2001 TOYOTA TACOMA Steering Problems

Lower ball joint separated from knuckle and it says 0 recalls repaired i want it replaced because there oem they were never replaced when recalled

I SEE THAT MY FRAME IS CRACKING. SO I LOOKED IT UP. AND FOUND MULTIPLE RECALLS ON THE TUCK. I NOTICED THAT I HAVE A VERY SLOPPY STEERING WHEEL. IT SAID THAT WAS A RECALL TOO. I'M DON'T NO IF PREVIOUS OWNER HAD ANYTHING RECALLED.

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL FROM STRAIGHT AHEAD TO LEFT OR RIGHT, I EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY TURNING THE WHEEL ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER WITHOUT EFFORT. THIS HAPPENS WHEN MOVING OR STANDING STILL AND SEEMS TO VARY IN INTENSITY. ONLINE RESEARCH INDICATES A DEFECTIVE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT.

THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT BALL JOINT FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH ON A SMOOTH SURFACES STATE ROAD. THE WHEEL FELL OFF OF THE CONTROL ARM AND SENT MY VEHICLE SLIDING DOWN THE ROAD. PICTURES ARE ATTACHED. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED IN A SIMILAR RECALL OF 4X4 VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. THE ACTION NUMBER OF THAT RECALL IS NHTSA#: EA 04024. I AM HOPING TO GET MY VIN ADDED AS AN AMENDMENT TO THEY RECALL TO FIX THE VEHICLE AND MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE. THANK YOU FOR THE HELP.

MY WIFE RECENTLY HAD A WRECK, SHE WAS GOING 45 MPH, THE TRUCK WENT OFF THE ROAD, CROSSING OVER CENTER LINE, AFTER MAKING IMPACT WITH THE DIRT WITH THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK, THE TRUCK LOST IT'S STEERING, FROM THERE THE TRUCK FLIPPED 5 TIMES ON IT'S SIDE, IT FINALLY CAME TO REST ON IT'S SIDE, 5 FEET AWAY FROM A HOUSE. SHE HAD TO BE CUT FROM THE TRUCK. HER L2 EXPLODED IN HER BACK, SHE'S NOW HAVING TO LEARN HOW TO WALK AGAIN AMONG OTHER THINGS FROM EXTREME NERVE DAMAGE. SHE JUST RECENTLY LEFT THE HOSPITAL/REHABILITATION FROM AN EXTENDED STAY. STILL UPSET ABOUT NOT KNOWING WHAT CAUSED THE WRECK, WE DECIDED TO LOOK UP THE TRUCK TO SEE IF THERE HAD EVER BEEN A RECALL DEALING WITH WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED IN HER WRECK, THIS IS WHEN WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE LOWER BALL-JOINT FAILING CAUSING THE ACTIONS...

RUST SEEMS TO BE COMING OFF BY THE HANDFULS AND PIECES THICK ENOUGH THAT I AM CONCERNED. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK AND AMONG OTHER THINGS, METAL LINES (BRAKE, STEERING, NOT SURE), THE GAS TANK, AND STEERING LINKAGE BECAME MY BIGGEST CONCERN. BY THE THICKNESS OF RUST I HAVE GOTTEN FROM MY VEHICLE I AM CERTAIN IT IS NOT SURFACE RUST. HOW MUCH WILL SOMETHING RUST BEFORE IT BECOMES A FAILURE, ESPECIALLY WITH A LINE UNDER PRESSURE SUCH AS BRAKE LINES? THE LAST TIME I FILLED UP I NOTICED GAS LEAKING ON THE CONCRETE. I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS COMING FROM THE TANK ITSELF OR NOT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK AND THE VEHICLE SWAYED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10/23/14*CN UPDATED 10/24/2014*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL NOTICE FOR THE FAILURE WAS SENT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. UPDATED 4/20/2015 *JS UPDATED 7/8/2015*JS

AFTER BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES, THE 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK WAS BEING BACKED INTO THE DRIVEWAY WHEN STEERING SUDDENLY LOCKED. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE CAR. THE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD FAILED. I DETERMINED THAT TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE MODEL AND YEAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V225000) FOR THIS ISSUE, WITH THE FOLLOWING CONSEQUENCE: THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR. IT SEEMS THAT OUR VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE FOR WHICH VEHICLES WERE RECALLED BY TOYOTA. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA, I WAS TOLD THAT OUR VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THAT TOYOTA WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. WE HAD TO SPEND THE MONEY AND TIME TO FIX THE FAILED BALL JOINT AND ARE CONSIDERING REPLACING THE...

SEVERE SHIMMY WHEN DRIVING, AND SWAYING TO EITHER SIDE. I THEN TOOK THE TRUCK TO TOYOTA WHERE THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM IS CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT THE VEHICLE CAN LOOSE CONTROL AT ANY TIME. I WILL BE FORCED TO CHANGE THE YOKE AND EVENTUALLY THE RACK AND PINION. *TR

UPON MAKING A TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY THE LOWER LEFT(DRIVERS SIDE) BALL JOINT SEPERATED FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING. THIS IN TURN MADE THE FRONT WHEEL FALL INTO THE VEHICLE. *TR

I HAD MADE A LEFT TURN ONTO FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP, STARTED ACCELERATING TO GET UP TO SPEED. AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH THERE WAS A LOUD BANG/POP NOISE AND THE VEHICLE FRONT LEFT DROPPED DOWN. I HUNG ON TO TRY AND KEEP VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AS IT TOOK AN SHARP LEFT HAND TURN TOWARDS A POLE. EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR I WAS ABLE TO SOME HOW GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED BEFORE THE PASSENGER SIDE HIT THE POLE WHERE MY 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS RIDING. I HAD THE TRUCK CHECKED FOR RECALLS IN LATE 2008 WHEN I PURCHASED IT. THE REPORT SAID BALL JOINT RECALL WAS VIN # SPECIFIC AND THAT THIS TRUCK WAS NOT IN THE VIN RANGE. AFTER THE INCIDENT HAPPENED, I CALLED TOYOTA HOTLINE FOR ASSISTANCE AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE SAME CONDITION, AND PART THAT IS FAILING ON THE VEHICLES IN RANGE...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. HE THEN DISPENSED POWER STEERING FLUID TO THE PROPER LEVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RACK AND PINION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK AT APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S WHEEL MADE SLIGHT CONTACT WITH THE CURB. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD CONNECTION TREAD WAS CORRODED AND FRACTURED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE INNER AND OUTER TIE ROD HIMSELF. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TRUCK 'WANDERS' AND WON'T TRACK STRAIGHT WITHOUT CONTINUOUS CORRECTION WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. ESPECIALLY BAD WHEN HITTING BUMPS OR ON 'RAIN GROOVES' OR OTHER UNEVEN SURFACES. DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN LANE DISCIPLINE AND ESPECIALLY SCARY IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES WITH NARROW LANES AND CONCRETE DIVIDERS NEARBY. HAD FRONT END ALIGNED (NO HELP), NEW TIRES PUT ON (NO HELP), NEW SHOCKS INSTALLED (NO HELP), TIRES BALANCED (NICER RIDE, BUT STILL 'WANDERED'), FRONT END ALIGNED AGAIN (MINOR IMPROVEMENT) AND FINALLY SOME NEW TIRES (AGAIN...NO HELP.) THERE IS 'PLAY' IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THERE IS A RECALL AND A TSB FROM TOYOTA FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL TRUCK FOR 'WORN LOWER BALL JOINTS'. BUT WHEN INQUIRING WITH TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, I WAS TOLD BOTH TIMES THAT "MY" TRUCK WAS NOT AFFECTED. IT SURE FEELS AFFECTED!

THE FRAME ON MY TOYOTA TACOMA HAS EXTENSIVE RUST. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED VEHICLES WITH RUSTED FRAMES FOR THE YEARS 1995 TO 2000. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO NEWER VEHICLES AND THE DANGER IS STILL THE SAME. RUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE AND SOON IT WILL BE A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

MY 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT. AT THE TRIAL THE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION PERSON SAID HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CRASH HAPPENED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE SOME ONE HAD YANKED THE WHEEL VERY HARD. THE TRIAL WAS FOR MANSLAUGHTER AND IT TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE RECALL. THE TRUCK WAS NEVER INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. I FEEL THIS WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE ACCIDENT. *JB

DIFFICULTY STEERING, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, VEHICLE ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES