2008 Toyota Tacoma Steering

IN AUGUST, 2014, TOYOTA ISSUED A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN AS IT RELATED TO CORROSION-RESISTANT COMPOUND APPLICATION FOR 2005 THROUGH 2008 MODEL YEAR TACOMA VEHICLES. CO-INCIDENTALLY, WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF NOTICE MY 2008 TACOMA HAD TWO COMPONENTS THAT HAVE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. THESE COMPONENTS ARE LOCATED NEXT TO THE FRAME THAT TOYOTA HAS STATED AS HAVING CORROSION ISSUES. THE TWO COMPONENTS THAT HAVE FAILED DUE TO BEING ROTTED OUT AS DESCRIBED BY MY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1)POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION AND 2)THE FREON SUCTION LINE TO THE AIR CONDITIONER. I CONTACTED TOYOTA MOTOR SALES ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER FOR ANY OF THE REPAIRS. I WAS INFORMED WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS BEING SOLD A VEHICLE THAT WOULD LAST FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES WITH NO MAJOR ISSUES. TOYOTA MOTOR SALES HAS KNOWN FOR OVER A DECADE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING CORROSION ISSUES, BUT TO DATE THEY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE TACOMA VEHICLES WITH SEVERE CORROSION ISSUES RELATED TO THEIR FRAMES AND THE COMPONENTS THAT LIE NEXT TO THE FRAME. TOYOTA MOTOR SALES INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A QUALITY ISSUE WITH ONE OF THEIR MEXICO PLANTS. *TR

VEHICLE UPPER STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY AT THE JOINT WHERE STEERING SHAFT GOES THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE JOINT UNDERNEATH COLUMN INSIDE THE CAB IS COMPLETELY WORN OUT AND IS FLOPPING AROUND AND COULD LEAD TO THE COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING IF IT WAS NOT CAUGHT BY MYSELF AT 49K.... *TR

ON THE DAY OF JULY 9TH 2014 I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN A DIRT ROAD HILL. ONCE REACHING THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL MY STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY SEPARATED ITSELF FROM THE DASH BOARD COMPLETELY, CAUSING A TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP IN A SAFE DISTANCE AND AVOIDED IMPACT WITH ANY OBSTACLES. THIS EXPERIENCE LEFT ME WONDERING ABOUT THE INTEGRITY,SAFETY, AND TRUST I HAD IN MY VEHICLE WHICH HAS NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT FROM TO HAVE AN INSPECTION ON THE DAMAGE AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERN FOR WHAT HAPPENED. AFTERWARDS I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER OF MY VEHICLE AND EXPRESSED WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AND THAT I WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IN CONCLUSION, AFTER THE MANUFACTURER SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HAPPENED. THEY FEEL IT IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY FOR THIS COMPONENT TO FAIL ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER THAT THREATENS MY LIFE AND MY FAMILIES LIVES. I FEEL THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND MAY BE A DESIGN ISSUE FOR MY VEHICLE AND ANYONE ELSE WHO OWNS THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACTS STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,125.

WHILE DRIVING ON A RURAL ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 55MPH MY STEERING COLUMN CAME OUT OF THE DASH AND INTO MY LAP. AFTER RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE FROM TOYOTA FOR A SPIRAL CABLE RECALL IN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY I MADE ARRANGMENTS TO TAKE IT IN FOR BOTH TO BE REPAIRED. TOYOTA CALLED ME THIS MORNING TELLING ME THAT THE TABS IN THE STEERING COLUMNS WERE SHEARED AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE RECALL OR MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. I FEEL THAT THE TABS ARE OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER CHEAP PART THAT TOYOTA IS MAKING THIER VEHICLES OUT OF AND RISKING THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE. THIS TRUCK IS A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AND SHOULD NOT FALL APART GOING OVER A BUMP ON A DIRT ROAD. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE IT INTO THE COLUMN AND STEER OFF THE ROAD SAFELY, BUT SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT REACT AS FAST AS I DID. THE SERVICE EMPLOYEE AT TOYOTA REQUESTED SOMEONE FROM THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT COME TOMORROW TO INSPECT IT TO SEE IF THEY CAN APPROVE COVERAGE IF NOT THEY ARE REQUESTING APPR $1200.00 FROM US TO INSTALL A NEW STEERING COLUMN. I WAS ABLE TO FIND OTHER TOYOTA BLOGS WHERE OTHER MAKES AND MODELS HAVE HAD THIS SAME THING HAPPEN TO THEM. *TR

THE DEALER IS NOT ACCOMDATING THE REPAIRS FOR THE VEHICLE. THEY STATE THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY PARTS. *TR