1998 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. LETTER SENT REGARDING COMPLAINT AGAINST LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP *TGW TOYOTA DID NOT COVER THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE TRUCK HAD A SALVAGED TITLE. *JB

I OWN A TOYOTA TACOMA, 1998 MODEL. ONE OF THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS BROKE. PART OF IT SHIFTED SIDEWAYS IN ITS LOCATION AND BEGAN TO PUNCTURE THE FUEL TANK. UPON SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT ON THE USED MARKET, I LEARNED THAT NUMBER ONE, ALL OF THESE TACOMAS DEVELOP BROKEN LEAF SPRINGS, AND NUMBER TWO, ALL USED SPRINGS HAVE BEEN ABSORBED TO REPAIR BROKEN ONES ON TRUCKS STILL IN USE. NUMBER THREE, TOYOTA CHANGED THE CONFIGURATION OF THE REAR SPRING ASSEMBLY FROM A THREE LEAF TO A FOUR LEAF ASSEMBLY TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT MADE THE RETROFIT A COST BORNE BY THE CONSUMER. EVEN A PARTS EMPLOYEE OF A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AGREED THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL OF THE TACOMA FOR DEFECTIVE LEAF SPRING DESIGN/ENGINEERING. THE BREAKAGE CREATES AN UNSTABLE SUSPENSION SUBJECT TO LOSS OF CONTROL AND IF THE SPRING SHIFTS SIDEWAYS DOES PUNCTURE THE FUEL TANK. *TR

MY 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA EXPERIENCE UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION IN 2004. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED (WORTH ABOUT $12K AT THE TIME) DUE TO THE BENT FRAME CAUSED BY HITTING A CONCRETE WALL, THEN ANOTHER CAR IN A PARKING LOT. MY WIFE, A TOYOTA EMPLOYEE, WHO WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK, SUFFERED BUMPS AND BRUISES DUE TO THE FACT THE TRUCK ONLY WENT ABOUT 30 FEET BEFORE IMPACT. THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND POSTULATED MY WIFE HAD HER FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. SHE GUARANTEED HER FOOT HAD BEEN ON THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS SHRINK WRAPPED UNTIL A TOYOTA REP COULD READ THE ELECTRONICS. HIS RESPONSE WAS THE SAME. SO WAS HERS. GUESS WHAT MODEL YEAR TOYOTA BEGAN USING THEIR ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM (ETCS)? 1998 - WHAT A SURPRISE. MY WIFE HAS BEEN VINDICATED. TOYOTA'S PROBLEM IS NOT WITH FLOOR MATS OR GAS PEDALS THAT STICK. IT IS WITH THE ETCS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED IT WOULD ACCELERATE TO OVER A 200RPM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR BECAUSE OF THE THRODDLE FAILURE. THE REPAIR COST WERE OVER $600. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THEY WILL CALL HIM BACK BUT NO ONE CALLED UP UNTIL THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT . THE FAILURE WAS 200,000.

TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK 1998, MY SON DIED IN THE ACCIDENT 2 YEARS AGO, ACCORDING POLICE REPORT SAID HE FELL ASLEEP IN THE WHEEL BUT THE CAR NEVER WAS AN ISSUE BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE RECALL MAYBE IT WAS THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT TOOK HIS VEHICLE IN TO BE SERVICED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME WAS ROTTING UNDER THE VEHICLE. HE DID NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT THE SERVICE CENTER. HE IS WAITING TO CALL THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE REPAIR WORK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK AND HAVE NO COMPLAINTS EXCEPT THE SEAT BELT CAME OUT AND WILL NOT GO BACK IN AND I FASTEN THE SEAT BELT BUT I KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE A NEW ONE ON IT. TRIED TO FIND ONE BUT HAVE NOT FOUND ONE . WHERE COULD I GET ONE TO PUT ON IT THAT WOULD NOT COST SO MUCH. I'M ON A FIXED INCOME SINCE MY HUSBAND DIED RECENTLY. *TR

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH SIGNIFICANT FRAME RUST. VEHICLE FALLS WITHIN THE "FRAME RUST CORROSION PERFORATION WARRANTY EXTENSION" PROGRAM OFFERED BY TOYOTA. THE PROGRAM OFFERS TO BUY BACK TOYOTA TACOMAS THAT FAIL THEIR "INSPECTION" DEALER ACTUALLY DENTED THE FRAME DURING INSPECTION DUE TO WEAK FRAME SECONDARY TO RUST. THEY DID NOT PUT A HOLE IN IT THEREFORE RETURNING IT TO ME, SAYING THE VEHICLE IS SAFE. CONTACTED CORPORATE TOYOTA AND BASICALLY GOT BLOWN OFF AS THEY STATED THE DEALER DID NOT PUT A HOLE IN IT DURING INSPECTION. PERSONALLY, ANY VEHICLE WHICH YOU CAN DENT THE FRAME IN CRITICAL AREAS WITH A 12 OZ HAMMER WITH "LIGHT TO MODERATE" SWINGS IS UNSAFE. AT THIS POINT I CAN ONLY HOPE I DO NOT GET INTO A CRASH WITH THIS VEHICLE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT AS I BELIEVE THEY ARE OVERLOOKING A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS CORRODING ON HER VEHICLE. HER HUSBAND NOTICED THAT SEVERAL TACOMA OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AND DECIDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER PERFORMED A FRAME INSPECTION AND STATED THAT IT WAS OKAY AT THAT TIME. THE WEST INSPECTION STATION INFORMED THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND THAT HIS FRAME WAS IN BAD SHAPE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONSULTED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,467 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 111,400. UPDATED 09/23/08 *BF THE ALSO STATED THE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP. UPDATED 10/01/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME ON THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTING, WHICH HE OBSERVED WHILE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE. SOME OF THE RUSTY METAL AND PIECES OF THE FRAME FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. HE CONSULTED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY WERE "NONCHALANT AND UNCONCERNED". INITIALLY, THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. MOST RECENTLY, THE CONTACT WAS SENT A LETTER REQUESTING THAT HE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. AFTER THE INSPECTION, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME FAILED INSPECTION AND THE RECOURSE WAS STILL BEING NEGOTIATED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 145,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.