1999 Toyota Tacoma Power Train

PREMATURE FAILURE OF DRIVE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINTS AT 160,000 MILES

WHILE DRIVING MY 5 SPEED 3.4L TACOMA IN 3RD GEAR I GET A SLIGHT VIBRATION OTHER THAN NORMAL BETWEEN 40-45. IT IS ONLY IN 3RD GEAR THAT THIS OCCURS AND A TRANSMISSION FLUSH HAS BEEN PERFORMED TO SOMEWHAT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE REAR AXLE SEALS ARE LEAKING. THE REAR AXLE FLUID IS DRIPPING ON THE BRAKE DRUM. THIS IS THROWING THE REAR AXLE FLUID ONTO THE SHOE, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP. THE DRIVER ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT. *AK THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED SNOWY WEATHER WHILE MAKING A TURN. THE REAR END WOULD LOCK UP AT SLOW SPEEDS AND WOULDN'T UNLOCK UNTIL IT WAS GIVEN GAS TO START UP AGAIN. WHEN THE BRAKES LOCKED, THE VEHICLE SLID INTO THE CURB. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED MANUAL CLUTCH FAILED, DIDN'T SHIFT PROPERLY FROM THE FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK

I PURCHASED A USED TOYOTA 1999 TACOMA FROM AN INDIVIDUAL WHICH HE PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A OIL LEAK FROM A SEAL IN MY ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IN ORDER FOR THE REPAIR TO BE COVERED W/THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THE NAME HAS TO BE CHANGED FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP NOW GOING ON 6 WEEKS. I'M REALLY GETTING THE RUNAROOUND FROM THESE PEOPLE AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. THE WARRRANTY WAS PURCHASED WITH THE TRUCK AND IT SHOULD STAY WITH THE TRUCK... PRIOR TO ALL OF THIS I HAD A 5 DOLLAR CENSOR GO OUT WHICH WAS COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND I RE'CD A LETTER OF NOTIFICATION OF THE REPAIR UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH MY NAME ON THE FORM.. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND NOW THAT THE REPAIR IS MAJOR THEY ARE REFUSING TO REPAIR? IT'S NOT RIGHT TO ME THE CONSUMER AND IT'S TOTALLY UNACCEPTIBLE...

THIS IS TO CLARIFY NHTSA ODI #742258, FILED BY ME ON 3/11/01. I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON 35W FROM ST. PAUL MINNESOTA AT APPROXIMATELY 7 AM. THE TEMPERATURE WAS CLOSE TO ZERO AND IT WAS SNOWING LIGHTLY. I HAD GONE ABOUT 75 MILES WHEN I CAME UPON PACKED SNOW AND RANDOM PATCHES OF ICE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD PASSED SEVERAL CARS IN THE DITCH. I WAS REASONABLY WORRIED ABOUT MY SAFETY, SO I ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE LEVER TO ENGAGE MY 4-WHEEL DRIVE. IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I PULLED HARD, BUT NOT AS HARD AS I COULD, FEARING THAT SOMETHING WOULD BREAK. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IN 2-WHEEL FOR ANOTHER 10-20 MINUTES. THE HIGHWAY WAS STILL ICY AND I HAD PASSED MORE CARS IN THE DITCH. I TRIED AGAIN TO ENGAGE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE AND AGAIN COULD NOT. I DID NOT TRY AGAIN FOR ANOTHER HALF HOUR AND WHEN I DID, IT ENGAGED. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO SCOTT NICHOLS' SERVICE MANAGER, WHO PHONED TOYOTA. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY SAID THEY HAD HAD 'A FEW' SIMILAR REPORTS FROM DRIVERS IN COLD AREAS, BUT THAT NO ACCIDENTS HAD RESULTED.*AK

LOCATION: S. MINNESOTA, APPROX. ZERO DEGREES, RANDOM ICE AND SNOW ON PAVEMENT; WAS UNABLE TO ENGAGE 4-WHEEL DRIVE FOR PROTECTION; TRIED TWICE; 75 MILES LATER WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE. COMPLAINED TO VENDOR, WHO CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THEY'D HAD "A FEW" SIMILAR INCIDENTS DURING EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, BUT NO INJURIES RESULTED.*AK

SPEEDOMETER INCREASES TO BE OFF AT HIGHER SPEEDS 5 MPH AT 55 AND INCREASES AS SPEED GOES HIGHER. *AK

VEHICLE VIBRATES @ BETWEEN 35 & 60 MPH DEALER CAN'T FIX, TRIED 4 TIMES. PERFORMANCE HESITATION AROUND 50 MPH WITH OVERDRIVE OFF (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.) DEALER CAN'T FIX. *AK

TACOMA PRE RUNNER, SHIFT LEVER JUMPS OUT OF GEAR INTO 1ST INTO 2ND GEAR, 2ND INTO DRIVE, AND THEN DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL ON ITS OWN. YH

TRANSFER CASE SEIZED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. VEHICLE WAS RENDERED IMMOBILE. DEALER STATED THAT SUCH OPERATION "IS NORMAL ON HARD SURFACES." IN MY OPINION, UPREDICTABLE DRIVELINE SEIZURE IS DANGEROUS AND INDICATIVE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF NOT CORRECTED. NORTHCUTT TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.