2002 Toyota Tacoma Power Train

I TOOK IN MY 2002 TACOMA FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT PUT IT UP ON THE LIFT DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON THE FRAME. I ONLY RECENTLY BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN OCT. 2013 WITH 65K MILES ON IT. ALL ELSE WORKS FINE. AFTER EXPLAINING THE ISSUE TO TOYOTA THEY ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP THEN TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE ONLY COVERING THE RUSTED SPARE WHEEL CASING IN THE RECALL, NOT THE ENTIRE FRAME, AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE. THE MODEL BEFORE THE '02 WAS RECALLED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON THE FRAME (IN COLD WEATHER STATES) HOWEVER THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO PERSIST IN LATER MODELS. HAS ANYONE HAD LUCK CALLING TOYOTA ABOUT THIS? I'M IN A TOUGH SPOT AS I PURCHASED THE TRUCK RECENTLY (ALTHOUGH THE RUST DAMAGE DID NOT APPEAR AS BAD THEN AND I'M WONDERING IF SOME COATING WAS APPLIED AT THE DEALER) AND WOULD HAVE MISSED ANY RECALL ON THE FRAME IF THERE HAD BEEN ONE. *JS

RUSTED OUT REAR DIFFERENTIAL - 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. *TR

MY EXPERIENCE WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION ON MY CURRENT AND PREVIOUS TOYOTA PICK-UP TRUCKS WAS NOT VERY GOOD. FIRST MY PREVIOUS, EARLIER MODEL 98 TOYOTA TACOMA 2WD MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES JUST PRIOR TO THE 60,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY LIMIT. THE FAILURE HAPPENED AT THE SYNCHRONIZER FROM 4TH TO 5TH GEAR WHEN SHIFTING FROM NEUTRAL ACCORDING TO TOYOTA TECHNICIAN AT THE TIME. THE SAFETY ISSUE ON THIS IS THAT WHILE DRIVING AND ONE NEEDS TO SHIFT TO 5TH GEAR FROM NEUTRAL, ONE MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY SHIFTING AND THE TRANSMISSION COULD HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND AT SUCH FREEWAY SPEED THE VEHICLE COULD SUDDENLY STALL, STOP AND MAY GO IN A TAILSPIN. PREVIOUS DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION PER THE WARRANTY. NOW I HAVE ANOTHER TOYOTA TACOMA PICK-UP 4X4 HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE A TOYOTA DEALER PREVIOUSLY SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY FOR POWERTRAIN AND AROUND 55,000 MILES BUT DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM EVEN AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. I INFORMED THEM THAT I HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM BEFORE AND THEY HAVE FIXED IT. BUT THIS TIME AROUND THEY REFUSED. I HAVE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES FROM SEP 2006 UNTIL JAN 2007 AND EVEN CALLED TOYOTA USA REPS ON THE ISSUE. I STILL OWN THE TRUCK AND TO GET AROUND THE SYNCHRONIZER PROBLEM, I HAVE TO DOWNSHIFT BACK TO 3RD, 4TH BEFORE I CAN GO BACK TO 5TH GEAR. THIS CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING AND TO CON UNWITTING DRIVER UNAWARE OF WHAT TO DO SUDDENLY SHIFTS TO 5TH FROM NEUTRAL THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION SQUEAKS/RATTLES LIKE THE SOUND OF GEARS HAVING PROBLEM MESHING OR BREAKING - THUS IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO ONE MAY LOOSE DRIVEABILITY AND CAPABILITY TO MOVE THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DRIVE COULD GET LOST AND MAY RESULT IN A FAILURE. I KIND A GIVE UP ON IT SINCE THE DEALERS AND TOYOTA USA BEFORE DON'T WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO ME. I KNOW THIS CURRENT TOYOTA RECALL MAY RESULT IN THEM LOOKING INTO THIS - SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MY TOYOTA TACOMA HAS WHAT TOYOTA REFERS TO AS REAR AXLE WRAP UP, WHERE THE TWO PIECE DRIVE SHAFT BECOMES LOOSE AT THE SPLINE AND CAUSES A CLUNK OR LOOSENESS IN THE DRIVELINE WHICH CAUSE UNDUE STRESS ON THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE DRIVE SHAFT TO BREAK AT THE YOKE AND FALL TO GROUND CAUSING ACCIDENT.*JB

TRANSMISSION-POWER TRAIN.WHILE DRIVING IN LOW SPEED SITUATIONS THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 2ND.....BACK AND FORTH FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND 2ND TO 1ST. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. IT HAS 76K MILES ON IT. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM.*AKL

POWER TRAIN - JUST BOUGHT MY TRUCK ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. DURING THE TEST DRIVE, I WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED BY THE RIDE OF MY TACOMA. A FEW WEEKS AFTER I HAD IT, I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE THE CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. I HAVE TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES NOW, AND EVERYTIME I HAVE BEEN TOLD WAS NORMAL. I WAS TOLD ALL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS DO THIS. THIS IS THE SECOND TOYOTA TRUCK I HAVE OWNED, AND I COULD TELL YOU THIS, THEY DON'T COME UP WITH A RESOLUTION, IT WILL BE MY LAST. I ALSO DRIVE A CELICA (GREAT CAR), BUT IF I LOSE THE TRUCK, THEN I LOSING THE CELICA, AND WILL WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH TOYOTA'S AGAIN!!! *AK

TRANSMISSION/DRIVESHAFT EXPERIENCES LOUD CLUNK NOISE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEN RELEASED. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO TOYOTA HOWEVER THEY OFFER NO RESOLUTION. RESEARCH HAS INDICATED ADDING LEAF SPRINGS TO STIFFEN REAR SUSPENSION RESLOVES THIS ISSUE TOYOTA WILL NOT DO THIS MODIFICATION. *JB

TRANSMISSION "CLUNKS" ON STOPS AND SURGES AFTER BRAKE IS RELEASED FROM STOP. FEELS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN REAR ENDED. DEALER SAID THIS IS NORMAL, "THEY ALL DO IT". I CONTACTED TOYOTA HQ AND THEY REFUSED TO COMMENT ON PROBLEM. VEHICLE VALUE IS GREATLY DIMINISHED. *JB

THE VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTED 2 GEARS THEN SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. THE VEHICLE THEN CROSSED A HIGHWAY AND ROLLED OVER ONTO IT'S RIGHT SIDE. *JB *NLM

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS TOO SOON, MAKING THE ENGINE STRUGGLE AND VIBRATE AT LOW RPMS. WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID ALL THE NEW 4 CYLINDER TRUCKS WERE LIKE THIS. AT 12000 MILES, THE VALVES ARE TAPPING AT IDLE, AND THE HOOD VIBRATES. SEEING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS FORUM, I NOW REMEMBER HOW SQUIRLY THE TRUCK GETS AFTER GOING OVER BUMPS. THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE BAD FRONT SHOCKS. I HOPE I DON'T GET INTO A BAD ACCIDENT KNOWING THE AIR BAGS ARE NOT GOING TO WORK.

TRANSMISSION "CLUNKS" ON STOPS AND SURGES AFTER BRAKE IS RELEASED FROM STOP. DEALER SAID THIS IS NORMAL. I CONTACTED TOYOTA HQ AND THEY REFUSED TO COMMENT ON PROBLEM. SAID DEALER IS THE EXPERT. I GUESS THE EXPERTISE OF THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE IS LEFT UP TO THE DEALERS NOT TOYOTA.*AK

AFTER ABOUT 1100 MILES WE STARTED TO GET A BAD SHUDDER WHEN SETTING OF, TOYOTA SAID THIS NORMAL, THE TRUCK AS NOW STARTED TO SHUDDER GOING FROM 1ST TO 2ND, TOYOTA SAID THIS IS NORMAL, THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO VIBRATE THROUGH THE CAB AT 3000 MILES,TOYOTA SAID THIS IS NORMAL, THE TRANSMISSION THEN STARTED HARD SHIFTING,CHANGING UP,THE LATER CHANGING DOWN, NOW WHEN PULLING GRADES AND THE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO 4TH GEAR THERE IS A VIBRATION ALL THROUGH THE DRIVE LINE AND CAB, WHEN IN CRUISE THE TRANSMISSION HUNTS UP AND FOR NO REASON, TOYOTA SAYS ALL THIS IS PERFECTLY NORMAL ALTHOUGH 2 TOYOTA TECHS AGREED THERE IS A PROBLEM 2 INDEPENDANT GARAGES SAID THERE IS A PROBLEM, EVERY TIME WE TAKE IT FOR REPAIR TO THE DEALERSHIP TOYOTA TELLS US THERE IS NOTHING WRONG EVEN THOUGH THE DEALERSHIP AS SAID THERE IS A PROBLEM TOYOTA REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

TRANSMISSION LINE BLEW OFF, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STOP ACCELERATING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. MECHANIC REPLACED HOSES AND ADDED A CLAMP.*AK