Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | ||||||||||||||||
| 96V129000 | TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD. | V (Vehicle) | 90000 | 09/06/1996 | MFR | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 07/10/1996 | 07/15/1996 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Under certain driving conditions, the front suspension support can crack leading to failure of the support. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This condition can result in loss of vehicle control. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will repair the suspension support. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | System: suspension; independent; front. vehicle description: light duty pickup truck. owner notification: owner notification is expected to begin in late august 1996. note: owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331. also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY - LEAF | |||||
| SU00197 | 01/31/1997 | 51262 | To improve road feel and ride comfort under certain rough road conditions, changes have been made to the rear leaf springs and all four shock absorbers. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 07/25/2011 | 114869 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota tacoma. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 96v129000 (suspension:front). the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs and the dealer confirmed that the frame was corroded. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised that the recall was expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,869 and the current mileage was 114,879. | |||
| 07/25/2011 | 114869 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 1996 toyota tacoma. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 96v129000 (suspension:front). the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs and the dealer confirmed that the frame was corroded. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised that the recall was expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,869 and the current mileage was 114,879. kmj | |||
| 07/25/2011 | 11869 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 1996 toyota tacoma. the contact received a recall notice under nhtsa campaign id number: 96v129000 (suspension:front). the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer confirmed the frame was corroded. the manufacturer was contacted and they confirmed the recall was expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 114,869 and the current mileage was 114,879. rds | |||
| 07/21/2011 | 90000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1996 toyota tacoma. the contact stated the dealer confirmed that the frame was covered with rust and corroded during an inspection. the dealer will not repair the vehicle since the warranty expired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 90,000. rvk | |||
| 07/21/2011 | 90000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1996 toyota tacoma. the contact stated the frame of his vehicle was rusted and corroded after an inspection. he receive a recall notice took the vehicle to the dealer and was told the frame was rusted and corroded. they will not repair due to this vehicle was out of warranty. they offered no other assistance. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no other assistance. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 90,000. mw | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| There rear of the vehicle made noise. *jb the vehicle was returned to the dealer because the noise could not be resolved. the consumer believes the dealer resold the vehicle without it being repaired. *nm | |||
| 10/12/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Consumer stated the rear springs were broken and there was a noise coming front the front of the vehicle, dealer checked the front suspension but could not duplicate the problem.*jb | |||
| 04/01/1997 | 4 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Tapping noise in engine has been going on since 4-12-97. consumer found out that head gasket was blown, and other problems had been happening, toyota has not been assisting consumer with any of the vehicles issues, a defective head gasket was not replaced as it should have been, and from one toyota dealer to the next has found more and more problems. toyota stated they will not cover head gasket problem regardless ofthe past problem. *ak. consumer states since head gasket was done the exhaust studs were tightened due to the engine making noise, it sounds like valve rapping, thumbing noise over bumps at left floor area, rear springs were broken and noise from front end and also noise at idle. *yd | |||
| 02/19/1996 | |||
| Suspension malfunctioned. | |||
| 01/01/1996 | 3 | 12/20/1995 | |
| Transmission noisy in third gear, suspension pops on rough roads, and speedometer makes clicking noise. | |||
| 1 | 12/01/1995 | ||
| Shocks wore out at 10,000 miles. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 08/08/2011 | 154000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that after receiving notification of nhtsa campaign i.d. number: 96v129000 (suspension:front), the vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer refused repairs due to the vehicle age. the contact did not call the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 154,000. | |||
| 11/10/1996 | 20000 | 1 | 03/29/1996 |
| Faulty speedometer. front end suspension faulty,leaf spring noise. *ak | |||
| 01/15/2000 | 09/01/1996 | ||
| No summary | |||
| The vehicle has bad alignment and shimmies at 60mph. this has caused the tires to be ruined. *ak | |||
| 12/25/1998 | 2 | 05/01/1998 | |
| My truck experiences severe transmision noise when i apply brakes, came to a stop and then proceed.a noticeable clunking noise took place as if the transmission was broken.also my front tires wore excessively on the heels, and i was told by the dealer that the front end was misaligned. ofcourse i paid for a front end alignment but it didnt help the vehicle from shaking at speeds of 55+mph.also , the front suspension shimmies, shakes, and rattles over minor road imperfections. i feel like the steering wheel is telling me this vehicle is unsafe. i have never had an accident, and my vehicle is still under warranty. can someone offer help or advice? thomas j finley. *ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 01/01/1996 | |||
| I've had problems with a few other things as well, and toyota has been unwilling to help. also, i haven't ever received any update or recall info from toyota, sense i have owned it. *ak( dot number: tire size: 33 12 50 ) | |||
| 02/10/1998 | 0 | 01/01/1996 | |
| While driving vehicle about any speed, especially 65 mph, consumer hit a bump and the front tires started bouncing up and down, making the consumer lose control of vehicle. the tires stopped bouncing after while. manufacturer was contacted, they said that they did not find this matter as a problem. *ak | |||
| 11/15/1996 | 1 | 10/31/1995 | |
| Front suspension failed. | |||
| 05/24/1996 | |||
| Front end rattles prior to/after recall repairs. (96v-129). *ak | |||
| 04/11/1996 | 1 | 04/11/1996 | |
| Suspension failure. | |||
| 11/22/1996 | 1 | 05/27/1996 | |
| Suspension failure, causing poor stability. | |||
| 09/07/1996 | |||
| Received recall notice four months ago for front suspension, can't get vehicle repaired because dealer claims they don't have the parts and don't know when they will receive the parts. *ak | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1996 | ||
| Front suspension support mechanism failed prior to recall (96v-129). *ak | |||
| 06/08/1996 | |||
| Faulty front suspension, causing premature wear of the goodyear tires outer/inner tread. *ak | |||
| 2 | 10/01/1995 | ||
| While driving, experiences erratic operation in front suspension, when hit pot holes or slight indentation in road, vehicle steering column and front end shakes and vibrates violently, dlr/mfr can't correct problem.*ak consumer states that manufacturer admitted problem and they were putting out heavier front springs and shocks, however this would be at consumer's cost, consumer states front and rear suspension needs balanced. speaker had to be replaced. radiator was replaced due to leaking coolant. *slc | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 10/26/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that while driving and without warning the ball joint snap causing the front driver side wheel to separate and the consumer will have to pull over. dealer notified. ts | |||
| 02/01/2001 | |||
| While turning left into a parking space left front of vehicle fell to ground. dealer verified that front left ball joint broke. similar to recall 96v129000. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving, upper and lower ball joints broke and front end fell, causing major damage to other components in vehicle.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| While driving, upper and lower ball joints broke and front end fell, causing major damage to other components in vehicle.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT | |||
| 03/25/1997 | 3 | ||
| Left front strut leaking. *et | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 06/25/2002 | 77074 | 1 | |
| Top of the shock absorber mount detached from the frame because of metal failure. *nlm | |||
| 07/13/1999 | 1 | ||
| Weakened shock absorbers caused the truck to bounce too much. nlm | |||
| 1 | 07/30/1997 | ||
| Erratic suspension system resulting premature tire wear and causing the truck to lift off the grounf when going arond small curves. | |||
| 05/01/1996 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Shock tower failed. | |||
| 11/22/1996 | 1 | 05/27/1996 | |
| Front shocks replaced. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | |||
| 12/13/2001 | |||
| Bracket that holds coil spring onto frame on driver's side broke. manufacturer notified. feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY | |||
| 1 | 07/30/1997 | ||
| Erratic suspension system resulting premature tire wear and causing the truck to lift off the grounf when going arond small curves. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY - HANGER,BRACKET | |||
| 05/14/2002 | |||
| Front suspension support bracket bar snapped from frame.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 08/08/1996 | 1 | ||
| Wheel bearings over torqued in manufacturing, causing right front wheel to snap off at spindle. | |||
| SUSPENSION - MULTIPLE AXLE | |||
| 04/15/2002 | |||
| Rear suspension support spring has crystallized. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 07/21/2009 | 137345 | ||
| During pa state inspection, notified by dealer that both rear leaf springs were broken. dealer wanted $1200 + to replace. i found a local shop to replace them with aftermarket parts for under $800. toyota knows there is a problem with these springs and yet still trys to milk the owners for more $. | |||
| 5 | |||
| Axle falls out causing crash rear seal keeps going and bearing | |||
| 4 | 10/01/1996 | ||
| Frist real seal, rear seal and bearing, bearing and axle, new axle put in then flew off truck and crashed, 3 weeks later rear seals axle again help | |||
| 5 | |||
| Axle falls out causing crash rear seal keeps going and bearing | |||
| 05/30/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| 01/14/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1996 | |
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 2 | 04/01/1996 | ||
| Rear suspension bouncs/vibrates. | |||
| 2 | 10/01/1995 | ||
| While driving, experiences erratic operation in front suspension, when hit pot holes or slight indentation in road, vehicle steering column and front end shakes and vibrates violently, dlr/mfr can't correct problem.*ak consumer states that manufacturer admitted problem and they were putting out heavier front springs and shocks, however this would be at consumer's cost, consumer states front and rear suspension needs balanced. speaker had to be replaced. radiator was replaced due to leaking coolant. *slc | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS | |||
| 04/01/1997 | 4 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Tapping noise in engine has been going on since 4-12-97. consumer found out that head gasket was blown, and other problems had been happening, toyota has not been assisting consumer with any of the vehicles issues, a defective head gasket was not replaced as it should have been, and from one toyota dealer to the next has found more and more problems. toyota stated they will not cover head gasket problem regardless ofthe past problem. *ak. consumer states since head gasket was done the exhaust studs were tightened due to the engine making noise, it sounds like valve rapping, thumbing noise over bumps at left floor area, rear springs were broken and noise from front end and also noise at idle. *yd | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY | |||
| 03/23/2004 | 79000 | 1 | 10/18/2003 |
| Right side rear leaf spring broke in half at 79,000 miles. rodland toyota in everett, wa. stated this is not covered under the extended warranty. the service department did not mention this as a known problem. no offers were extended to correct the defect. no mention was made when i purchased the truck 6 months ago (oct. 03). truck was said to be in excellent condition. | |||
| 11/10/1996 | 20000 | 1 | 03/29/1996 |
| Faulty speedometer. front end suspension faulty,leaf spring noise. *ak | |||
| 01/15/2001 | 100 | 01/01/2000 | |
| It appears to me that toyota has used a bad quality spring steel not only have my cracked but so have evreyone that i have talk to. the salvage yard has told me that as soon as they get some in that are not cracked they are sold fast, i was told by two difrent spring service companys in town that all the tacoma springs crack what is this am i the first person to report this the danger here is if the center leaf falls out like mine did it could stab the tires and cause one heck of a accident, i always loved my toyota but come on a cracked leaf spring and they want 375.00 each for them at a spring shop lord knows what toyotas getting. thank you mark gianopoulos. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| While making turns tires were rubbing. a private repair shop examined vehicle, and determined that right rear leaf spring broke. please provide any additional information / attachments.*ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| Right rear spring is broken, i had it fixed once before at an indipendent repair shop. this is a known problem with toyotas rear springs i would like to know what the nhtsa is doing about it since it is a safety problem. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1997 | |
| I have heard a noise in rear for some time. i discovered recently that the middle of right rear leaf spring was popped out and rubbing the shock. no used part can be found and new part very unaffordable considering 5000.00 left owing on 18000 for the vehicle. work for local tag office and have heard many similiar reports on same part. reports came from individuals, mechanics, and dealers. | |||
| 05/20/2001 | |||
| Rear middle leaf spring broke in half, causeing vehicle to vibrate when driving.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Right rear leaf spring snapped while driving, causing it to swing out of assembly, which could have gotten caught on brake line or caused a tire to blowout. *ak *tt | |||
| 10/02/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle experienced broken leaf spring due to weight of truck bed and undercarriage, an ex-technician stated that this vehicle along with 1995-1997 models were made with passenger car suspensions. *slc | |||
| Both rear leaf springs broke, causing spring to cut into brake line. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 10/02/2000 | 1 | ||
| Both rear springs failed. nlm | |||
| 11/28/1999 | 1 | 01/28/1998 | |
| Rear leaf springs failed at 80,000 miles, causing a gash into tire. mechanic stated that toyota was sending a spring with 4 leafs instead of three. apparently installed with wrong leafs. *ak consumer states that prior to new springs, vehicle rocked and rolled and was very unstable, mechanic installed a clamp on the broken spring, however the spring gradually worked its way under the clamp cuasing the broken leaf to swing out into the tire. *slc | |||
| 08/23/2000 | |||
| Both driver's side and passenger side rear leaf springs hav developed cracks. vehicle has three leaf springs. consumer noted a tsb to upgrade leaf springs from three to four. manufacturer and dealer refused to correct the tsb. please provide any further details.*ak | |||
| 06/04/2000 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| Calle d toyota sales to report complaint. i was informed that manufacturer was aware of the defect in the rear suspension and has began correct it with a stronger leaf spring later in 1996. even though they are aware of the defect they are not issuing a recall.*ak | |||
| 06/04/2000 | 05/04/2000 | ||
| While traveling at highway speed at 65 mph rear leaf spring broke. vehicle taken to independent repair shop which informed consumer that both rear leaf springs had to be replaced because manufacturer had redesigned the rear leaf spring assembly. *ak *ml | |||
| Rear leaf springs broke on both sides of vehicle. consumer has contacted the dealer. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 05/02/2000 | |||
| Both rear springs broke, causing noise in the rear part of the vehicle which may cause a loss of vehicle control. common problem. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 03/24/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1996 | |
| Contacted dealer , the service department stated they couldn't help me because the truck was out of warranty. steve in service said he had no idea how much it would cost to repair my truck, he said he would transfer me to parts at which point we were disconnected. i contacted the dealer's parts department on my own and found that the part numbers had been changed from the originals whic denotes a change. further investigation revealed that toyota issued a service bulletin ( #su00197) denoting a change of the rear leaf springs in relation to ride comfort. there were two other bulletins (#com0401k) relating to rear spring squeaks and (tc96018) relating to cracked frames. why would the dealer that i purchased the vehicle from not know this or attempt to find it since it certianly is a saftey factor. the manufacturer's warranty is 36/month/36000 comprehensive and 5 year/60,000 miles on the powertrain. *ak | |||
| There was a squeaking noise present due to the rear leaf spring breaking. dealer replaced the 3 leaf spring with a 4 leaf spring. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 2 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Left & right rear leaf springs have broken in half. dealer has admitted that they are having a problem with these. they agreed to split the cost with me 50-50. however, i feel there needs to be a recall on this item. i know of 3 other people that have had this same problem that live here in the salem/bloomington area. the failure date/milage i listed is incorect.. since i have no idea when the springs actually broke... i noticed it while looking for a squeeking noise i was hearing. thanks! *ak | |||
| 12/23/1998 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| Spoke to local dealer technician. he said that this dealership was taking care of this problem with goodwill repairs that included both parts and labor. i was charged $100 labor for the repairs by another dealership. i feel that if one dealership can do this then they all can. two of the three spring leafs had broken completely. they were replaced with an updated set that included three main and one overload built right into the assembley.toyota obviously knows that they had a problem due to this updated part assy. that the dealer had right in stock and changed that day while i waited. *ak | |||
| 01/12/1996 | |||
| Rear springs cracked causing rear end suspension problems. | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY - LEAF | |||
| 01/29/2005 | 85000 | 1 | 11/30/1995 |
| Broken rear driver side leaf springs on 1996 toyota tacoma 4wd extended cab led to poor vehicular control and tire damage*ak | |||
| 03/09/2002 | 90000 | 2 | 08/19/1996 |
| Bad rear leaf springs, causing extreme instability. vehicle: 1996 toyota tacoma 4x4 regular cab, regular bed, 4cylinder. the middle rear leaf spring has a tendancy to break, even under light loads.*ak on my truck, the driver's side broke at around 100,000 miles, the passenger side broke at about 110,000 miles. this created two problems: 1) the rear of the truck tends to leave the ground on even small bumps. 2) there is less weight towards the front of the vehicle, causing a serious degradation in steering control. my springs broke with no load, i heard it happen each time. i contacted a toyota dealership expecting there is some sort of recall on these springs, they said no, but there was a 'technical bulletin' for replacement of these springs. toyota would not pay for the replacement, except if under warranty. (my warranty expired at 100,000 miles) they wanted $345 each side, plus labor to have the problem fixed. there was no way i could afford it. i drove around with for a year and a half with a broken leaf spring on each side, wondering when i would get in a crash. how many other tacoma's out there have this same problem? many! i did some research into fixing the problem myself. i called a local toyota repair shop (not the dealership), they stated that this is a major and very very common problem with 1996 tacoma's, that i was the fourth caller for that day alone asking about the springs. doing more research on the internet, i learned about countless cases of both leaf springs breaking, with and without a load. this needs to be a safety recall because the springs are prone to failure and the vehicle is extremely unstable when they are broken. i have high quality digital photo's available, the web site is still being developed http://tacomasprings.home.comcast.net email or call, i can send out the whole cd, i have more than 50 photos total, all taken at 3.1megpixel. otar@fastermail.com thank you. sean | |||
| 02/23/2002 | 78000 | 1 | 01/27/2002 |
| Rear leaf spring on passenger side (# 2 leaf) has cracked, leading to unpredictable rear suspesion behavior over bumps. this is a widely known problem. toyota is aware that there is a high failure rate on tacoma leaf springs, as are all parts and service personnel that i have spoken to. this is a very expensive repair for a known problem, toyota should be providing assistance/recall. | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Noticed right rear wheel bounce, investigated noticed middle leaf protruding and rubbing on shock absorber. called toyota about problem, they indicated that they would not replace it, and i had to take it back to the dealer for repair at my expense. called dealer, dealer said both leaf springs should be replaced on left and right sides. repair cost would be around $1200.00. one other note, this truck was never used to carry large loads. *ak | |||
| 07/12/2001 | 2 | 06/01/2001 | |
| The middle leaf spring on my truck broke in half. i bought replacement springs at lexington auto springs, the salesman told me that they have already replaced the rear springs on about 30 tacoma's (all 96 or 97 models) in the last couple of months.*ak | |||
| 12/20/1998 | 2 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Both rear leaf springs cracked, this is a problem toyota is aware of but won't repair at their expense, toyota claims it is not dangerous, perhaps after first death they will take notice | |||
| Rear leaf spring broke. dealer has been notified. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| 08/20/2000 | 2 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Under normal driving conditions rear leaf springs both left and right sides broke and separated.*ak (tiresize: 10.5 30 15)( dot number: tire size: 10.5 30 15 ) | |||
| 2 | 11/01/1999 | ||
| I recently noticed that both of my rear #2 leaf springs were broken in half and had shifted out of place. in trying to figuree out where the cheapest place to get the leaf springs would be i found out that this has been an known problem with the tacoma. one person even knew the prolem before i could even tell him about it. *ak | |||
| 03/06/1999 | 04/06/1996 | ||
| Heard a metal-like rubbing sound approximately 3-4 weeks before noticing problem. two rear leaf springs broke, which may have caused a tire blow out and may result in an accident. toyota is aware of the problem and has new design o rear leaf spring. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1996 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Leaf spring failed. | |||