The rear brake lines that connect over the rear axle rusted into and caused the brake fluid to leak from the braking system. When the truck was taken into a local service center for repair to the brakes the service center representative informed me that they could not repair the brake lines because the frame was rusted so severely that if put on a lift the frame would fall apart and the truck would break in half. The service center determined also the truck was not safe to drive. Service records at the dealership are on file where the truck was taken to the dealership for inspection of the frame and reported the truck did not have a rust issue as described in the letters I received and heeded the warning to have the truck inspected.
2003 Toyota Tacoma body complaints
Page 3 of 7: complaints 41 to 70 of 181, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently serviced by a mechanic who indicated that the vehicle would not pass inspection due to extensive rust and corrosion of the frame. The vehicle was not included in any recalls for the frame. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available. *tt consumer contacted the dealer on 12/17/18 representative stated notifcation was mailed w/o a response. Consumer stated no notification was sent, representative stated she would get back to the consumer on 12/18/18 but never did.
We bought a 2003 toyota tacoma in a private sale. Upon inspection the following day we realized there was a large amount of rust and actual holes in the frame. My fianc and I reached out to the previous owner who refused to speak with us. I contacted a local toyota dealer to see if I could obtain service records and I was able to obtain the record where the images of the frame was sent to headquarters for the frame replacement. I called toyota customer service and told them what he happened, they confirmed a frame replacement was approved but the previous owner had issues with the title and it pushed it outside of the warranty extension by the time it was fixed. Toyota refuses to honor it, the representative actually said 'you shouldn't have bought a vehicle that was so old'. I was appalled. They offered no aid, no discount. All she said was that we shouldn't drive the vehicle in it's condition. My fianc has no choice and was driving the vehicle on the highway with his nephew when he lost the breaks (due to the rusted dust shield slicing the brake line) and had to swerve off the road to avoid an accident at 65 miles per hour. Now he is missing work because we only have one vehicle. I am completely baffled by toyota and their customer service department. We spend all of our savings on this vehicle and they basically told us too bad.
Frame recall
We bought this truck in 2015 and was never informed of any recalls.we found out about the frame recall when it broke.it also has 5 other recalls which we were never informed on those either so when I called toyota they said the frame recall and the frame warranty had both expired because the previous owner didn't make good on the recall letter he received but maybe he never received one because I know we never did on any of the 6 recalls and we still haven't even after calling them.we are still paying almost $400 a month and still have 13 payments left and we cant even drive it.I would say if toyota never sent out the letters then that's not our fault and they should make good on the recalls and fix them including the frame replacement which is their fault due to a maufactuiring mess up.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. While the vehicle was undergoing routine service by an independent mechanic, the technician noticed that the frame was fractured and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
We bought a 2003 toyota tacoma in 2015 and it apparently had a recall for the frame in 2014 but the previous owner did not get it fixed so we are now stuck with a truck we can't drive and we still owe 14 payments on it.I called toyota and apparently the warranty just expired in april and we've never got a letter about any recalls or warrantys so were stuck with a piece of junk we can't drive.something needs to be done because we can't afford to have it fixed out of pocket.
Rotted frame and never received voluntary notice about this and company is not supporting their voluntary notification explained that I never received it they told me it had expired by 23 days the vehicle is unsafe cannot drive it I only found out about the frame when it went to be inspected and failed . How did toyota get away with selling such an inferior and being allowed to be driven on our roads .I would like to know if your department could help I understand that thousands of other toyota truck owners are in the situation . Sincerely [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *cc
This vehicle has serious rust in the frame, the structural composition of the frame is so bad that the vehicle is no longer safe to drive. In the photo that I attached you can see that the rear left leaf spring has protruded into the frame. I do not believe there is current recall program to replace the frame and I believe this is common issue that needs to be addressed. A 15 year old vehicle should not have structural issues under normal driving conditions and I believe I should be compensated.
The frame on my tacoma has rotted beyond repair, over 6" gaping holes in the main frame near the suspension mounts. The rear leaf springs are bowed over as well! I was never notified of any recalls by toyota. I contacted toyota to have it looked at. They refused at 1st then aqccepted it at the whitby toyota dealer. The results were that toyota was willing to install an upgraded spare tire carrier & nothing more!
The frame is totally rusted out, and the vehicle is unsafe to drive. I knew it had some rust issues before I purchased the truck, but I contacted toyota corporate to see if this VIN was part of the recall in which toyota replaces the frame or buys back the truck. The rep I spoke to said that it was indeed in the recall and that, after I purchase I should take to local toyota dealership and if the frame has perforation then they would replace the frame. So in good faith I flew to nj, bought the truck, which only had 60k miles on it at the time, and drove it back to nc and immediately took to our local toyota dealership. They said the frame indeed had perforation and was eligible for frame replacement. I left the truck there, but they called me the next day and said they were sorry but upon further investigation, they had discovered that the 2003 tacoma was a "northern truck" and had not been properly "undercoated" and was therefore exempt from the recall that would fix the frame. I called toyota corporate and upon further checking, they said that if the 2003 tacoma had been undercoated by the original owner (at no cost to owner--a service toyota provided for free once they discovered that they had used bad steel for the frames of these trucks) then it would be covered in recall. I explained that I would not have bought the truck is their rep hadn't told me that the frame would replaced. They said the rep had not looked far enough into the matter and had told me wrong and that I was basically stuck with a truck I could not drive. I paid $6500 for this truck and I cannot put $12,000 into it to fix the frame. And I should not have to! Toyota needs to be held responsible for using bad steel for these trucks. So do I keep driving it until the frame breaks and injures my, my family, or other drivers? Then I will sue toyota! Please help me get this resolved!
I purchased a 2003 tacoma in april of 2016 from matthews motor company of covington, pa. Fast forward to 12/2017 and the frame now has a couple holes in it near the rear drivers side wheel where the gas tank attaches to the frame. There is a known issue with these trucks for the frames. Contacted toyota to have it addressed only to be told the campaign expired. The truck was inspected in 2011 (before I owned it) under campaign "zth" and no rust perforation was found, and as far as I am aware, an undercoating was applied at this time. I am told however that because the truck was not undercoated / didn't have a corrosion prevention treatment applied under campaign "90d" that it no longer qualifies for coverage under campaign "zth." how can the truck not qualify for the campaign now when it did in 2011? Moreover, I have never received any letters about this issue since purchasing the truck, despite the obvious safety issue presented by a potentially faulty frame. I would have to insist that toyota inspect my frame, acknowledge it is perforated from rust from the inside out and follow through with campaign zth, not only for my vehicle but for those in similar circumstance.
I called the toyota customer experience hotline to inquire if my truck qualified for a frame rust protection coating or replacement under their 15 year extended warranty that was offered for 2001-2004 tacomas. I was told that my truck was "potentially eligible for frame repair" valid under the warranty until the end of 2017 and a case was opened. I was told I needed to take the truck into an authorized dealership for a frame inspection, and then regional office would make the decision to cover it. I was also informed of a recall on the spare tire carrier that was prone to rust and potential failure. I brought my truck in to the toyota of portland to replace the spare tire carrier and inspect the frame. When I picked up my truck they said it failed the frame inspection due to excessive corrosion and that they never replaced the spare tire carrier because they were worried once they removed the spare tire carrier to replace it would further compromise the integrity of the surrounding area of the rusted frame. Finally the dealership told me that the regional office denied my frame replacement based on the photos they received. Supposedly the regional office said that the rust is only bad on the cross section and that is a removable section of the frame that can be replaced so the frame itself is not did not fail. My complaint is that I have authorized toyota service center paperwork saying my vehicle failed the frame inspection, and based solely on photos, and with one month left of my warranty, the regional office decided to override the diagnosis and denied my warranty claim. The recalled spare tire carrier has still not been replaced, and im worried that once it is it will uncover more corrosion, but by that time my warranty for frame replacement will have expired. I want toyota to honor my warranty and replace the frame on my truck like they are obligated to do.
During routine maintenance, my mechanic discovered the frame was completely shot, stating he was not even comfortable working under it! The rest of the truck is in reasonable condition, and it only has 111,000 miles on it. I called toyota customer svc ctr, but they were unwilling to do anything to address the problem. I feel they were obviously aware of the issue, because the agent explained they had a "limited svc campaign" to add corrosion protection, but informed me that it had expired back on 7/31/2014. I was never notified of this campaign. The agent also stated that the vehicle frame was inspected back in 2012 (which happens to be the year I purchased it in, so I assume this was done just prior to my buying it), and passed stating there was "no" rust -- which is false! Misled by many and sold faulty equipment that could have endangered or killed me and others, I am very upset and disappointed about this! Researching the issue, I see that I am not alone in this, by far. So, basically, we've all thrown away many $1000's and can recover none of it, nor can we drive the vehicle without fearing it will, quite literally, fall apart!
Driving truck, only 86617 miles, heard drive train noise, pulled over, noticed frame rust through and truck bending down in middle beside the gas tank. Felt unsafe to drive, had vehicle towed to toyota dealership. Arapahoe toyota.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that the frame was rusted on the driver side. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, but did not assist. The failure mileage was 108,094.
Frame of vehicle has corroded away causing fuel tank to fall off. This happened as I pulled into place of employment.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware of severe corrosion to the rear suspension of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the subframe exhibited excessive rust and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact received case numbers: 1075172502 and 1705192164. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000. Updated 06/29/17*lj updated 08/03/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that the body and the frame of the vehicle were prematurely rusted and corroded. The vehicle was unable to pass inspection. The mechanic diagnosed that there were extensive holes, rust, and corrosion. The manufacturer indicated that the vehicle was not included in a recall and provided no solution. The contact was uncertain if the vehicle would be repaired. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000. Updated 08/03/17
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that there was corrosion on the driver and passenger side of the frame. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact spoke with an independent welding company who informed that they could weld the frame. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
Frame rails, left and right side, exhibiting rust thru. Safety issue; frame failure in future.(very near).
2003 tacoma. Took the vehicle in to be serviced and the technician pointed out that I have extensive frame corrosion and holes in the frame and that the car is dangerous and will not pass inspection. Car was stationary. Wtf?
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that while working underneath the vehicle, the contact noticed that the frame was rusted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that there was extensive premature rust and corrosion associated with the frame of the vehicle. A mechanic indicated that the frame would need to be welded and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The VIN was included, but the contact was not notified of the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v542000 (tires). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 223,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. While the vehicle was being repaired for routine maintenance, it was discovered that the subframe of the vehicle had several cracks located on both sides and the rear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the subframe was too damaged to repair and would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,000.
Extensive frame rust and rot has rendered the vehicle unsafe to operate. Vehicle has only 90k miles on it.
The frame on my 2003 tacoma is rusting badly! The truck only has about 98k and im the second owner. I purchased the truck on 9/3/2011. The truck in getting to the point of being unsafe to drive. The mounting points for the leaf springs are almost completely rusted away. I have never received any type of notification from toyota regarding the frame recall. I've had it looked at by my local toyota dealer and they are telling me I don't qualify for assistance because no corrosion treatment has applied. The problem with that is, I was never notified! If I had been, then they would replace the frame free of charge. I've received at least three letters from toyota for the spare tire holder rust issue, so they do know I own the truck and how to contact me. I've lived at the same location for 14 years! From what I've read, the corrosion treatment they allegedly offered didn't help anyway. I don't understand why some people were notified and other were not. There are plenty of people just like me driving these unsafe trucks. I have to wonder how many of those people are clueless about the danger they are putting them selves into, not to mention their families. At any moment you could loose total control...after the truck collapse in half after you hit a bump while driving on the highway. Im sure if someone looked hard enough they could find examples of these unsafe tacomas causing serious and possibly fatal accidents. They already know its a problem. How else could they have won a lawsuit against the vender that supplied them with these frames. They sued, and won because these frames are defective. That settlement should have been contingent upon the ongoing inspections and repairs for everyone affected.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that the subframe of the vehicle was fractured. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Emergency brakes needed replacement was told how underside of truck is corroding rusting badly removed my spare tire it was also badly rusting . I am the only owner of vehicle , also own highlander and camry . Both not even close to looking like under what I have with truck ?
Frame recall for rust toyota did undercoat the frame and it did not dry for several years now all the undercoat is falling off and the frame is rusting worse than when it originally was worked on I took it back and was told as long as there are no holes they will not fix the rustproofing.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Toyota Tacoma?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history