2002 TOYOTA TACOMA Power Train Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE BALL JOINT FRACTURED AND CAME APART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND WAS LATER TOWED TO MIKE ERDMAN TOYOTA (1545 E MERRITT ISLAND CAUSEWAY, MERRITT ISLAND, FL 32952) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BALL JOINT SEPARATED AND DAMAGED THE AXLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 334,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

THE RUST ON THE REAR END ASSEMBLY IS SO SEVERE THAT THE BRAKES ARE COMPROMISED, AND THE BACK UP EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM HAS FAILED. THE RUST ON THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING IS SO SEVERE THAT THE FLUID HAS LEAKED OUT AND THE GEARS ARE AT RISK FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE SPRING MOUNTS TO THE AXLES ARE ALSO RUSTING SEVERELY, CREATING A RISK OF LOST CONTROL SHOULD EITHER SIDE BREAK AWAY. IT TAKES GREAT EFFORT WHEN BRAKING, AND THE VEHICLE PULLS SEVERELY DUE TO RUST CAUSING THE LOSS OF INTEGRITY OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE BRAKES, ONCE APPLIED, DO NOT RELEASE EVENLY, CREATING UNEVEN BRAKE WEAR, SHUDDERING AND SHAKING, RESULTING IN POOR CONTROL, EXCESSIVE AND UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, I.E., TIRES LOCKED AND DRAGGING, SCALLOPING. ON WET, AND I FEAR, ICEY, SURFACES, THE TRUCK HAS SLID SIDEWAYS DUE TO ONE OR MORE WHEELS NOT RELEASING.

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...

GAS TANK SHIELD SEVERELY RUSTED. UNDER SIDE OF GASTANK IS PROTECTED BY A SHIELD/SKID PLATE. IT IS RUSTED SO BADLY THAT WHEN HIT WITH A HAMMER THE HAMMER GOES RIGHT THROUGH. PRESUMABLY THIS SHIELD IS TO PROTECT THE GAS TANK FROM DEBRIS AND STONES ESPECIALLY IF THE TRUCK IS USED OFF ROAD. I DISCOVERED THIS AS I WAS INSPECTING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK BEFORE DROPPING THE TRUCK OFF AT THE DEALER TO HAVE THE FRAME REPLACED. IN ADDITION TO THIS, IT IS APPARENT THAT THE DRIVE AXLE AND DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING ALSO HAVE SEVERE RUST. IF TAPPED WITH A HAMMER THE RUST COMES OF IN SHEETS. THE PARKING BRAKES ACTUATING LEVERS HAVE RUSTED IN PLACE AND CAN NO LONGER BE USED. THERE APPEARS TO BE MORE TO THIS RUST THAN SIMPLE FRAME RUST. THE RUST IS PERVASIVE THROUGH OUT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK. *TR