general problems of the 2004 Toyota Tacoma - part 2

Yesterday, I went to my mechanic for an inspection on my 2004 Toyota Tacoma. He said it wouldn't pass because holes were everywhere along the frame. I took it to Toyota. They took pictures and documented the fact that my car was unsafe to drive. They said it wasn't their problem, and that I had been given four years to fix it. When I looked up my VIN number online, it mentioned only the recall for the spare tire (which I had already taken off three years ago). I called Toyota central, and they said it wasn't their problem. Apparently, I had received a first class letter between November of 2010 and December of 2011 which stated that I needed to have my frame sprayed. They said that the cutoff for this "remedy" was December, 2012. When I asked if, had I had the frame sprayed six months ago, would this rot have miraculously not appeared, they said they didn't know. They apologized for the fact that it was not their problem, and that was that. I may have received a letter. . . I am not sure, and cannot honestly claim I didn't receive it. What I do know that I do, though, is regularly check on line for recalls so that I can make sure that I am not missing anything. The dealer told me that this particular recall was voluntary, and therefore it wouldn't have been posted in normal channels. To make matters worse, the dealer specifically said that someone had come in the previous week with the same issue and it was "too bad". He also said that Toyota would probably be doing something about this because so many people were having such major safety issues. He said that if I wanted to hold on to the truck. . . Maybe something would happen in a year. What am I going to do with a truck I can't drive because it won't pass inspection and has been deemed unsafe?.

Vehicle frame is rusting, rotting, and crumbling from beneath the truck. I was unaware of the condition when I was told by a mechanic during a pennsylvania state vehicle inspection that the frame will eventually fail and split apart as I am driving down the road. I contacted Toyota and they told me that I missed the recall window which would have extended the warranty on the frame. When I explained to them that I was not contacted about such an important recall, and if I were I would have to be an idiot not to act on it, they replied that their records show that a letter was sent to me therefore Toyota will not honor the recall and replace my crumbling frame.

I purchased a used 2004 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 4 years ago in NY. I moved to MA 2 years ago and took truck to a cape cod Toyota dealer and asked them to change oil and tell me if there were any issues I needed to deal with. To make a long story short they told me about the spare tire rust recall and made the repair. When we picked up the truck they gave it a clean bill of health. They then said "by the way, you have a tiny hole in frame that may need to be taken care of at some point-not urgent. " fast forward 2 years- a garaged truck that only had an additional 7,000 miles. We took it for the MA state inspection and it failed. They said it needed a new muffler. We took it to our local cape cod mechanic who called and said the problem was much bigger- the entire frame is rusted out and it is not safe to drive. We filed a complaint with Toyota corporate and they won't do anything. The dealer called to say come pick it up even though they know it is not safe to drive. How much is a life worth? obviously Toyota doesn't care. Help please!!!.

3 years ago Toyota sent us a noticed and called . . Asking us to have our frame inspected due to frame failures and rust. We complied and had the undercoating and frame inspected for 3 years with the understanding that this would protect us if future frame problems were identified. This year 2012 we were told we didn;t need to have the frame inspected, however when we were replacing the brakes we noticed significant rust on the frame of the vehicle. We immediately called our dealer for a frame inspection and was told the frame had failed and that we shouldn't drive the vehicle. For safety reasons. I called the Toyota hotline and received a claim number was told we were eligible for the a frame replacement because we had received the undercoating . They set up an appointment for the Toyota rep to inspect the vehicle today March 8th. . The rep never showed up. We weren't provided with a rental vehicle and thus having trouble meeting our work commitments. . And they expect us to put our children back in a vehicle which we were told is unsafe to drive, I am very concerned about how many other Toyota drivers are driving unsafe vehicles.

Frame: I had my Tacoma in for work (the clutch would not return fully to the up position) and the dealer (tj Toyota, potsdam, NY) said there were holes in the frame. There was one on the left side near there sway bar and two on the right side just in front of the passenger door. The dealer called Toyota and Toyota said the program for undercoating the frame ended in December and they would not do anything. I bought this truck in January 2011 from the dealer (tj Toyota, potsdam NY) and they did not undercoat the frame before they sold the truck to me (with 77,500 mi). I am currently fighting with Toyota and because my truck cant pass inspection (which expires today) I can not legally drive my truck to work and there for cant work because I am a mechanic and work out of my truck.

I was informed in December of 2012 of a recall on my 2004 Tacoma where the spare tire holder could rust and fall off. As of 4/24/2013 I still havent been notified of what Toyota,s plan to fix this problem is. What can I do?.

I took my truck in for the yearly inspection and it failed for a hole in the frame. I contacted Toyota and was informed that I missed a customer care service to inspect the frame and there was nothing that they would do for me. I repaired the hole and the vehicles passed inspection for the frame the past two years. I was driving today and found that the bed of my truck crooked. I checked the other side of the frame to find that it is completely rotted and the truck is now unsafe to drive. Will this frame rust issue ever become a recall? its a shame that a perfectly good running truck is now garbage.

I got a letter from Toyota motors stating that ceryain model years of Tacomas had rust damage to the frame and I was informed to bring it to the dealership where they would perform a rust test on it. Mine is a 2004. They said the rest wasnt bad enough to replace the truck,of course and kept it to spray on a rust preventative on the frame. Within one year the coating they applied began to fall off peel off and obviously didn't work like planned. My sister had a 98 Tacoma with the same issue and you could put your finger through the frame. They bought her truck back at the corporate office at 150% of bluebook value. Thats what should happen now also. Ive paid 20k$ for the vehicle brand new and a major reason was everyone likes the Tacoma and its fairly easy or lets say was easy to resale before all the problems they are having. Now ive gotten another letter saying there is more than one recall and now have problems with the spare tire holder plate possibly rusting and falling off. Its pretty obvious to me and all the customers who have had the problens, that Toyota must be forced into actually replacing the vehicle or pay the 150% book value without arguement. Is anyone going to make this right? I have had 2 mechanics tell me the truck is unsafe and not road worthy. Luckily I have a company vehicle otherwise I would be very challenged. The bumper all the way to the front is totally rusted out and I dont wanna hear lip service saying its due to salt or something I just want a billion dollar company to be responsible for their product. I havent dtiven the truck but 10 times since getting the coating applied and the sad thing is I love the truck and cant drive it. Please help us.