Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||||
| 00604 | 09/23/2004 | 10010039 | Tonneau cover foam wedge kit. for vehicles with under-the-rail bedliner, the tonneau cover kit may interfere with the tailgate bedliner. a foam wedge fit kit has been created to resolve this issue. *tt | 11/03/2004 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||||
| 00804 | 05/27/2004 | 10007652 | Front door window frame improvement. *tt | 07/07/2004 | |
| BO02600 | 10/27/2000 | BO02600 | 10003565 | Information on water leak field-fix repair instructions - revised. *tt | 10/24/2003 |
| 1698 | 10/27/2000 | 02600 | 601600 | Water leak field-fix repair instructions. *yc *tt | 08/12/1998 |
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||||
| TC-11-013 | 03/28/2011 | 10038974 | Toyota service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. a service campaign to apply anti-corrosion materials for vehicles in cold states. 1996-2004 tacomas. *rm | 06/29/2011 | |
| TC-11-013 | 03/28/2011 | 10038974 | Ready | 06/29/2011 | |
| TC-10-056 | 12/22/2010 | 10037656 | Toyota service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. toyota is extending the date for corrosion resistance treatment. *rm | 06/01/2011 | |
| TC-10-056 | 12/22/2010 | 10037656 | Ready | 06/01/2011 | |
| TC-10-049 | 10/14/2010 | 10036742 | Toyota: limited service campaign-90 d deadline extension and owner renotification. frame corrosion-resistant compound(crc). *pe | 04/12/2011 | |
| TC-10-050 | 10/14/2010 | 10036743 | Toyota: see document search button for owner letter. limited service campaign (lsc). 90d deadline extension and owner renotification. frame corrosion resistant compound (crc). *pe | 04/12/2011 | |
| TC-10-036 | 07/15/2010 | 10034525 | Toyota: frame corrosion preventative compound. owners whose vehicles have not yet had lsc 90d repairs completed will be notify. affects only certain states:vt, ma and me. *pe | 11/29/2010 | |
| LSC-90D | 04/01/2009 | 10030357 | Toyota: a number of vehicles operating in severe cold climate areas with high road salt used exhibited excessive rust corrosion to the frame, causing perforation of the metal. the frames in this small number of vehicles may not have adequ | 09/23/2009 | |
| TCS-08-018 | 11/25/2008 | 10027968 | Toyota: warranty enhancement for frame rust perforation on model trucks in severe cold climate areas with high road salt use. csc letter was received. *pe | 02/24/2009 | |
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||||
| TC-10-056 | 12/22/2010 | 10037656 | Toyota service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. toyota is extending the date for corrosion resistance treatment. *rm | 06/01/2011 | |
| TC-10-056 | 12/22/2010 | 10037656 | Ready | 06/01/2011 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 08/13/2012 | 110567 | 1 | |
| After getting off the highway, as i was pulling away at the end of the exit ramp i noticed the spare tire had fallen from the truck and was in the middle of the road. i was able to quickly back up and load the spare onto the back of the truck. i noticed part of the carrier was rusted to the spare, but the middle of the carrier had rusted through. i had participated in toyota's frame recall a little over a year ago and believe they should have seen how bad the situation was at that time, and done something to rectify the problem. i had just spent a half-hour driving home on the highway. i can't imagine the damage that could have been caused had the tire dropped at highway speeds during rush hour rather than at 10 mph!! in searching the internet, this is an all too common occurrence for older tacomas. i don't understand why this isn't considered a safety issue and subject to recall. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 1 | ||
| Letter to the secretary from re complaint regarding the safety of the 2003 toyota tacoma *tgw the consumer stated while driving, another vehicle slid into his vehicle and he hit the passenger front tire of the other vehicle at 40 mph. the air bags failed to deploy. the consumer also stated the tires and front fender ratio had a design defect. the consumer was injured in the accident. *jb | |||
| 04/06/2011 | 85036 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact felt a bump and noticed the spare tire detached from under the vehicle onto the ground. the vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed the chain which held the spare tire under the vehicle was severely corroded. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure and current mileages were 85,036. | |||
| 04/06/2011 | 85036 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. while driving approximately 10 mph the contact felt a bump and noticed the spare tire detached from under the vehicle and was on the ground. the vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed the chain which holds the spare tire under the vehicle was severely corroded. the failure and current mileages were 85,036. sm. | |||
| 06/02/2010 | 29000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the underneath of the contacts vehicle was sprayed with a rust compound, however 3 months after the repair the contact noticed the compound would not dry. the vehicle has not been diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current mileage was 30000 and the failure mileage was 29000. bml | |||
| 07/01/2009 | 36461 | 1 | 12/30/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. there were 14 miles on the vehicle at the time of purchase. the contact stated that the paint was chipping on the vehicle. he filed a complaint with the manufacturer and they declined any liability for the failure. the current and failure mileages were less than 36,461. the vehicle also had frame rust. updated 09/09/09.*jb | |||
| 06/27/2003 | 5000 | 1 | 12/17/2002 |
| Passenger side air bag vibration when motor is running. returned to local dealership due to loud rattle in dash board. dealer inspected and reported that a majority of the clips holding the passenger side airbag in place were not there. dealer ordered replacement clips and dashboard bolts and repair was made. in october 2003 rattle returned and a bolt appeared on the passenger floor board. returned vehicle to dealership where inspection took place. mechanic suggested that someone had hit the dashboard to loosen bolts, not the case, yet no attempt to repair or tighten equipment was made. *nm | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 1 | 05/04/2003 | |
| I purchased a 2003 toyota tacoma and found a water leak on my floor mat in the passenger side of the truck. apparently this has been happening every time i take the truck to the car wash. it seems to be coming from under the dash; maybe the front window. i took my truck to toyota but after a couple of attempts to find the leak with their water hose the leak could not be found. i have noticed there have been others complaining of the same problem. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 15900 | 2 | 04/19/2003 |
| Water is leaking into the passenger compartment. the dealership replaced a body seal pursuant to a tsb (they said), but problem is still occurring. i would like this repaired or for the vehicle to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 08/13/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving in the rain, the vehicle splashed water from the front tires over the hood onto the windshield, causing consumer to lose visibility. the consumer stated water should splash to the side of vehicle not over the hood of vehicle. *ak toyota was aware of the problem. *scc *jb | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| 02/01/2013 | 96000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that while having the vehicle inspected, the mechanic stated the frame was severely rusted and was perforated. the mechanic advised that the frame needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage and current mileage was 96,000. mah | |||
| 02/01/2013 | 96000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that while having the vehicle inspected the mechanic stated the frame was severely rusted and had large holes. the mechanic advised that the frame needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage and current mileage was 96,000. dr | |||
| 12/27/2012 | 143000 | ||
| Toyota has recalled my truck due to a rusted out frame. the toyota dealership has elected to replace my frame with a new frame. this large procedure has left me insecure about the outcome. this truck is now 10 years old and as soon as the start wrenching on all the system components to disassemble and re assemble my truck i am afraid that they shorten the life of existing components due to added wear and tear. the dealer will need to remove and reinstall brake lines and gas lines that have been set in place and have extensive corrosion this will lead to premature failure and unsafe operation. most mechanic know that a rusted and set bolt that has not been moved for 10 years has a 50% chance of removal. in order to remove such a stuck bolt they will need to apply heat and impact and may weaken the existing parts, steel, and bolts to lower levels out of tolerance that the vehicle as designed originally. additionally, this service is completed in a location with out the controls, quality assurance and testing that is in place in a factory where new vehicles are built. there is uncertainty that this vehicle will be assembled, tested, and inspected according the the manufacturer's guidelines for a factory produced vehicle. this leads to uncertainty that the vehicle will not operate within the intended manufactures guidelines for safety, roll over protection, and crash performance. i propose that a total frame recall and replacement (or any large integral part that will impacted the vehicle operation) on any vehicle shall not be allowed given the uncertainty described. | |||
| 12/04/2012 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the frame was completely rusted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was serviced in 2010 for the same failure where the dealer applied a solution to the frame to prevent it from rusting. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 140,000. kmj | |||
| 12/04/2012 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the frame of the vehicle rusted from the front to the rear. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer and was told that the vehicle had been sprayed for the rust issue in 2010 and that covered the manufacturer from repairing the frame rust. the vin was not accepted. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 140,000.rl | |||
| 08/10/2007 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the frame was corroded. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the failure was a manufacturing defect and offered no assistance. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance either. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. pmb | |||
| 08/10/2007 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle body frame was rotting. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the failure was a manufacturer defect and offered no assistance. the rusting on the vehicle was getting worse and had not being repaired. the vehicle was included on the recall nhtsa campaign id number: 03v189000. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. lg | |||
| 06/29/2012 | 68000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for routine maintenance. while at the dealer, the contact inquired about an unknown frame recall. the contact was informed that the recall did not apply to his vehicle. the manufacturer was then notifed and informed the contact that the vehicle was covered under a prior voluntary campaign for the frame, but the campaign expired. the failure and current mileages were 68,000. | |||
| 06/29/2012 | 68000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for routine maintenance. while at the dealer, the contact inquired about an unknown frame recall. the contact was informed that no such recall existed. the manufacturer was then notifed and informed the contact that the vehicle was covered under a prior voluntary campaign for the frame, but the campaign expired. the failure and current mileages were 68,000. sm. | |||
| 06/29/2012 | 68000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact stated he had went to the dealer for a normal check he asked the dealer about a recall he had seen ( on the frame of the vehicle needed to be replace due to rushing). the dealer stated that there was not no recall under his make or model. the manufacturer was contact and they stated that the recall his vehicle was under was expired. the failure and current mileages was 68,000.jp | |||
| 03/27/2012 | 125000 | ||
| Was driving and entering a freeway onramp when the door swung wide open after the latch failure.had to secure a replacement (used) and found several others with the same problem.it obviously appears to be a common problem due to the latch being constructed from plastic.to me this constitutes a saftey issue. | |||
| 11/13/2003 | 1 | ||
| 2 months after i bought 03 tacoma double cab w/ only 3000 miles on it i noticed that around the bottom corners of both rear drs and the front bottom corners of the bed all the paint had come off on a fairly small section (but very noticable, even from a distance).the service writer that i was speaking to said their was a problem with the double cabs doing this. at this point the service manager came to us and told me that it was cuased from me not installing running boards on the vehicle. next he said that he would have to get in contact with the regional manager and discuss it with him and have him take a look at the vehicle. at this time i had a scheduled appointment and all they did was go look at it in the parking lot real quick and no ro was made months went by and i still got no responce when i would call they said they had to wait for the regional manager to make it up here. again months went by and still nothing. called and got the same responce. again months and i called and was told that the rm was going to be their on a certain date and they set me up an appt. but told me i would have to go to their body shop first to get a quote to fix it. i went to the body shop on the day of my appt. and got to deal with the manager himself while they did up the quote to repair the manager was telling me that they had repaired at least a dozen of these same vehicles with the same problem under factory warranty. he had said that due to the body configuration and the placement of the factory mud flaps that debris coming off the front tires wears off the paint causing it to rust and also ruins the fender flares which he later showed me. he also stated that all of these vehicles were doing this. next i went to the appt. and the rm and service manager went to look at the vehicle and i was told to wait in the sitting area. they came back in about ten minutes later and the rm told me that it was due to enviromental conditions and it would not be covered under warranty. *nm | |||
| 06/26/2003 | 7000 | 1 | |
| Pick-up roll over at 30mph due to unknown reason. please investigate.*ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - BUMPERS | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 1 | 05/04/2003 | |
| After my purchase of a new 2003 toyota tacoma pre-runner i quickly discovered my rear chrome bumper was rusting at the area where the license plate is displayed. i took my new truck to my local toyota dealer and was told that toyota recognized this was a problem but there was no recall issued on the problem and that i could continually use a type of steel wool to keep up with the rust as it was happening. unacceptable. *jb | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 03/18/2003 | 2300 | 1 | 12/27/2002 |
| I own a 2003 toyota tacoma regular cab (2 door) pickup truck that i purchased in december 2002. water leaks into the inside of the truck onto the sealplate from the passenger side door. this occurs when washing the truck or during rain storms, etc. i first noticed this problem in march 2003. i have taken the truck into the local toyota dealer to have it repaired a number of times, and it still leaks. i would like to get this problem resolved.*ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||
| 07/20/2011 | 67000 | ||
| Rust perferation on 1998 to 2004 toyota tacoma frames and undercarages, the dealer stated was due to improperly manufactured frames. toyoa customer care told me that the voulntery frame recall on my 2003 tacoma for frame rust expired in march of 2011 and they would not do anything to correct the problem. the frames of certain year toyota tacoma are defective and were not propery made and are subject to rapid rust perforation. toyota should be required to correct the problem. their voluntary prograam should be made mandatory. | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 103000 | ||
| 2003 toyota tacoma was recalled in april 2010 for frame replacement. the truck failed and the entire frame was replaced. july 18, 2011, while driving this truck the spare tire falls out from beneath the vehicle. thankfully i was on a side road going about 35 mph and the other vehicles on the road were able to avoid any impact. the next day i took the plate that was holding the spare tire to the toyota service center that replaced the frame. despite the fact that the plate looked like it could have been a piece from the titanic, i was told that this particular part was not part of the tacoma recall. i asked if they had to remove this part while replacing the frame, which they acknowledged they did, and then i asked why they would put a worn piece back on... the response was it probably didn't look that bad a year ago....!!! i called the toyota 800 phone number and opened a case. as a result, i have learned that this part was recalled on the 2003 tundra, but not the tacoma... toyota will however reimburse me the cost $233 if i wish to have the piece replaced. i am disgusted and shocked at the fact that something like this could happen. thankfully no one was injured...however i could not get this very same truck inspected in the state of massachusetts in april of this year until i replaced the catalytic converter ($1600)...yet it is okay to put safety inspection sticker on a vehicle that is a hazard to others due to a spare tire projectile that could occur at any moment. this is insanity to me. i also have a 1994 toyota which would not pass due to rust on the exterior bumper... exterior rust was considered a hazard.. and i had to replace the entire bumper or remove it before it would pass. perhaps the inspection requirements should be enhanced to include true life threatening problems... i have never had anyone harm themselves on my rusty bumper....but i nearly took out 4 vehicles with my faulty spare tire mount.. | |||
| 04/14/2010 | 159000 | ||
| Wednesday april 14,2010 at approximatley 8:30 am while i was getting onto a highway (101 e/b in bedford nh) my spare tire broke off from the underbed carrier. there was a motorcyclist right behind me that had to make a evasive action to avoid being hit by my spare tire. the plate had rusted out. | |||
| 03/11/2010 | 158000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. the contact noticed severe rust and flaking on the front and rear passenger side frame on the vehicle. the dealer stated that there were no recalls associated with the vin. the dealer also stated that the vehicle could be repaired at the owners expense. the manufacturer had not been contacted and no repairs were made to the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were approximately 158,000. updated 05/06/10.*lj | |||
| 12/31/2008 | 24000 | 1 | |
| I am the owner of a 2003 toyota tacoma with approximately 29,000 miles, living in the northeast. the frame and the undercarriage of the vehicle have extensive rust from front to rear. i believe the frame is rusting from the inside out and will continue to do so. at this point, the transmission shield and the fuel tank shield are in danger of falling off of the vehicle. the leaf springs are so corroded that they no longer function properly. the exhaust system and muffler are completely rusted out. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2009 | 53000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. while the contact was having his vehicle serviced, he was informed that the frame was rusting. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 53,000. | |||
| 06/26/2007 | 45000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. when entering the vehicle, the contact noticed rust on the frame. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they predicted that the frame would fail within the year. the contact received a recall notice from the manufacturer regarding the frame failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they conducted a test by taking a hammer and striking the rust spots to see if the hammer would go completely through. the failure could not be duplicated, which meant that the vehicle was not completely failing. the contact was informed to bring the vehicle back for inspection by a regional inspector. the contact feels that the issue needs to be remedied before a crash occurs. he called the manufacturer and was informed that a regional inspector would call him to schedule an appointment for further inspection. the failure mileage was 45,000 and current mileage was 61,200. | |||
| 01/13/2009 | 156500 | 1 | |
| Synopsis of problem: the frame of the tacoma was fabricated with insufficient corrosion protection, particularly inside the boxed section of frame under the midsection of the truck. the frame is literally rusting from the inside out. what happens is, as the frame rusts on the inside of the boxed section, the rust flakes drop onto the bottom of the boxed section. these rust flakes then plug the weep holes in the frame so that moisture is not allowed to drain out the interior of the boxed section, thereby exacerbating the potential for corrosion. so what is happening is the bottom of the boxed section of frame is rusting out due to the build-up of moisture and the accumulation of rust flakes plugging off the weep holes. the rust flakes are 1/8? deep on the bottom of my boxed section of frame. basically the bottom 20% of tacoma frames are rusting out. what is particularly dangerous about the bottom of the boxed section of frame becoming compromised by corrosion, is the bottom of the boxed section is where the bracket for the rear leaf spring is attached. as the boxed section corrodes, there is less and less material supporting this major suspension bracket. the design of this bracket must be analyzed by your nhtsa independent engineer. i strongly believe that it doesn?t take much frame corrosion to severely compromise the integrity of this welded leaf spring bracket. if this bracket fails, then the front of the leaf spring comes free, the rear axle comes out of alignment, which could cause the operator to lose control. this is a major safety issue! i also can't help but wonder that since the frame is an integral part of the vehicle's safety system, what does a severely corroded and weakened frame do to the level of crash protection offered by the vehicle? if nhtsa?s independent engineer finds that the frame does play a major role in the crash protection offered by the vehicle, then the nhtsa will have no choice but to force toyota to do a recall. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| Excessive frame rust on 2003 toyota tacoma. *tr | |||
| 05/16/2003 | 0 | 04/27/2003 | |
| Purchased a new 2003 toyota tacoma sr5 trd p/u. the truck sways and pitches excessively at highway speeds. the dealer service department has verified that there is a defect in the frame. the steering rack bracket was welded at an angle. toyota corporation says the truck is unsafe to drive and won't even let me take it off the lot. the proposed fix is to rebuild the truck on a new frame. *nlm | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||
| 09/12/2010 | 1 | ||
| 2003 toyota tacoma. consumer is having a number of issues with the vehicle. front drive shaft broke due to rust, frame rusting, and transmission cooler was leaking. *kb | |||