1998 Toyota Tacoma Steering Problems

"1995 THROUGH 2000 MODEL YEAR TACOMA FRAME RUST CORROSION WARRANTY EXTENSION" RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA ATTACHED. REQUESTED FRAME INSPECTION ATTACHED. REQUESTED ANOTHER FRAME INSPECTION ATTACHED. MY VEHICLE CASE WAS NOT HANDLED CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT OF TOYOTA'S PROGRAM NOR WAS I CONTACTED BY THEIR IMPARTIAL SERVICES GROUP (ISG). AS A RESULT THE SAFETY OF ME AND MY PASSENGERS HAS BEEN NEGLECTED BE NOT ALLOWING ME THE SAFETY BENEFITS OF THEIR WARRANTY OFFERINGS.

I HAD EXITED THE FREEWAY FOR FUEL. I HAD TO COME TO A FULL STOP AND THEN MAKE A LEFT TURN TO GO OVER THE FREEWAY. AS I MADE THE TURN, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BROKE A BALL JOINT AND THE TIRE/WHEEL SWUNG OUT AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE CAR. GIVEN THE MILES ON THE CAR, I ACCEPTED THE FAILURE OF THE PART. HOWEVER, THE INITIAL FAILURE WAS REPAIRED BY A TOYOTA DEALER. YESTERDAY, 6/30/15, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED. I CAME TO A STOP TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. THE SAME THING OCCURRED. MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BROKE A BALL JOINT AND THE TIRE/WHEEL TURNED AT 90 DEGREES TO THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM. TO BREAK A BALL JOINT, INSTALLED BY A DEALER, AFTER ABOUT 13 MONTHS IS UNREASONABLE. MY TRUCK IS REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND I'VE ASKED MY MECHANIC TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE BALL JOINTS AFTER MY FIRST PROBLEM. HE REGULARLY INSPECTED THEM AND KEPT THEM GREASED.

DRIVING DOWN A BUSY BOULEVARD, MY WHEEL FELL OFF AND MY VEHICLE SLAMMED ON THE GROUND. I AM LUCKY TO NOT HAVE KILLED ANYONE, AND AM STILL AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. FAULTY BALL JOINTS + RUSTED FRAMES MAKE THIS VEHICLE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. TOYOTA INITIATED A PROGRAM TO BUY TACOMAS BACK DIRECTLY FROM CONSUMERS, BUT I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROGRAM. NOW I AM STUCK WITH A POTENTIALLY INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS TRUCK. *TR

HELLO, MY VEHICLE IS A 1998 TOYOTA TACOMA. IT HAS APPROX. 152,000 MILES ON IT. THE ISSUE I AM HAVING WITH THE VEHICLE IS PRIMARILY FRAME RUST, THE FRAME IS BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE "SWISS CHEESE." THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE, THE SPARE TIRE EVEN FELL OUT DUE TO RUST. I CALLED TOYOTA TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE FRAME RUST AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY TO COVER THIS. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND IT SAYS THAT 1995-2000 TOYOTA TACOMA'S WERE UNDER RECALL FOR FRAME RUST BECAUSE THE RUST WOULD MAKE THE VEHICLES UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE COMPROMISED. SO I SEARCHED AROUND AND FOUND THAT MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY 15 YEARS, 4 MONTHS OLD AND THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT RUST IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND TAKES SEVERAL MONTHS/YEARS TO DEVELOP, IT IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH OCCURS OVERNIGHT. THE RUST LOOKS MAINLY TO BE SURFACE RUST ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IN REALITY THE RUST HAS DEVELOPED FROM THE INSIDE-OUT AND ROTTED THE FRAME OUT, THEREFORE IT WAS NOT CAUGHT EARLIER. I HOPE THIS RECALL IS EXTENDED, THERE ARE MANY RUSTED TOYOTA TACOMAS LISTED FOR SALE FROM THE 1995-2000 MODEL YEAR, WHICH ALSO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THE ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY TOYOTA'S 3RD PARTY SUPPLIER NOT PROPERLY RUST PROOFING THE FRAMES, THEREFORE MAKING THEM HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUST. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA DOES SOMETHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR

POWER STEERING METAL TUBING RUSTED OUT CAUSING FLUID LEAK AND ULTIMATELY STEERING FAILURE. *TR

1998 TOYOTA TACOMA 4X4 REG CAB THERE IS A KNOCK AND PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. MOST TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS SAY IT IS NORMAL AND SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ISOLATED TO THE SLIP JOINT IN THE MAIN STEERING COLUMN COMING LOOSE. THIS WAS DONE BY A TOYOTA SERVICE TECH. THE PROBLEM WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WITH THIS INFORMATION AND WAS FIXED BUT THEY SAY IT WILL MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN DUE NO CHANGE IN DESIGN BY TOYOTA. THE SLIP JOINT IS CRIMPED OVER THE SHAFT, AND AFTER USE IT BECOMES LOOSE CAUSING PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. *NM

WAS EXPERIENCING VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK. TOOK TRUCK TO DEALER AND THEY LOOKED AT IT. THEY SAID THAT THE REASON FOR THE VIBRATION WAS THE TIRES WERE OUT OF ROUND AND THAT THE "LEFT OUTER WHEEL BUSHIN" THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RACK WAS EXCESSIVELY WORN. THEY ESTIMATED THAT IT WOULD BE $1300 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE RACK SINCE TOYOTA DOES NOT SELL THE INDIVIDUAL BUSHING, NOR DOES IT HAVE A PROCEDURE TO REPLACE THE BUSHING IF AN AFTER MARKET ONE IS AVAILABLE. THE TRUCK WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME BUT TOYOTA QUALITY CARE DENIED THE CLAIM BECAUSE THE BUSHING WEAR WAS DEEMED "NORAML WEAR AND TEAR". BECAUSE I WOULD AHVE TO PAY FOR THE COST THE DEALER SAID THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE WITH THE RACK THE WAY IT IS "FOR AWHILE??!"*AK

HAD TO HAVE RACK AN DPINION STEERING ENDS REPLACED B/C BOOT WAS HOLDING WATER. TOYOTA ADVISED TRUCK HAD BEEN IN HIGH WATER, TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN IN HIGH WATER. TRUCK IS NOW MAKING THE SAME NOISE IT MADE WHEN RACK ENDS FAILD BEFORE. RACK ENDS WERE RUSTED OUT. *AK

DEALER WENT FOR A TEST RIDE, AND SAID THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM TIRE WEAR. I REFUSED NEW TIRES THERE, AND WENT HOME TO TELL MY HUSBAND, WHO SPENT HIS LUNCH HOUR POINTING OUT THE FAULTY RACK AND PINION. THEY THEN PUT IT ON THE LIFT A SECOND TIME TO AGREE WITH US THAT THE TIE RODS AND RACK AND PINION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. WE OPTED TO SEE ANOTHER REPAIRMAN LOCALLY WHO WAS AMAZED TO SEE THE RACK AND PINION SO RUSTED, IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS LOOKING WORSE THAN THE BILGE ON A LOBSTER BOAT. THE BOOT HAS BEEN RETAINING WATER AND THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY WAS SAID TO BE HIGHLY CORROSIVE. PEOPLE NEED TO BE ALERTED. THIS TRUCK DRIVES IN SNOW AND DIRT ROADS NOT ACROSS THE OCEAN. WE WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALER AGAIN TOMORROW TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK OF THE SITUATION.

DEALER ADVISED THAT TRUCK HAD SAT IN WATER FOR A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR GREASE TO ESCAPE RACK END BOOTS. TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN IN DEEP WATER, ONLY DIRT ROADS. RACK ENDS ARE RUSTED AND NEED REPLACEMENT. TRUCK HAS BEEN THROUGH TWO SETS OF TIRES BOTH BEING THE TYPE SUPPLIED BY TOYOTA WITH THE VEHICLE. WE GET ABOUT 12000 MILES ON 50000 MILE TIRES, TRUCK WEARS TIRES AS IF FAULTY FRONT END PARTS. TIE ROD END ON DRIVERS SIDE BAD, PROBABLY CAUSE OF TIRE WEAR, BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO COMPLAIN ABOUT TIRE WEAR. NEVER INSPECTED TIE ROD ENDS OR SHOCKS, DEALER SAID THEY GET MANY COMPLAINTS ON TIRE WEAR ON THESE TRUCKS.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 265/75R/15 )

POWER STEERING FAILED. YH

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE STEERING AND THE VEHICLE VIBRATE. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WILL BE VIBRATING. CONTACTED DEALER, CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK