general problems of the 1998 Toyota Tacoma

I recently bought my 98 Toyota Tacoma extended cab 4�4. I knew nothing of any frame rust problems or any other problems that Toyota's had. Now I am the proud owner of a good looking truck that I just found out is not only unsafe to drive off road but on road also. Yesterday I found that the rear shock,where it mounts on top,had broke throw the frame and after inspecting and doing a quick welding repair just to make it home,that the frame had previously been repaired in other places but only welded new metal over the existing rusting frame. No one has made any attemy to inform me of any problems and from what I'm seeing now it's past the 15 yr deadline. I bought a Toyota because of its dependability but what good is it to have a dependable engine when the frame wasn't prepared to hold up to normal conditions without rusting into.

Frame on my truck is rusting to a point of being a safety issue . Toyota needs to replace this so vehicle will be safe .

Frame rusted out causing leafspring to sink into frame.

The contact owns a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. While driving at various speeds, there was a loud abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The contact observed that the frame was completely rusted and fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

When checking tosee if my shocks need to be replaced I find I have a rusted frame above right rear wheel and in front of left front wheel. This was the first I had any knowledge of it. A friend advised me there was a recall so I called Toyota. I was advised they still had the previous owners information even though I purchased it from a dealer on 2/11/2005. I never received a recall notice and never heard anything about it and was told they would not do anything to fix it. Is there anything you can do to help. The truck is still a good 4wd truck.

Hello, my vehicle is a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. It has approx. 152,000 miles on it. The issue I am having with the vehicle is primarily frame rust, the frame is beginning to look like "swiss cheese. " the frame of the vehicle is in terrible shape, the spare tire even fell out due to rust. I called Toyota to inquire about the frame rust and was told that there is no warranty to cover this. I searched online and it says that 1995-2000 Toyota Tacoma's were under recall for frame rust because the rust would make the vehicles unsafe to drive because the structural integrity of the vehicle would be compromised. So I searched around and found that my vehicle is currently 15 years, 4 months old and that Toyota would not cover the vehicle. I believe that rust is an ongoing issue and takes several months/years to develop, it is not something which occurs overnight. The rust looks mainly to be surface rust on the outside, but in reality the rust has developed from the inside-out and rotted the frame out, therefore it was not caught earlier. I hope this recall is extended, there are many rusted Toyota Tacomas listed for sale from the 1995-2000 model year, which also have the same issue. The issue was caused by Toyota's 3rd party supplier not properly rust proofing the frames, therefore making them highly susceptible to rust. I hope that Toyota does something to resolve the issue.

My vehicle's frame is dangerously rusting out. I heard there was a recall and when I called Toyota about two years ago the said I had just missed the cut off. Since then it had gotten progressively worse. The body mounts have separated from the frame and where the leaf spring is attached is getting ready to separate. These are also holes in the frame. If anybody has any advise would be greatly appreciated. Does not seem right that they could have a recall and I was never contacted and when I contacted them that they told me I missed it by only months?.

The contact owns a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while inspecting the subframe of the vehicle, he noticed that there was a hole in the rear passenger side wheel well. The contact stated that the failure had increased significantly. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as an unknown recall had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. While parked, the contact noticed that the rear frame was corroded and the rear axle had detached from the frame. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 172,000. Updated 05/16/lj the consumer stated Toyota purchased the vehicle back from him. Updated 05/22/12.

The vehicle vibrates at highway speeds and the brakes vibrate when applied as if the discs are bent, mechanic can not find any problems that would cause these symptoms.