general problems of the 2003 Toyota Tacoma

The darcars Toyota dealership in rckville, MD has refused to repair an outstanding safety recall issue for my 2003 Toyota prerunner truck. I had received a recall notice from Toyota for my 2003 Toyota prerunner. On July 21, 2023, I arrived for my 7:30 a. M. Appt at darcars to get the spare tire lift carrier repaired. Although it was still within the eligible recall period, a very annoyed service manager told me that darcars would not repair it. Although I had made the appt 1+ weeks earlier, he told me no repair parts had been ordered in preparation for repairing the hazard. After I insisted the safety recall issue created a dangerous hazard for me and other drivers since the spare tire located underneath the truck might fall down onto the roadway while driving, he became angry and said the spare tire lift carriage must first be inspected (a 5-10 min inspection) to determine if corrosion on the lift was present. Since I had expected the dangerous part was going to be replaced, I agreed to the inspection. A Toyota service rep drove the truck to the service bays for an inspection. Although my appt was scheduled as the first day of the day, I waited over an hour with no response from the manager or the service rep. During this hour wait, I asked on at two occasions if the inspection was completed and was told "no" with no details provided. I finally walked outside to the back of the darcars dealership and discovered my truck had been sitting in a parking lot. No no one had bothered to inspect it. Due to the attitude of the darcars service manager, service rep, lack of communication, and the failure to have ordered any parts to repair the safety hazard, it became obvious that darcars had no intention of correcting the safety hazard. They intended to stall and make receiving the recall repairs as difficult as possible -- and requiring a second service visit. (afterward, a non-Toyota mechanic performed a inspection and confirmed the lift carrier are severely corroded. ).

While driving, on the highway, the rear shock absorber support mount came loose, allowing the truck bed to come loose from the frame/chassis. Fortunately only the passenger side came loose, keeping the truck's bed attached to the rear of the truck I later found that this particular model has a problem with frame rot which generated a Toyota bulletin. I bought the truck from Toyota, as a used truck in 2011, but received no notifications of this potentially hazardous vehicle. If the bed had come loose at highway speed, any vehicle following the 2003 Toyota Tacoma truck would have been severely damaged or potentially resulted in the death of the people in the cars following behind me and the truck. There was a Toyota bulletin issued previously which was not disclosed to me at the time of purchase. The vehicle has been in Toyota shops regularly for inspections, maintenance and other repairs but the shop never mentioned anything about a "rusty" frame. Upon further research, I have found multiple Toyota Tacoma owners with similar issues with the frame. I believe Toyota knowingly manufactured and sold a defective product with serious potential safety issues. This vehicle either should be banned from the road for the safety of all drivers.

The frame is rotted and was never addressed to be fixed.

Once you fasten the seat belt, it tightens with any movent and restrains the body to the point that disables movement or even breathing. This is very unsafe.

We bought a Toyota Tacoma off a used car lot unaware of the previous recall on the truck. We are now stuck with a undriveable vehical that is rusted through to the frame. It is in are yard. We still owe 10. 000 for it and being forced to pay insurance for a vehical im not even able to use.

Brought truck into body shop in June 2019 to have work done. They told me the frame on the truck was severely rusted in several places. They said it may be unsafe to drive. In 2016 (about 2. 5 yrs ago) I brought the truck into the local Toyota dealer to have frame inspected under a recall notice. At that time they told me that the frame was ok. In addition the truck was at the dealer in 2018 for another recall for leaf springs. At this time they replaced leaf springs but did not report any problems with frame rust. The original body shop and my local car repair shop told me that the severity of the rust damage on the truck indicated that this has been going on a long time and were surprised that it had passed Toyota dealer frame inspection. I called Toyota national line and they told me that for frame replacements for my truck the program ended in January 31 2019. Subsequently I tried to work with the local dealer and they have also told me that national Toyota will not help. Clearly the severity of the problem (see attached photos) indicates that the rust damage was happening over a long period of time and Toyota was negligent in reporting this to me. Toyota should take responsibility for repairing/replacing the frame since clearly the problem has existed long before the January 31 2019 date and I have followed up on all the recall notices for this truck.

Engine warning light came on while driving early morning 9/7/18. Returned home and called local mechanic, supreme automotive. Made an appointment and took the truck in to have the problem diagnosed. Called later to tell me frame rust was too bad to remove certain bolts to test exhaust sensors. Unable to calculate a repair estimate. Since I had some experience with a 1999 Tacoma that had extensive frame rust, which Toyota recalled and eventually bought back, I decided to call Toyota before anything else. I was told by Toyota that the original owner of my Tacoma had responded to a 2009 corrosion recall notice. The undercarriage had been treated. I bought the truck from fox Toyota in spring 2011 after my 1999 was deemed unsafe. None of the service records for the 2003 indicated either the recall or the treatment. I was also told that the so-called subsequent recall, of which I was never informed, expired 6/13/18. Notification supposedly should have reached me through the California dmv, even though the truck originated in michigan. Had I received notice I would have responded immediately, as I had with the 1999 Tacoma.

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 [xxxx] parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

During routine maintenance, my mechanic discovered the frame was completely shot, stating he was not even comfortable working under it! the rest of the truck is in reasonable condition, and it only has 111,000 miles on it. I called Toyota customer svc ctr, but they were unwilling to do anything to address the problem. I feel they were obviously aware of the issue, because the agent explained they had a "limited svc campaign" to add corrosion protection, but informed me that it had expired back on 7/31/2014. I was never notified of this campaign. The agent also stated that the vehicle frame was inspected back in 2012 (which happens to be the year I purchased it in, so I assume this was done just prior to my buying it), and passed stating there was "no" rust -- which is false! misled by many and sold faulty equipment that could have endangered or killed me and others, I am very upset and disappointed about this! researching the issue, I see that I am not alone in this, by far. So, basically, we've all thrown away many $1000's and can recover none of it, nor can we drive the vehicle without fearing it will, quite literally, fall apart!.

Frame is rusted and gas tank strap broke off. Was told by Toyota there was recall for this but expired 2011. How can I get this fixed? this is my only vehicle. It was my late husband's until his death in April 2017.

Frame rails, left and right side, exhibiting rust thru. Safety issue; frame failure in future. (very near).

4 cylinder engine never dit frame recall it's so dangerous use Toyota Tacoma 2003 I do have 3 kids and dealers not help.

Rusting of the frame to the point of making the vehicle unsafe. This was discovered during the 150,000 mile service.

Frame of truck is rotting away. Contacted Toyota about issue and they stated that they had a program that ended in 2011 that addressed that issue. Has end date because it was not a recall but a suggestion by Toyota. I would think that since the frame rotting away that would be a total recall due to safety hazards. Toyota has admitted to faulty frames by having the program but now will not address the problem.

Frame has rusted thru by the leaf spring and other places. Toyota has a recall/campaing that covers the frame thru 2018. But they will not replaced frame because they said it was not undercoated during a specific time. . . . They want $10,000 for new frame. . This is a known problem that should be fully recall.

Own a 2003 Toyota Tacoma. Received Toyota recall letter regarding frame corrosion rust issue in 2009. Brought Tacoma to jafferian Toyota dealership in haverhill, MA on 6/20/09 where they inspected Tacoma and said it passed frame inspection. Brought truck to local mechanic for routine check who said that the back end of the frame was totally corroded by rust and unsafe to drive. Called jafferian Toyota who we purchased truck from and asked if they could repair the frame and they said that they could not because we didn't get the truck sprayed for rust. Apparently Toyota sent out a second recall letter to dealers and owners that they should get trucks sprayed for rust which we never received. We also contacted Toyota USA's customer service department and spoke to the "recall team" and asked if there was anything they could do since we didn't receive the second letter regarding spraying for rust and they said no.

While replacing some parts of the truck (2003 Toyota Tacoma), the exhaust and shocks, I noticed rust holes on the left and right sides of the frame near the rear tires. Also the right side of the rear cross member was rusted and broken. The following day, I brought the truck to a Toyota dealership and explained the situation. They agreed to inspect the frame. When they looked up the vehicles VIN, they noticed that the warrantee had expired in September of 2011. I had purchased the truck in February of 2011 and had by no means received a letter or any means to communicate to me that this warrantee was going to expire. The notice that I had not received would have encouraged the previous owners to bring the vehicle to a dealer to have the frame inspected/ serviced. Despite this, the dealership was kind enough to take pictures of the frame holes and send a claim to Toyota. A week later, the dealer called me and informed me that my claim was denied. Upon further research, I came to understand that Toyota had extended the warrantee for up to 15 years. However, because I had not received any notifications from Toyota in the 7 months that I owned the vehicle before this "warrantee" had expired, Toyota said, "sorry, there is nothing that we can do". Really? so because of their design flaws, and the fact that I did not receive any notices, and now my trucks frame is rotting, it is my fault? what address did they actually have on file in 2011? why did I not receive any notice?.

I purchased this 2003 Toyota Tacoma 4 dr a few months ago I've been a Toyota owner for more than 6 yrs as my previous trk was also a Tacoma the body on this trk was spotless, no rust anywhere, the frame had surface rust but it didnt look too bad the trk needed tires & a bulb for safety. I felt like I had gotten lucky to get a nice dependable trk on the road. Within a month I noticed the trk was riding rougher. It seemed to be getting worse everyday. Tacoma doesn't have good suspension in the 1st place as I had to do it twice on my last trk. The trk had snow build up from the cold winter we were having, so I took it to the car wash to clean it up before putting `it in the shop. While washing it I noticed some scale rust came off under the drivers floor, I pulled it into the shop over the hoist & while setting the lift arms I noticed a substancial hole in my frame. I lifted the trk to find a piece of the frame starting at the lt front sway bar mount had rotted around the welded seam & disintegrated. The hole was15" long & another 8" hole on the rt rear in frt of the spring shackle. Toyota says they will replace the spare tire hanger under warranty but the frame is my issue as I did not have the frame inspected back in 2010 to extend the warr. Until 2017. I did not own the trk until 2014. Toyota is trying to hide behind a technicality that does not apply to the new owner. I feel Toyota should be held responsible for the excessive rust issue as they are well aware of the problem. They have had to re-call over 160. 000 units because of the fact they failed to use adequate rust protection in the 1st place. This trk & many other Toyota trks on the road are a potencial death trap. The world needs to be informed of Toyota not backing thier warr. & trying to keep the hush hush on thier recall for rust perforation. Toyota created the problem, Toyota needs to fix the problem.

I live in nc and I noticed the frame of my 2003 Toyota Tacoma is rusted so bad you can push your fingers through it in some spots! I contacted the local Toyota dealership, they ran the the VIN number on it and told me it no recall is out on the frame. But I have seen on several websites where some 2003 Toyota Tacoma owners have received either a new frame or been offered by dealerships to purchase the truck back. My question is, this is differently a safety hazard, and for Toyota to go by the VIN numbers or state in which you live in. And not that it is in "fact" still a Toyota Tacoma 2003 truck with frame rot, I feel is a "discriminating" or a "discrimination" act on there part.

Hello I bought a used 2003 Toyota Tacoma in MA a little over one year ago. Toyota has voluntarily recalled the vehicle due to frame failure. My truck was tested and the frame failed. Toyota says they will honor the recall and replace my frame for free. But, they have no frames. I am told that there is a delay for an undetermined amount of time, and have been warned that it may be many months or longer. How long does Toyota have to honor this recall legally before I have some other consumer option, such as vehicle replacement? I feel deceived, since this truck has barely been driven, cost $16,000, and is now useless and sitting in the repair shop indefinitely, with no estimated repair date. Toyota headquarters and the dealer say they "have no further information". How long should I wait indefinitely? do I have any consumer protection in this case? thank you.

Car stumbles/hesitates intermittently at various speeds. Have spent time/money trouble shooting the problem/making repairs with no affect on problem. Problem appears to be drive by wire throttle body Toyota part # 22030-62020 (Toyota data per VIN shows this part should not be on my car). Toyota has a program to replace throttle body if found to be defective (for a limited time) except problem cannot be duplicated in the shop and it does not cause any codes. On-line reseach indicated problem is with the throttle position sensor (tsp) or the accelerator pedal position sensor (apps) on the throttle body failing. Reseach indicates Toyota is aware of this problem as they will replace part free if proven defective and apparently has redesigned their throttle body. Issue is, most of the time the dealer cannot reproduct the problem in the shop and since it does not cause a code they will not honor the warranty program because they will not be reimbursed without proving the part is defective. The problem with this throttle body has been identified in vehicles with as little as 30000 miles to over 250000 miles per on-line research. While riding with me the dealer's technician has seen and felt the stumble/hesitation (rpm drops about 150 to 250 rpm when traveling at a constant speed for no reason) but has never been able to duplicate it in the shop or identify the cause. This stumbling/hesitation occurs everytime the car has been driven for longer than 20-30 minutes since the 1st occurance. Twice it has stumble while making a left turn at an intersection causing me to almost get hit by an on coming vehicle. This throttle body is a non-serviceable part and cannot be repaired, per the dealer it is required to be replaced as a unit. This part needs to be recalled and Toyota required to replace it at no cost now instead of only when it fails before someone is killed.

Vehicle has gone through 2 recalls, frame and spare tire holder. Back bumper is corroding.

Rusted frame. Will not pass inspection and very dangerous to drive.

We purchased a used Tacoma in March 2014. We inspected it very carefully for rust. None was noted. About 2 weeks later my son was changing the oil and noticed that rust was appearing around the holes near the sway bar. Now the holes are getting dangerously large. We probably won't be able to safely drive the truck in a few months. The frame rusts from the inside out so you can't see the problem until it's too late. We have talked to Toyota and they are not willing to help because they have no record of it being sprayed even though I have evidence it was at a Toyota dealer several times that they don't have. Toyota received a settlement from dana for supplying the defective frames but they aren't willing to fix their defective frames. Some one who doesn't spend much time underneath their truck is going to have a frame break while they're speeding down the highway and get hurt. We are going to be out a lot of money because of this defective frame. Please hold Toyota accountable before someone gets hurt.

I noticed the rear skid plate is hanging on by only one side about to fall off due to rust on hardware/plate when driving in the highway plate wobbles up and down. It seems like it will fall while driving and cause a possible accident, or injury.

Toyota has blatantly stated they put faulty frames on their 2003 Tacomas and as a result of this, the frames would rust because of coating not being put on properly. Toyota even won a lawsuit from the company who made the frames. Now, Toyota does not want to make good on the rusted frames on these Tacomas. Our frame may not pass inspection due to the rust and if in the event, this frame causes harm to my family, a lawsuit will be filed by me against Toyota. After many contacts via email and phone, Toyota states that we did not contact them in the time frame they gave regarding the frame problem. Well, you only contact a company about something when the problem is brought to your attention and in our case, was too late. There should not have been a time frame put on this and there should have been a recall done on all these frames. When a person dies from these rusted frames breaking in half while driving, then maybe someone will do something.

During a recent saftey inspection severe frame corrosion was found. The garage said that Toyota had a frame recall. When I spoke with Toyota America they said it had expired because I had not answered the recall notices. Wich I never recieved. I explained that I was the original owner at the same adress as the time of the purchase. They reviewed it again and the next day said they sent the required notification 5 times. But could not tell to what address they were sent . The final answer was I was no longer covered.

When I took the vehicle to the dealer to address a recall related to the spare tire support, they told me the vehicle frame was not safe and they would not work on the vehicle. There are numerous perforations in the frame due to excessive rust. I addressed with Toyota corporate and the factory representative validated the problem and acknowledged that it has been a problem on these vehicles but that Toyota and "the government" did not deem it necessary to put a recall on the problem. Meanwhile, they will not address the issue and indicated it is the customer. S responsibility for repair. The truck (normal blue book value approx $7-8k) is now unsafe to drive due to a faulty frame.

My 2003 Toyota Tacoma with 105k miles was found during an inspection to have a rusted frame Toyota has admitted to the defect and refuses to correct I own and bought new a 2003 Toyota Tacoma from rockingham Toyota in salem, nh. I was just informed by my mechanic on 12/5/2012 that my truck would not pass mass state inspection due to a trouble code (check engine light) and most importantly that my frame was completely rusted through and that my Toyota truck was unsafe to drive. I personally verified this by crawling under my Toyota truck and poking my fingers through the frame. My Toyota Tacoma is ready to fold in half due to the extent of frame rust. After contacting Toyota in California (phone 800 331 4331) and discussing the safety issue with the assigned case manager eric back, I was told that there was nothing that could be done to rectify this unsafe condition. I also contacted rockingham Toyota in salem, nh. And they would take no responsibility for this unsafe condition. They mentioned that the safety recall "program" had expired. Toyota corporate claims that I received seven recall notices regarding rusted frame issues. I never received any recall or notice from Toyota regarding the frame issue.

This is a follow from a recent call with the Toyota customer experience center (may 2, 2013). I called to get a status update on the claim referenced in case # 1301162343 and was informed the claim was denied because the invoice from the dealer stated the spare tire was stolen. I never received notification that the claim was denied although the customer service agent suggested a letter has been mailed. I was instructed to return to the deal and get the “stolen” comments removed from the invoice. The original invoice suggested the spare tire was stolen because the service department and parts person at the dealer suggested the cable would not break and the conclusion was the cable must have been cut and the tire stolen. This was in August of 2012 prior to the recall notification. There is no evidence to support that the tire was stolen. I returned to the dealer and attached is an updated invoice with “stolen” removed. To say I am frustrated by the response from Toyota is an understatement. The facts are the spare tire and assembly were missing. The dealer concluded they must have been stolen and wrote that on the original invoice. It is obvious from the recall that the cable broke and the tire and assembly were lost as a result of the this malfunction. Again denied.

Frame recall for rust Toyota did undercoat the frame and it did not dry for several years now all the undercoat is falling off and the frame is rusting worse than when it originally was worked on I took it back and was told as long as there are no holes they will not fix the rustproofing.

I own a 2003 Toyota Tacoma. The entire frame, front bumper, and undercarriage is completely rusted from the front bumper to the rear. In September of 2010 , the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer confirmed that there was surface rust on the vehicle. As a repair, the dealer applied an anti-rust coating onto the frame to prevent further damage (cosmetic cover up). I was told by my mechanic when I went to get a recent oil change on 07/25/13 the repair did not prevent the frame from becoming completely rusted and he stated that it was not safe because even the seams were shoeing signs of possible failure. Brought vehicle back to dealership and after inspection was told that frame is safe by Toyota standards the vehicle was not repaired. The original mileage when brought in for initial recall was 24794, but andthe current mileage is 29,820.

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.