general problems of the 2002 Toyota Tacoma - part 1

Found hole in frame (chassis).

I recently lost both front wheels in two different incidents within a month. Early August drivers side ball joint failed on me. And on September 25th the passenger side failed on me on the freeway almost causing a collision with a mercedes and a semi truck.

As I was pulling out from being parked the truck just dropped to the floor on the drivers side. When I got out to see what happened? my wheel broke off at the lower ball joint yesterday evening. I had to wait 2 hours for a tow. I had no warning or symptoms prior.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the front passenger’s side wheel separated from the vehicle, causing the driver to lose control of the steering and drove into the opposite lane. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front suspension ball joint had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the front shocks, front tires, and front brakes were also damaged during the failure, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 443,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while the independent mechanic was servicing the vehicle, he was informed that the rear frame was severely rusted at the spring shackle on the driver's side. The vehicle was then taken to an auto body shop, where it was determined that the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.

I went to get my 02 Tacoma tires balanced and was called and told that where the frame was cracked. Upon inspecting it myself the crack is where the manufacturer welded the frame together. I'm the 3rd owner of this vehicle and there original owner didn't get frame warranty recall done. Which led to it running out. Now Toyota corporate has a frame case number ( 230817000764 ) and was told that there's nothing that could be done until enough complaints about this case number reaches a certain number then they'll look into it.

Rackandpinon replacement was also the upper and lower ball joints my steering is still giving me problems and I feel like it’s asafty concern because if I’m going down the highway I could loose control I have some receipts for what my mechanic replaced I called Toyota and they told me that it was to late to fix anything and that I would have to deal with it I never received a notice in the mail or anywhere else I feel like Toyota owes me also what has happened is my spare tire feel off from the hanger going up my driveway I got to looking and the cable rusted away along with my rear parking brake cable up under the truck thanks for your time.

The steering is all loose and the alignment is repeatedly moving out of line on its own. The lower ball joints are wearing wrong and may fail at any point.

The chassis of the vehicle is corroded, metal is exposed. Shocks bracket seems like it might break off. Concerned that vehicle will fail on the road.

Truck frame is rusted to the point the the vehicle is not usable. The problem has been confirmed by a local independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. The first symptom was that the right rear shock became detached from the frame. When I brought the vehicle in to have the shock repaired they stated that there was not enough frame left in that area to re-attach the shock.

My frame in my 2002 Tacoma is almost fully rusted . I contacted Toyota and they are not willing to help even though they know that their trucks are rusting and that there was a previous recall set to replace the frame. Since I just got this truck form someone, I had no idea of the recall and of the rust . The car is no longer safe to drive at this point since it is about to break in half .

Tl- the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that an independent mechanic had inspected her vehicle and discovered severe corrosion throughout her entire undercarriage. The contact spoke with markquart Toyota(1844 commercial blvd, chippewa falls, WI 54729) who informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact then called the manufacturer who was notified of the failure and disregarded her concern with the corrosion. The manufacturer suggested she sell the vehicle and offered no further assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 32,021. Jo.

Tl the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while having a routine check on the vehicle by an independent mechanic, the technician became aware that the rear subframe was severely rusted. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Frame is rotted, shock separated from frame.

The undercarriage is showing substantial rust and corrosion.

Vehicle failed inspection due to frame rust. Was told that its unsafe to drive. Researched and found that this is long ongoing issue with Toyota and a number of there vehicles. Toyota has knowledge of this issue and still sold these inferior frames for many years.

Driving on local street, 25 mph, then heard clunking sound when hitting road bumps. Mechanic inspection revealed shock mount completely rusted out of frame and excessive rust and rotting throughout the rear frame. Toyota will not help so will have repair privately and weld new sleeves to the frame. Toyota has created a very dangerous situation for its' customers by using inferior metals in its' frames for many years.

The frame is rotting out. Toyota had the vehicle frame coated with some kind of tar substance because the frame was suspect to heavy corrosion. The coating which was done around 2010 did not work and the vehicle now has holes in the frame due to heavy rust. This is a known issue with these vehicles. Toyota offered a non-working solution that did not fix the problem. The coating was just a gimmick and not a solution to the frame rot.

Airbag system failure broken leaf springs.

The rust on the rear end assembly is so severe that the brakes are compromised, and the back up emergency brake system has failed. The rust on the differential housing is so severe that the fluid has leaked out and the gears are at risk for catastrophic failure. The spring mounts to the axles are also rusting severely, creating a risk of lost control should either side break away. It takes great effort when braking, and the vehicle pulls severely due to rust causing the loss of integrity of the braking system. The brakes, once applied, do not release evenly, creating uneven brake wear, shuddering and shaking, resulting in poor control, excessive and uneven tire wear, I. E. , tires locked and dragging, scalloping. On wet, and I fear, icey, surfaces, the truck has slid sideways due to one or more wheels not releasing.

I was informed by Toyota case worker that the rusty frame recall expired and it is my problem now. I didn't receive any frame recall notice but received a spare tire lift plate recall (which doesn't expire) due to rust and severe corrosion. I was informed by dealership my truck was unsafe to even put on the lift to address current recall, of course they let me drive it home which is a 35-40 minute drive for me. I was forced to scrap my truck with a perfectly good motor because how unsafe it was and the expense to fix it on my own. I didn't realize the severity of the problem until I crawled under my truck and was beside myself! I had huge holes in the frame, the leaf springs were shot, all this was under the "undercoating" that was done at time of purchase to protect frame from rust! I paid extra for that! even my seat mounts on the interior back seat were rusted! I suspect the quality of metal used is on the lower side. . . I used my truck as a truck, hauled small amounts of mulch, soul for my garden, it moved me 5x! I didn't go muddling in it, park it in a pond, or live in a flood area. I just used it. . . How is there an expiration date for the ongoing problem that can ultimately jeapardize a persons safety as well as others on the road?! please hold Toyota responsible. . .

Frame rot from inside out. Suspension mounting to frame rotted out. Totoya refuses to deal with this and claims the safety recall is expired. How can a recall be expired. Case #1606101548 . Toyota representative very rude and demeaning.

Excessive unsafe frame rot from inside out. Toyota safety 'recall' offer to fix 'expired'.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. While backing out of the driveway at a very low rate of speed, the rear driver side spring shackle suddenly fractured and rendered the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the failure was caused by severe rusting of the vehicle's frame. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,039.

Rusting frame. I brought my 2002 Toyota Tacoma truck to dealer for the corrosion resistant spraying to prevent further rusting of frame. Spraying completed on 03/25/03. Rust on frame continues. Spraying did not work. Toyota said they only spray truck once. Rust warranty extended for 15 years expiring on 10/01/16. Toyota should extend rust warranty with no expiration date as truck will have to be sprayed every two years. Earlier years rust warranty covered replacing frame or vehicle buyback. Toyota should cover same warranty for later year Tacomas as rust problem persists in every year. Leaf springs and hardware are rusted as are muffler brackets leading to potentional safety hazard if items fail while driving. Toyota admitted rust proofing not done properly by subcontractor. Please hold Toyota accountable for their negligence in properly protecting frames,springs. And suspension systems with corrosion resistant materials. Toyota is just buying time until warranties expire. After that time the owners will have no recourse with Toyota.

Tl- the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, it was noticed that the frame was prematurely rusted to the point that the frame deteriorated with holes and may fracture. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer nor a mechanic as of yet. The contact was also included in 2 recall notices but did not receive the information for NHTSA campaign numbers: 12v542000 (tires) and 05v225000 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 300,000. Dyd.

2002 Toyota Tacoma was taken into the shop for an oil change, tire rotation and brake inspection when the shop service technician called to report the frame of the vehicle contains pinholes and is noticeably rusting, presenting a safety issue. The shop technician recommended contacting Toyota directly as he thought any recall had since expired. Post researching recall information, we did verify that the "recall" period had expired. However, this vehicle was purchased new as a corporate asset and remains in our possession. We absolutely did not receive any recall notifications for the frame issues nor a request for inspection!.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to the dealer (gerard Toyota located on 543 colman st, new london, CT 06320) for service, the technician noticed corrosion on the rear passenger side frame and a crack in the rear passenger wheel. The shocks could be seen and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 193,672.

Frame is rusted through in multiple locations and has been treated with corrosion resistant coatings. The coatings are obviously visable but did not prevent the frame from rusting to an unsafe condition. The previous owner brought the truck in for other recalls that are recorded in its history. This one for the frame is not recorded however you can see the coating has been applied. The warranty extension is listed for 15 years. The truck is 13 years old but, a person representing Toyota says it's expired with no explanation of how that is. So far she put me on hold for 20 minutes without being able to find the information to explain to me.

I purchased a Tacoma truck December 2014 with an undercoated frame, and was unaware the frames in these trucks rot out, it is now April I look under the truck and see the frame is completely rotten out to the point where there is holes every where and you can poke your fingers holes will develop, I contacted Toyota they don't want to even touch the truck, I feel very unsafe driving the truck.

Purchased this truck 4 months ago for $10,900. Found no evidence of recalls on this truck on carfax and Toyotas recall website. It is a great truck in pristine condition. However, after talking to a friend who has a 2004 Tacoma he informed me that there was a recall and that his frame was sprayed to prevent corrosion. I called up Toyota to see if it had been done on mine and they said no. I asked why they were spraying them and they said it was because the frame will corrode. I asked if it could be done to mine and they said that they stopped doing it at the end of 2011. I had joseph Toyota inspect it yesterday and they informed me that the frame has a hole in it and would only have 2 years left. I asked Toyota if they would repair the frame or buy the truck back as I have heard they do and they said no. So now I can either pass the problem onto someone else or wait until the frame fails.

Ongoing rusty deterioration of frame. Have had sections cut out and plates welded 3x. Purchased in 2003. Same dealer claims recall sent. Not received by me. Have had other rust problems with Toyotas, and had responded to same. This was to be my last vehicle as I am 77, on ss, drive less than 5,000mpy, truck has more than enough major repair free life to out live me! have been advised by my garage not to drive-cannot go onto the lift anymore! has been beyond repair for years-won't pass state inspection. Am forced to buy another, which I can ill afford. Here is repair record. 2/27/2015-frame rail repair $500. At 2016 inspection original dealer quoted $1,000 to repair frame, stated recall had been sent and ignored, and got very beligerent initally and during subsequent phone calls. Repair locally $800. Again $700 in 2017. By 2018 shock mounts were rusted off and shocks removed. Has not passed inspection since. Still country driving not more than 20 mi. Everything running fine-no problems. Would expect another 100,000 needing no more than a clutch and another timing belt. I was even willing to spent $13,000+ for a new frame only to discover by VIN that complete frame was no longer available. If you would check out Tacomaworld website, thousands of complaints. Having to junk truck that has many miles yet to run. I know Toyota sued frame manufacturer. Has 'wiped their hands' of the entire affair; so I don't really expect anything to come of this. Being an air force vet on ss and ptsd disability I considered appealing to Toyota directly but felt it a waste of time. Appeal going into trash unopened! add my complaint to the thousands of us loyal Toyota buyers who have in essence eaten their vehicles!!.

The frame at rear spring hangers has rusted through rear axle separated from frame due to rust.

Part of the frame suddenly broke from the frame rail under the driver's side of the vehicle, resulting in a significant portion of material loosing all structural integrity. This was due, it seems, to a manufacturing defect in the frame quality leading to excessive rot and rust. The vehicle is now structurally unsound and thus unable to be driven safely.

While driving home from picking up my daughter from school. I hit a pot hole my truck became very loose and hard to handle. I got home and inspected the truck. I found that the rear leaf spring mounts on both sides pulled/ ripped the frame! my back axel also slid back about 2"! I'm glad we didn't get hurt, but I can't believe that this is acceptable. I only wonder what would have happened if the axel would have came totally disconnected from the truck.