Body problems of the 2008 Toyota Tacoma - part 1

Report a paint defect on my 2008 Toyota Tacoma, painted in super white (040). Over time, I have noticed significant paint peeling on multiple areas of the truck, including the roof, hood, and door frames. The paint is deteriorating down to the primer, and in some places, the metal is now exposed. I am aware of Toyota’s customer support program t-sb-0162-19, which extends warranty coverage for similar paint issues on various Toyota models using the same super white (040) and blizzard pearl (070) paints. However, I am disappointed to learn that the Tacoma—despite having identical paint and similar defects—was excluded from the original program. This paint failure is clearly not due to age or wear, but rather a manufacturing defect that has been documented by thousands of Tacoma owners nationwid.

I have a 2008 Tacoma with a severely rusted frame. I just bought it a few months ago but didn’t know the frame was this bad. It’s unsafe to drive in its current state. Toyota will not honor their now expired recall for their faulty frames. Their frames were not coated properly from the factory and almost all Tacomas had this issues that were in the cooler states of the us, and around the world for that matter.

Toyota has had a long history of excessive frame rust. This truck has excessive frame rust. There was a recall to fix this frame rust and my truck has not been fixed. Toyota will not fix the current recall for the spring replacement because of the frame rust. My life and my children’s lives are in danger due to the possible leaf suspension failure that may puncture the gas tank.

Some of the interior door light switches don't light @ night. I can probably take the door panel off & fix it. . . (buy bulbs). . . ? door hinge on the gas cap breaks way to easily. Could fly off & hit someone\thing. . . Clunking sound coming from the rear end & I can't find where it's coming from. . . Gas cap gets loose & throws a p0333 code knock sensor bank 1 or 2 or both. Who put them under the manifold. . . ? scary to get the code. That's a hr+ job that's doing it myself. $ expensive from a shop $ nothing to serious. 2nd owner. Runs strong for the miles on it. Thank you, [xxx] , information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The brakes completely failed on the vehicle. When inspected the main brake line was found damaged due to the frame of the car being totally corroded and shifting of the mechanical structure. If I were not quick in getting the emergency brake applied, we would have had an uncontrolled crash in traffic and could have potentially been killed. There were no warnings or lights that came on in the vehicle prior to the complete brake failure. The car is currently at a local repair shop and can be inspected if necessary. The frame corrosion was so bad on this car that the repair shop was not comfortable even putting it on a lift as they felt the car frame would break.

Frame is rusted. Lancaster Toyota Mazda body shop recommended the frame be replaced. They will not repair it.

I purchased this vehicle used several years ago. I recently took it in for an oil change and my mechanic advised me that the underside was rusting out. There was a recall for this issue but it has expired and Toyota has refused to do anything.

While driving at unknown low speed on 2 lane road, contact observed bed of truck rise vertically in the air, within the frame of rearview mirror. Upon pulling over, further investigation indicated that indeed, while adding body weight to the truck bumper, rear of bed, was more than sufficient to cause the front of the bed to rise. Truck was later moved to dealer location, courtesy Toyota, brandon, FL, for inspection. Inspection by Toyota indicated both frame rails were completely severed by corrosion. Truck was tagged out of service and not safe to operate by the oem. This unit was inspected by same Toyota dealership in Jan 2019, for extended frame corrosion warranty program, and was passed for frame rail replacement as it did not meet the failure criteria of the incorrectly written test. This criteria does not address all failure modes, nor a normal population of "most likely" failure modes, thus allowing the oem to side-step responsibility. Placing consumers at great risk for bodily harm for both vehicle owners/operators, and the general public in proximity to the traveling vehicle. Known quality issue. Known safety issue. Harm is imminent. Financial damage imminent.

Red paint peeling off.

1. Some years ago Toyota recalled the vehicle for inspection of the frame. Since it was relatively new, it did not need a frame replacement at that time. They claimed to have enhanced protection with some kind of coating. 2. Warrantee for frame corrosion was extended for 12 years but I did not receive a notice for reinspection when that was nearing the end for my vehicle. 3. Although my vehicle just passed inspection, I have been informed that corrosion is progressing, and I will not pass inspection in one two or three years. 4. My vehicle which has low mileage and is otherwise perfectly serviceable for my purposes, will have to be junked because Toyota refuses to take responsibility for shoddy manufacturing (or at least shoddy steel fabrication).

My stepdaughter purchased a 2008 Toyota Tacoma a few months ago. During the time of having the vehicle serviced her mechanic pointed out all the rust throughout the frame of the vehicle. I have contacted Toyota corporate; they refuse for me to open a ticket and to get this safety issue resolved. Not only is the rust on the frame, but it's also evolving the suspension. There is also evidence that this vehicle is from vermont which would have caused more of a rust issue besides the manufacture forgetting to coat the frame.

We were experiencing a loud rattling noise under the passenger side steer tire and when we hit bumps, it was hard to control the steering and bouncing. When inspected by our mechanic, we found that the frame had rusted through and broke near the passenger side wheel and will no longer pass inspection due to safety. The entire frame has extensive rust issues, even though under costed at time of purchase and two other times during our ownership and was last inspected by Toyota in April 2018 and told all was ok, even though there was an open extension on replacing rusted frames for the 2008 Toyota Tacomas.

My frame has rusted in two.

We purchased our 2008 Toyota Tacoma pick up about 2012 from stephen's Toyota in bristol,connecticut. Recently it went in for an oil change and emissions testing, our mechanic and the owner of the garage told us to get in touch with Toyota right away, the frame on your truck should be covered under the recall, the truck is in perfect condition inside and out and no ruse other than the frame falling apart. I touched base with the dealer but parts department just say's sorry it's not cover. . Wtf. . . . Something about the recall expired???? what I"m seeing on line is recalls don't expire they transfer from owner to owner and "we" never have received any recalls on this truck and had no clue the frame was bad! my wife drives my child around in this truck ever single day. . . I need this problem taken ASAP. . . God for bid something happens and she get's into an accident with my son. . . . Next step I talk to my attorney. . . . Douglas lambert 65 west broad st. Plainville, conn. 06062.

Frame has rusted to the point of actually having a hole that I can put my finger through. The truck has only 79000 miles on it and is in excellent shape otherwise. I bought it new from the dealer in 2008. I think this is a potentially dangerous condition but could be repaired via an Toyota recall. My father was a Toyota g. M. And Toyota's are all my family have owned for 30 some years. I hope Toyota will honor the re-call. Thank you, james robert branson.

Frame is rusting away. I bought this vehicle in 2019 from a dealership and was just informed of this issue. No recall for this vehicle is showed on the website or Toyota dealership. I think the original owner along with previous owner never looked at the recall for this vehicle. I’m not sure what else to do.

Truck. Multipte spots in frame with excessive rust and holes. Needs extensive frame work, I want to know if it covers the guarantee of this.

This is my second Tacoma. Both cases I’ve found out too late that the frames are shot. Although before I purchased I had it inspected by Toyota shop to identify any problems including frame rot. First one I bought new second used. Both cases I was told I am out of the recall window. My loyalty to your brand is in question. You’ve recognized a problem and on the surface it appears your taking responsibility for it. Then , atleast in my case, don’t. Disappointed starts to describe my feelings on this matter. If you care to make any concessions and retain a Toyota customer reach out to me.

On my last vehicle inspection, the mechanic told me that he will fail me next time due to a rotting frame. This is a serious safety hazard. Through my research, this is a common problem with this year truck (2008) and other years. To my knowledge, I was never contacted by Toyota as far as any recall. This truck still looks new and I am very dissapointed with what I read about this so called "recall" has expired or about to expire in 2023. I would like very much to have this repaired. I don't know how to go about it.

Frame is rotting out is there any recall for a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. I heard the recall was for 15 years is this true? thank you.

This vehicle falls under a Toyota "limited service campaign" based on the VIN. Because the vehicle is registered in arizona my parents never received a notice of this campaign. But this vehicle is now in indiana and is exposed to issues related to this campaign (frame rust - cold climate states). To base a campaign on state registration is short sighted and wrong. My parents still reside in arizona and the vehicle is registered there but it will remain in indiana as their vehicle for when they visit. I contacted Toyota and asked them to inspect and apply the crc per the campaign but they have refused. Would ask the ntsb to review this campaign and cover all customer vehicles that might have exposure to cold climate not limited to registration state. If we would have been made aware of this we would have acted sooner but again, no one from Toyota informed us of the issue.

Gas tank support rusted out causing the gas tank to fall off the truck.

Took truck in for inspection mechanic said frame is rotted out Toyota said that there's no recall pending on this vehicle.

My vehicle has a lot of rust area on the bottom frame. I am unable to put a carjack to lift the vehicle up without the frame breaking. I am afraid if I need to switch the tire I wont be able to because of all the rust. I need to place a side step running board on this vehicle but I am afraid it may be too rusted to hold it. There is some rust on the body area and I was thinking about fixing it myself but the frame maybe a little harder to fix if I need to replace these parts.

I purchased my 2008 Toyota Tacoma in 2010 with 39,000 miles on it. In early 2018, I received a notice from Toyota that my truck needed to have the frame inspected. I scheduled an appointment with the Toyota dealership in leesburg, va and had the frame inspected and treated with some type of black treatment. This substance never completely adhered to the frame and washed off. This is apparent in the attached photos. I expressed a concern about reoccurring rust in April 2020 with the Toyota dealer and they directed me to call Toyota directly. I then opened a case with Toyota, case #2004082516 and was unable to get the frame re-inspected due to covid. Recently in 2021 during a regular service, the technician brought to my attention large gaping holes in the frame. The technician said that the frame would not pass va state safety inspection which is due in April 2021. I am now left with a vehicle that is not safe to drive and of no value.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. While stationary, it was observed that the subframe of the vehicle was severely rusted and corroded. There were also holes in the frame where the wheels connected to the frame. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. While driving various speeds, the vehicle vibrated and a humming noise was present. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was discovered that the subframe experienced severe rusting and corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle failed inspection due to excessive corrosion on the rear cross member frame. The technician stated that the rear cross member frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,598.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the frame of the vehicle was rusted. The vehicle was treated for rust a year ago, but the solution used to coat the frame rubbed right off. The contact notified the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v604000 (suspension). The dealer indicated that the vehicle would need to receive a manufacturer recall remedy first for the undercoating. The manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer; however, the dealer indicated that they did not have the coating for the repair for months. The contact went to a second dealer and the vehicle was placed on a lift to be coated. The part was on a national back order. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Toyota Tacoma has excessive rust throughout the frame and suspension.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. While driving at a low speed, the steering wheel seized. As a result, the contact was unable to steer the vehicle. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seals were corroded and the power steering joint needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front driver side wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the repair did not correct the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v604000 (suspension). The failure mileage was 95,000.

This truck was recalled for premature frame corrosion. At the dealer's inspection the vehicle was pronounced as being structurally sound. However, at the corporations expense the vehicle would be sent elsewhere for frame anti corrosion treatment. I picked up the truck a couple of days later and followed the instructions as far as allowing the treatment to cure outside for several days. This repair was done in January f this year. After several weeks it seemed as though the frame treatment had not cured as a strong chemical smell persisted which was physically nauseating. It is now may 5th and the vehicle is at the dealership (where the vehicle was purchased) for an unrelated recall repair. The service manager and mechanic who looked at the vehicle say the treatment will eventually cure and stop smelling. The Toyota corporation claims to have no responsibility in this matter. The dealer sent the vehicle out for a Toyota corporation authorized treatment that apparently did not work. This has made the vehicle not useful for me any longer; I don't expect to have to live with my primary vehicle having been made useless unless I intend to be made ill while driving it. The vehicle was more useful, even with minor frame corrosion, before this treatment was done and I fully expected to have the use for several more years.

On Friday, December 4th I was driving my Tacoma pickup. When I had to stop in traffic I applied the brake. The pickup had unintentional acceleration rather than stopping. I was not going more than five mph. I was on a city street. There is damage to my pickup.

I purchased a brand new 2008 Toyota Tacoma. It came with geninue factory installed running boards. About a year ago I noticed pitting on the running boards (both sides of the vehicle) the corosion started at the rear of the boards (near the rear wheels). I brought the truck to the dealership where I purchased it. I inquired if the Tacoma was covered under any warranty or recall, since I've had several and one is still outstanding (Toyota is in process of deciding how to fix, something to do with a rear spring near gas tantk). This might be associated with my current problem with the-running boards on my truck! last week Wednesday I left my truck for repair with the dealership agreeing to pay $300 for restoring my running boards. By the way they guarantee their work for lifetime. I received a call from dealership the next day informing me that upon inspectioen of the running (Toyota genuine factory installed) boards that the problem was that both boards were corroded from within the parts and considered unsalvageable. If they did the work they could not guarantee the safety of the parts. In fact the boards could come off in the coming months. No warranty on doing this job. My wife & I are senior citzens and rely on using the running boards to gain entrance to the truck. Another concern I have if I hit something on the road and the defective running boards break off and hit another vehicle. The attitude from Toyota corporate was that they are not responsible if anything happens. When I asked to speak with a supervisor I was told that I would receive a callback with 24 hours. It has been 3 days and I've not heard back. My complaint is lodged against Toyota for making defective parts that could injury others. Toyota's indifference to my situation only incenses me because I thought I was buying a quality product.