OUR ROADS .I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOUR DEPARTMENT COULD HELP I UNDERSTAND THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER TOYOTA TRUCK OWNERS ARE IN THE SITUATION . SINCERELY [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS RUST IN THE FRAME, THE STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION OF THE FRAME IS SO BAD THAT THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. IN THE PHOTO THAT I ATTACHED YOU CAN SEE THAT THE REAR LEFT LEAF SPRING HAS PROTRUDED INTO THE FRAME. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE IS CURRENT RECALL PROGRAM TO REPLACE THE FRAME AND I BELIEVE THIS IS COMMON ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. A 15 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE STRUCTURAL ISSUES UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED.

ISSUE WITH ETCS THROTTLE BODY. GOT CODE "P2112 THROTTLE ACTUATOR 'A' STUCK CLOSED" AFTER REPLACING THE AIR/FUEL RATIO OXYGEN SENSOR (SENSOR 1 BANK 1) AND CLEANING THROTTLE BODY BORE. REPLACED NEW OXYGEN SENSOR WITH OLD SENSOR AND LOW IDLE/STALLING ISSUE WAS NOT CORRECTED.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD GOIMG ABOUT 35 MPH HEARD A LOUD NOISE. LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND MY TIRE HAD BROKEN OFF FROM THE BALL JOINT. THE PLACE FIXING IT SAID THE OTHER SIDE IS ABOUT TO BREAK AS WELL. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED.

THE FRAME ON MY TACOMA HAS ROTTED BEYOND REPAIR, OVER 6" GAPING HOLES IN THE MAIN FRAME NEAR THE SUSPENSION MOUNTS. THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS ARE BOWED OVER AS WELL! I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS BY TOYOTA. I CONTACTED TOYOTA TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THEY REFUSED AT 1ST THEN AQCCEPTED IT AT THE WHITBY TOYOTA DEALER. THE RESULTS WERE THAT TOYOTA WAS WILLING TO INSTALL AN UPGRADED SPARE TIRE CARRIER & NOTHING MORE!

TAKATA RECALL: AIRBAG "WARNING" LIGHT ON DASHBOARD IS ON AND HAS BEEN SINCE BEFORE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK , ACCORDING TO THE SELLER. NOT SURE IF AIRBAG WOULD EVEN OPERATE (DOUBTFUL). ALSO, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT IS ON, SCANS KEEP SAYING IT IS AN EMISSIONS PROBLEM. VACUUM CANISTER, WIRING, OXYGEN SENSOR WERE REPLACED AND LIGHT WENT OFF TEMPORARILY, THEN STAYS ON EVEN THOUGH TRUCK RUNS FINE. DATE GIVEN BELOW IS DATE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK, ONGOING PROBLEMS

THE FRAME IS TOTALLY RUSTED OUT, AND THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I KNEW IT HAD SOME RUST ISSUES BEFORE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK, BUT I CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE TO SEE IF THIS VIN WAS PART OF THE RECALL IN WHICH TOYOTA REPLACES THE FRAME OR BUYS BACK THE TRUCK. THE REP I SPOKE TO SAID THAT IT WAS INDEED IN THE RECALL AND THAT, AFTER I PURCHASE I SHOULD TAKE TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND IF THE FRAME HAS PERFORATION THEN THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME. SO IN GOOD FAITH I FLEW TO NJ, BOUGHT THE TRUCK, WHICH ONLY HAD 60K MILES ON IT AT THE TIME, AND DROVE IT BACK TO NC AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THE FRAME INDEED HAD PERFORATION AND WAS ELIGIBLE FOR FRAME REPLACEMENT. I LEFT THE TRUCK THERE, BUT THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THEY WERE SORRY BUT UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THEY HAD DISCOVERED THAT THE 2003 TACOMA WAS A "NORTHERN TRUCK" AND HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY "UNDERCOATED" AND WAS THEREFORE EXEMPT FROM THE RECALL THAT WOULD FIX THE FRAME. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND UPON FURTHER CHECKING, THEY SAID THAT IF THE 2003 TACOMA HAD BEEN UNDERCOATED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER (AT NO COST TO OWNER--A SERVICE TOYOTA PROVIDED FOR FREE ONCE THEY DISCOVERED THAT THEY HAD USED BAD STEEL FOR THE FRAMES OF THESE TRUCKS) THEN IT WOULD BE COVERED IN RECALL. I EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE TRUCK IS THEIR REP HADN'T TOLD ME THAT THE FRAME WOULD REPLACED. THEY SAID THE REP HAD NOT LOOKED FAR ENOUGH INTO THE MATTER AND HAD TOLD ME WRONG AND THAT I WAS BASICALLY STUCK WITH A TRUCK I COULD NOT DRIVE. I PAID $6500 FOR THIS TRUCK AND I CANNOT PUT $12,000 INTO IT TO FIX THE FRAME. AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO! TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR USING BAD STEEL FOR THESE TRUCKS. SO DO I KEEP DRIVING IT UNTIL THE FRAME BREAKS AND INJURES MY, MY FAMILY, OR OTHER DRIVERS? THEN I WILL SUE TOYOTA! PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS RESOLVED!

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION (APPROXIMATELY 3000 RPM). THE ENGINE WILL NO LONGER OUTPUT POWER THAT IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE AMOUNT I AM REQUESTING WITH THE GAS PEDAL. ONCE THE ISSUE OCCURS, THE MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT IS ONLY 2000 RPM WITH THE GAS PEDAL FULLY PRESSED. THE ISSUE IS OCCASIONALLY RESOLVED BY SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF AND WAITING A FEW MOMENTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WITH THE CODE PO120. THE CODE TRANSLATES TO A FAULTY THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR BUT TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE THE $60 SENSOR INDIVIDUALLY, THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE $1,200 THROTTLE BODY THAT INCLUDES A NEW SENSOR.