Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Toyota Tacoma: Problems & Solutions
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I’m writing you today to tell you about my 2005 Tacoma “ownership experience”.
I purchased an impulse red 2005 Tacoma 4x4 double cab with SR5 package in February from DEALER Toyota, X Haven, PA. The first day I drove it, I noticed a paint chip on the gas cap cover. I pointed this out to Donny X, a salesmen at DEALER Toyota. Every day after that, I continued to see more chips in the paint, all over my truck. Most of the chips are concentrated at the bottoms of the doors and box where the “chip guard” is. The only panel on my truck without chips is the tailgate. All panels have chips in the paint - the hood, up the doors, “A” pillars, box, even the roof. I continued to call the dealership regarding this situation. The DEALER Toyota Service Manager at the time, Ted X, requested that I stop by the dealership to show him the paint chipping. However, when I got there I found out that he left early, so I asked Phil Y (salesman who sold me the truck) to take a look and he said it was something that should be taken care of. The next week Ted X asked me to take my truck to X Body and Fender (the shop that performs all body work on DEALER Toyota’s vehicles), for an estimate to repair the paint chips. Coincidentally, there was another ‘05 Tacoma (blue in color) there for an estimate for the same chipping problem. The paint shop determined that there was a manufacturing issue in either the paint, clear coat or application. Using the information in the owner’s manual I contacted Toyota (1-800-331-xxxx) to discuss my paint defect and got absolutely no satisfaction. I was referred back to the dealer; Toyota claimed this was no fault of theirs. I opened case number xxxxxxxxxxxx.
The dealer’s official solution was, “we’ll pay to have it repainted once, if you get chips after that, you’re on your own.” “We’ll sell you running boards at our cost to help protect this from happening again.” At this point I started wondering why I should have to repaint a 2-month old truck. I just wanted my money back. In fact, I stated this to the Toyota representative on the 800 number as well as several people at DEALER Toyota, including the General Manager, Dan AH. Mr. AH was not in the least concerned with my problems, in fact he presented himself in a manner unbecoming the title of General Manager of a car dealership. Ted X wanted the paint shop to strip down the chipped areas to the level of the chip, build it up, roughen the clear coat, paint then spray clear OVER the existing paint with the apparent issues. The paint shop in return, would not guarantee that their work would hold up because they were being asked to paint over what they felt was a flawed factory paint finish.
Ted asked me to make an appointment to have the truck painted and said he just needed to get a final approval from the District Manager, Brian DB (Toyota corporate). Shortly after this, Ted was let go from the dealership. I was then placed in contact with Phil X, the new Service Manager, who stated that Brian was now only willing to pay for a small fraction of the estimated cost of having the truck painted. The estimate was for approximately $4,300. (You read that right - $4,300 to repair a two-month old vehicle!) The paint shop was told Toyota would only pay $700 toward the repairs! District Manager Brian DB then said he wanted to see the truck prior to committing to pay any of the repair cost. Two months had gone by since I purchased this truck and Phil X informed me that, although Brian wanted to see my truck before authorizing to pay for the repairs, Brian was not planning to be at DEALER until the end of May, which was an additional three weeks. I dropped the truck off at DEALER Toyota on the Saturday before Brian was scheduled to be there to look at the truck. Brian did not show up that Monday. On Tuesday Brian showed up, inspected the truck and requested that I take the truck to another body shop to get another estimate because he felt that the first estimate was too high. Remember – DEALER Toyota recommended X Body & Fender because they are they best in our area and DEALER sends all of their body work to them. Having heard that I needed to get another estimate, I called from work to speak with Brian DB about the situation and he refused to get on the phone and speak with me.
I believe that Ted X (former Service Manager at DEALER Toyota) was trying to do the right thing regarding my truck’s paint chipping problem and that may be one of the reasons was let go. The personnel at the dealership who knew of my problems but did nothing to help should be ashamed of themselves. Brian DB, the District Manager, who gave me the run-around is most negligent. A person in his position needs to be a decent human being willing to help the customer and DO THE RIGHT THING. Brian DB and Toyota should be held accountable for selling problem vehicles, then turning their back on the customer. When I purchased this truck (for approximately $27,000), I thought I was getting a quality vehicle, from a respectable dealership, built by a manufacturer who’s name I could trust and one that would stand behind their product. I was wrong on all counts. All I got was a source of daily stress and aggravation over a $27,000 problem with no help from Toyota or the dealership.
This was my second Toyota truck. I do not “off-road” with this vehicle (and, after reading all of the internet forums and seeing how many other new Toyota Tacoma owners are also experiencing the same excessive paint chipping that I did, I feel sorry for anyone who “off-roads” with their vehicle). I drive on paved roads to and from work; mostly on the Interstate. I owned my first Toyota truck for just about 11 years. It had over 200,000 miles on it and the paint, after 11 years, was not as chipped as my brand new Tacoma was. This is truly sad. After all, I was so impressed with my prior truck, I didn’t even think twice about owning another Toyota truck.
I want you to know that my family will never own another Toyota product. In addition, I have been sharing my true “Toyota ownership experience” of paint chipping problems and the disgraceful way Toyota did nothing to rectify the situation, with anyone who will listen - friends, family, co-workers, internet forums, etc.
I am pleased to inform you that I no longer own my Toyota Tacoma. (Sorry, no one will be receiving service income from me, either). My family and I are enjoying the superior ride, comfort, safety, quality, features and trouble-free experience of our 2006 HONDA Ridgeline. The publications (notably Car & Driver and Consumer Reports) that rated Ridgeline and Tacoma head to head were correct in choosing Ridgeline as the better pickup. This vehicle raises the bar and adds a whole new class to the pickup truck!
http://www.geocities.com/toytruck86/paintchip.html
My Question is the cold Idle is 2100rpm.
And take awhile to come down. Is it hurting the clutch to start out at this rpm. It usually takes 12-1600rpm to start out. This little engine doesn't have the power to start out on a
hill. so It take a few more rpms to get it up the hill maybe? 1800. Will this hurt any thing?
Sorry to hear that the arbitration did not go in your favor. Not surprising though. Something you may wish to pursue; I contacted a popular lemon law lawyers office in PA and they thought I had a super case to win. I didn't want to be tied up looking at my piece of crap Tacoma for the next 6 months or so for the case to come up so as I said in my previous post I launched the turd and purchased a Honda Ridgeline. It appears as though there are several suits which could be an option to file in addition to the lemon law There is a "new model vehicle disclosure act" that this falls under as well. If this route is taken, Toyota has to pay for court costs and your lawyer fees. :lemon: It doesn't cost you a cent win or lose and what ever he wins for you, you get! Something to consider. BEST OF LUCK!
I'm not worried about it. The truck has stainless steel headers, NOT cast manifolds. Headers flat out sound different than cast exhaust manifolds. With good ear plugs in place, you can often hear the same fluttering sound on many other header equipped vehicles and motorcycles. You'll need the earplugs because the overall volume of the cycle or header-equipped car will make the fluttering impossible to hear without them. Typically, header-equipped vehicles will not have the silencing provided by the rest of the truck's exhaust system.
Every gearhead that's been under my hood has remarked at the cool exhaust Toyota put on these trucks. Headers usually "scavenge" the cylinders better. This means they help to draw the exhaust out of the cylinder. Headers can also be better tuned for more balanced back pressure to each cylinder, but are usually more costly to manufacture than cast exhaust manifolds.
The presence of such an exhaust setup demonstrates that Toyota DID investigate things properly, and even may have spent some extra bucks to do it right. Have you ever heard of a tuner removing a header to install a manifold?
If you don't like the sound, maybe you can install some Dynamat, or some other sound insulation under the front carpet.
In panic mode, I looked around to where I could find a stationary obstacle, that wasn't a building, person or another car to stop my runaway truck. Finally spied a concerte divider and steered towards it. The front wheels went right over the concrete. One of the back wheels did "catch" the concrete and it stopped with an abrupt jolt.
Long and short of it, I mangled one of the wheels. The dealership flat bedded it to their service dept and gave me a loaner car.
This truck has about 100 miles on it. It's been in their shop going on 3-days with no news. They said they're still investigating the situation.
I told my salesperson I don't have any faith in the truck and want a new one. She said she'd take it up with the dealership's General Manager So far, no response.
You guys have any ideas?
Good luck with getting the problem fixed and it's good to hear no one was injured and the property damage was minimal.
I've heard of this on many brands of cars, usually related to an ABS failure. Luckily, it dosen't happen very often. A friend of my father's went brakeless through a busy intersection in a brand-new Suburban, rear ending a car waiting to turn left.
Since the truck is new, I've asked them to replace my vehicle. They haven't said no, but they haven't said yes, either.
The dealer has had my truck, including today, that makes 3-days with no news one way or the other.
Secondly, don't give the vehicle back to Toyota, go and get an independent diagnosis before Toyota touch it. Having a vehicle that "fails" in a week with potential catastrophic consequences, is a major problem for Toyota and they will probably wish to manage any liabilities.
I'm not suggesting that they are going tamper with the evidence, but to avoid a conflict of interest, you should obtain an independent report probably with your insurer's blessing.
Good luck
I consider it a serious safety issue....whether they can confirm or not. I can see this is going to be a long, drag out process with these guys. Maybe they can duplicate the problem, maybe they can't. Fact is, I experienced it.
I've got a meeting with the service mgr today. Dealership says the GM isn't in until Friday. But, I'm certainly not going to drive the truck home. It will sit there, even if this becomes a force of wills to get it resolved.
In April '05 alone, Toyota sold 13,231 Tacomas and 49,241 YTD 2005, as of April 30.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/05/03/057818.html
While these numbers are down a skootch from '04, the entire auto industry has been down, and Tacomas were in short supply at the beginning of the year.
You agree that, except with Edmunds.com's prior consent, you will not (either in your Postings or in your profile) solicit or promote any products or services, self-promote, or implore readers to take actions that are intended to further a personal purpose.
A noble cause, but not allowed.
kcram - Pickups Host
What differences did you find between the Ridgeline and the Tacoma?
How much of a loss did you take on the Tacoma? Mine has less than 200 miles on it.
But, if you can put the starter in a bench vise, then hook it directly to a battery, and it doesn't start, then it very well could be the switch. Use a volt meter to check for voltage to the ignition wire at the starter connection. This will be the small wire connected to the solenoid. If you have voltage on that wire with the switch in any position other that start, then you have a defective switch.
If I'm not mistaken, in addition to the 3 shots to fix it portion of the lemon law, there is also some sort of time spent at the shop (not sure of the exact verbiage) clause to the lemon law as well. This could be an option. I'm surprised YOU actually are meeting the Regional rep. The guy who covers PA wouldn't even talk to me on the phone. He was at the dealership while I was speaking to the service manager from work about his decision and he wouldn't even get on the phone. NOW THAT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR YOU!
Regarding differences between Tacoma and Ridgeline more spacious interior (front, much more rear, headroom more all-round feel ), nicer and much more clever rear seat-b-gone feature (1 hand, 1 move), much quieter ride, 4-wheel independent suspension (no rear axle) makes for a TON better ride and driving experience (every comparison I’ve seen in mags say Ridgeline is the best riding pickup they’ve ever driven). It is like driving on rails (very responsive), closed box frame with unit-body construction makes entire truck feel, drive and ride extremely well (Tacoma and other trucks have a bed and a cab bolted to a ladder frame and when hitting bumps there is the shudder action of the bed and cab vibrating at a different frequency or phase). The 8 cubic foot lockable (with key or keyless entry) trunk under the bed is OUTSTANDING, dual swing tailgate. It is great to swing the gate like a door and place cargo in the bed, instead of reaching over the gate (be it up or down). Need to drop the gate like all others to load 4x8 sheets of plywood? You also have that option. There are hardly any wheel wells in bed and 4x8 fits between them. 4 wheel disk anti-lock brakes. Much quieter engine and the transmission IS smooth as silk. Dual front air bags, dual side impact airbags and side curtain airbags standard ON ALL MODELS. This truck is so cool even the back window is a power slider, Vehicle stability assist. I can go on, but you get the message. And no, I’m not a Honda salesman. I just love everything about this truck!
Regarding trade-in, I got a great deal when purchasing the Tacoma (not great enough to have not paid for the paint to be good) so I lost less than 2k.
I hope this helps!
"There has been at least one attempt to repair a nonconformity that results in a condition that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven, and the nonconformity continues to exist."
That sounds like a text book example of my situation. That said, you never know how those things will turn out. Plus, it's going to be a big hassle in terms of time and energy. I'm trying to exhaust all othe possibilities before going down the "lemon law" route.
Since the dealership has indeed driven the truck, they are careful to not admit there's a problem. Matter of fact, the only thing they've done is to take it on a test drive, by themselves, with me, and now, the GM of the dealership supposedly drove it this weekend. I don't know if that qualifies as an attempt to fix it. While the brakes haven't totally failed for them, like they did with me, during the test drives, they did note that the brake pressure is weak and that the pedal does go all the way to the floor. The tech told me that the brake pedal isn't mechanical but is "brake by wire". I've heard of steering by "wire" and throttle by "wire", but never brake by "wire". As such, the tech says there's nothing he can adjust or fix. I'm not too confident he's correct in his assessment on either the "brake by wire" or the that there's nothing that can be done.
I have no idea whether I'll get to talk to the Regional Rep as the GM said he would talk to him today. The good news is, the regional offices are only about 5-10 miles away from the dealership. So, they're local.
In either case, I've no faith in this vehicle. I want them to replace it with another Tacoma. While it's clear you love your Ridgeline, I'm looking to the Tacoma to haul stuff. As such, having a ladderbox bolted to a frame is the way I want to go. So, that would be a deal breaker for me since the Ridgeline is a unibody piece. I was very pleased with the quiet/comfort/handling of the Tacoma, although I'm certain the Ridgeline may trump the Tacoma on all counts. I need a work truck, though.
Again, thanks!
KNN filters yes or no?
Dealers of course say NO!! :confuse:
thanks
jared
I ended up cleaning out the throttle body which had quite a buildup of black crap and just for good measure I changed the fuel filter today. After I cleaned the throttle body out I haven't had a problem what so ever with idleing or hesitation.
I don't have K&N filter, but am sure that is a decent upgrade for the money.
while driving if i get on the gas too hard the motor will hesistate and stumble real bad...but if i gradually step on the throttle there's not an issue ( fyi 5 speed manual trans) it also has difficulty starting ...but once started the issue isnt as severe as when i've driven it for awhile. I already changed the fuel filter ( what a nightmare, i wish i had the hands of the 8 yr old for that!!) the check engine light is on...but i was wondering if anybody knows or has any "its this stupid!!!" fixes ...i have a feeling its something really simple ..
as a note i am in the navy and it sits for awhile sometimes and it started immediately after i drove it up onto a curb one day parallel parking and came down of the curb kinda hard ....when i returned is when the headache began...it wouldnt start and i had to get home...so i pulled the fuel filter and poked a hole in it as a get my butt home fix and it worked but with the stumbling when my right foot got heavy (theres was no check engine light initially). i put a new one in.....and it was better but has gotten worse over the last 2 or 3 weeks and also i guess the 76 stations around here (western WA) had been sellin crappy gas too and thats where i was goin at the time..
Thanks for your service in the US Navy!!!
i have no idea what it means in regular english though...
Long story short (I'll try), I took it in 7 or 8 times (5 were thoroughly documented repair/inspection attempts; others were for ride-alongs, etc.). They first told me at 5k some bs reason, like I had mud caked on my tires or something. Then, they inspected the drive shaft, transfer case, diff, etc., before replacing the tranny fluid. Told me to drive it home and come back for a new tranny if it persisted. It did, but they did not (replace it). I'm missing work, having to fill out paperwork each time for rental cars, etc., and each time I don't even make it home before I've duplicated it again. So, I play dumb and ask what they know about the Lemon Law. They give me some line about it not being in my best interest, and then I whip out the copy I printed off the web an hour earlier, and read it to them. They seemed to have taken me more seriously at that point, but that didn't solve the problem yet. They have their "team leader" tech ride along with me, and this time he removes the rear drive shaft before having me put it in 4H (making it front wheel drive) and drive around. To my premature relief, the VIBRATION IS GONE! Next is the drive shaft replacement, then the rear diff. Still a vibration. They stall me, ask me to wait a week for this reason or that, and don't want to say the words "transmission" or "transfer case," I think because they don't want to eat the cost if it doesn't fix it.
I call or am called by several people, to no evail. They call me their buddy when we speak, but never really offer any real solution, other than me trading it in for "a great deal" on an 05 in which I'd have to cover the $5200 difference b/t what mine's worth and the rock-bottom price on a new one. They wouldn't even throw in a car wash for all my trouble, and they laugh at the idea of giving me a new truck or throwing in an accessory once it's potentially fixed.
So, I researched as much as I could about the Lemon Law in my state, and then I sent an email to a law firm specializing in these cases. They call me back 4 minutes later and tell me I have a great case. Within a week, they have all my info and have agreed to represent me (that was this week) with no retainer, and waive all fees if we end up losing. Statute decrees that all lawyer fees are paid by Toyo if we win. Most likely scenario is a cash settlement, but a replacement is a possibility. The out of pocket I'll have to pay is about $300 total for an ASE mechanic to verify the problem exists, and some kind of court cost. That's it, regardless of the outcome of the case. 90% of cases settle almost immediately. Law firm states 99% success rate if it actually goes to court. The down side is the process may take a while, and I'm supposed to keep mileage to a minimum during the process. There's a lot more to it, but I'll stop here. I'd highly recommend searching for a firm called Krohn and Moss if you want to learn more about your rights and what you're realistically entitled to.
So, in summary, I could no longer live with the problem, especially on a brand new truck, and decided my only real option left was to pursue legal action. The worst part about all this? I LOVE the truck otherwise. Sure, the gas mileage or effective hp could be a little better, but I've really grown attached to it. I just want the quality and flaw resolution I had in mind when I spent 23k on a new Toyota.
Hope this helps.
Ken
Is the fuel filter easy to access or do you need an auto shop to get to it? I have not picked up a tacoma service manual yet, so unsure on exact location.
Thank you.
Ken
Thanks again.