NHTSA Complaint #10599102 — 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA

CAR STUMBLES/HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. HAVE SPENT TIME/MONEY TROUBLE SHOOTING THE PROBLEM/MAKING REPAIRS WITH NO AFFECT ON PROBLEM. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE BODY TOYOTA PART # 22030-62020 (TOYOTA DATA PER VIN SHOWS THIS PART SHOULD NOT BE ON MY CAR). TOYOTA HAS A PROGRAM TO REPLACE THROTTLE BODY IF FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE (FOR A LIMITED TIME) EXCEPT PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED IN THE SHOP AND IT DOES NOT CAUSE ANY CODES. ON-LINE RESEARCH INDICATED PROBLEM IS WITH THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TSP) OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR (APPS) ON THE THROTTLE BODY FAILING. RESEARCH INDICATES TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS THEY WILL REPLACE PART FREE IF PROVEN DEFECTIVE AND APPARENTLY HAS REDESIGNED THEIR THROTTLE BODY. ISSUE IS, MOST OF THE TIME THE DEALER CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM IN THE SHOP AND SINCE IT DOES NOT CAUSE A CODE THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED WITHOUT PROVING THE PART IS DEFECTIVE. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS THROTTLE BODY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN VEHICLES WITH AS LITTLE AS 30000 MILES TO OVER 250000 MILES PER ON-LINE RESEARCH. WHILE RIDING WITH ME THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN HAS SEEN AND FELT THE STUMBLE/HESITATION (RPM DROPS ABOUT 150 TO 250 RPM WHEN TRAVELING AT A CONSTANT SPEED FOR NO REASON) BUT HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT IN THE SHOP OR IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. THIS STUMBLING/HESITATION OCCURS EVERYTIME THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR LONGER THAN 20-30 MINUTES SINCE THE 1ST OCCURRENCE. TWICE IT HAS STUMBLE WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION CAUSING ME TO ALMOST GET HIT BY AN ON COMING VEHICLE. THIS THROTTLE BODY IS A NON-SERVICEABLE PART AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED, PER THE DEALER IT IS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED AS A UNIT. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND TOYOTA REQUIRED TO REPLACE IT AT NO COST NOW INSTEAD OF ONLY WHEN IT FAILS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR