Problems with 2001 Toyota Tacoma STRUCTURE

Frame of this vehicle has rusted beyond being safe to drive. vehicle will not pass virginia state inspection. rust is due to factory manufacturing defect that toyota has acknowledged. i am the third owner of this vehicle and had no way of knowing of any toyota remedies to this situation. i have contacted toyota corporate and they refuse to offer any help. this is an inherit factory defect and age and time should make no difference. there are many of these vehicles still operating on the highways with this defect creating a very dangerous situation.

2001 toyota tacoma. consumer writes in regard to vehicle having a rust and corrosion problem on the frame. *as *js

Frame rails are rusted through, frame was replaced at 48k. it has 81k and the rails are according to parker toyota unsafe to drive. topyota says program is ended on this problem

Chassis main frame is corroded in many areas. refer to pictures. a friend told me this happens to some toyotas which is why i crawled under and looked for it.

Tl* the contact was test driving a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact states that while driving on the car lot, the chassis fractured. the vehicle belonged to the sm valentino motors llc dealer, located at 603 w front st, plainfield, nj 07060, (908) 222-0777. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 159,836.

Frame is rusted through in many places. unsafe to drive

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while stationary and while driving various speeds, the frame of the vehicle became severely rusted and corroded. the contact stated that the cab frame bracket connected to the frame of the vehicle was affected. in addition, the contact stated that there were holes in the frame of the vehicle. a dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a knocking sound underneath the vehicle. he parked the vehicle, checked underneath, and found that the entire frame was rusted. an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and recommended that the entire frame be replaced. the frame was rusted to the point where the vehicle was no longer safe to drive. the dealer was not called. the manufacturer was notified and stated that nothing could be done. the failure mileage was 173,000.

The frame has rotted out causing the leaf springs to move and resulting into dry shaft dropping out of place. this in turn, makes the truck undriveable. this happen when trying to drive around town. it begin in october of 2018. we have not driven it since that time.

I'm writing you because i had my 2001 tacoma inspected for the frame rust recall in 2010. at that time i was told that my truck would be sprayed with an inhibitor to prevent rust. the vehicle frame has since rusted and is most likely unsafe to drive. the spray inhibitor obviously did not work or was applied incorrectly. the shock mount has rusted from the frame while driving on a city street.

Excessive frame rust perforation on 1st generation tacomas will cause the frame to break leading to an extremely unsafe condition including handling ability, rollover, lack of impact protection, and possibly loss of life. key areas are by the rear leaf springs and close to the front sway bar. toyota did offer an extended warranty on the frame, but there was no mention that the frame was deteriorating from the inside out or that all the frames were manufactured without proper corrosion preventative treatment at dana corp, not just those in the listed northern states.toyota's letter of extended warranty did not list this as a safety issue, nor did it recommend an initial or any followup frame inspection by a qualified toyota mechanic for the non-northern states, nor did it mention the nhtsa as being involved. the letter mentions "a small number of 2001 through 2004 model year tacomas operating in severe cold climate areas with high road salt use..." . all tacoma's in any road-salt state have the issue. many states that do use road salt have not been inspected, ever. when something is under warranty, people tend to keep using things until they break. under a safety recall, people tend to get the problem fixed quickly. the tacoma frames are not actually "breaking" during the warranty period but they are becoming "defective" during the period. many people are driving older tacomas and have no idea the truck is about to snap in half. this frame rust issue has not been acknowledged as a safety issue by either toyota or the nhtsa. a quick google search for tacoma frame rust will reveal hundreds/thousands of pictures of perforated and dangerous frames. interestingly, there was a recall on the tire carrier which suffered from rust as a direct result from the frame rust. the letter clearly states that in the non-effected states, "you do not need to do anything at this time".

My 2001 toyota tacoma has 150,000 miles on it. i noticed my frame completely split. i drive almost entirely on paved roads. there was no impact or unusual use in the area of the break. i took it into the toyota dealership immediately and they said there was nothing they could do about it.

The frame rusted out with only 150,000 miles, informed vehicle needs to be junked or have frame replaced.this vehicle is unsafe to drive.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while the vehicle was undergoing service to change the timing belt, the independent mechanic was unable to be place the vehicle on a lift. the mechanic stated that the frame was so rotted that it could fracture. the independent mechanic advised the contact to call a toyota dealer and the manufacturer to determine their guidelines. a dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was waiting on a response to determine their recommended solution. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer issued 21 tsbs for the structure, but there was no recall on the vehicle pertaining to the frame. the failure mileage was not available. *ln

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while the vehicle was undergoing repairs, the mechanic noticed that the frame was rusted. the dealer was not notified. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and opened case number: 1805082285. the failure mileage was 104,000.

The frame is showing sever signs of corrosion. i have taken the vehicle to the local dealership who have investigated the vehicle 2 times last year and said that there is no issues with the frame but one can see several 4 -5 inch rust holes in the frame. i am not sure if the vehicle is safe to drive anymore.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic because the emergency brake cable was damaged. when the vehicle was mounted onto the lift, the frame fractured in between the cabin and the bed of the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was too old and all recalls had expired. the approximate failure mileage was 300,000.

Frame is severely rusted (just noticed), spare tire can't be removed, and the hand brake cable from center cab to rear wheels is frozen

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while the vehicle was being serviced for the tires, the technician noticed that the entire subframe was corroded. the vehicle was taken to chester berg toyota (705 paul bunyan dr ne, bemidji, mn 56601, phone: (218) 444-3040) where it was diagnosed that rust preparation was found and the frame was corroded. the vehicle was not drivable. the vehicle was not repaired due to the repair cost. the manufacturer was notified and stated that there was a limited campaign that ended on february 26, 2016, and the warranty was expired. the approximate failure mileage was 208,000. *tt rusty frame updated 9/13/18*jb

Frame is cracked at rear ended on both sides

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact noticed that the rear driver and passenger side frame was fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer (premier automotive group, 1140 main st, milford, oh 45150). the dealer stated that nothing could be done. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted at 800-331-4331 and stated that there was nothing they could do to repair the vehicle. case number: 1710102304 was provided. the approximate failure mileage was 177,280.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while driving various speeds, a rattling noise was heard. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the frame was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the local dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified and did not assist. the failure mileage was approximately 186,103.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while working on the vehicle, the contact noticed the undercarriage was corroded from the mid point to the rear bumper. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact also stated that the vehicle was subject to a rust prevention treatment in august of 2010. glenn toyota dealer in frankfort, ky completed the treatment on the exterior of the frame, but not the interior. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the extended warranty was expired. the approximate failure mileage was 190,000.

The frame has rusted through right in front of the right rear spring mount. this vehicle was called back by toyota for poor corrosion protection of the frame. they sprayed the outside of the frame with and underscoring but did not treat the inside of the boxed sections of the frame.they did not protect the frame as they led me to believe. they are refusing to correct their mistake. i took the truck back to them when they informed me of the problem to have them correct it, but they did not correct it. merely covered it up. i'v e contacted both team toyota in langhorne pa and toyota usa. they have both ignored my issue. this frame issue is dangerous and they're left their customers drive unsafe trucks knowing t h e problem exists. they know of the problem , they created the problem and they are putting many lives in danger every day. these vehicles need to be repaired or the owners need to be properly compensated. it's all about their profits. they've put money and doing the right thing in front of lives like mine. please ask toyota to correct this problem. thanks for your time. *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact noticed that the rear passenger wheel was corroded and the subframe underneath the wheel was fractured. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the contact was unaware of what was being diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. when the vehicle was taken in for routine maintenance, the technician stated that the frame of the vehicle was severely rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was included in a prior rust recall, but was unsure of the nhtsa campaign number. at the time, the contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle had been repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 133,000. updated 06/21/17*lj *cn

I took my tacoma to be serviced and when the technician started to lift it into the air, loud creaking was heard and movement of truck bed from truck cab. technician immediately lowered vehicle and i was told the frame was rusted and truck may not be safe to drive. had truck inspected at an auto body shop and was told frame was a complete loss due to rust and would need to be replaced. this year tacoma was not in the massive recall of rusted frames, but seems like with the number of complaints online, it should be. i'm just thankful that it was found before anything serious had occurred while driving

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while inspecting underneath the vehicle, the contact discovered that the frame and transmission support were severely rusted and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the vin was invalid. the failure mileage was approximately 270,000.

Frame rusted through. took it to dealer in 2010 for inspection. dealer reported no issues. took it to dealer in 2017. dealer would not put it on the lift for fear that it would break in half. toyota assuming no responsibility inspire of the fact of the class action lawsuit for same. they indicated it was past the settlement date. i did bring in in within the deadline in 2010 and they claimed no problem. 7years later the truck has been rendered useless. i should mention that the after market trailer hitch has not rusted through and is in good working order. hmmm? i think toyota is not being honest with their customers

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while receiving an oil change, the technician noticed a hole in the frame. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 17,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while driving approximately 35 mph, the spare tire fell from under the vehicle. the contact stated that the frame was rusted badly. the manufacturer was notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. after the dealer replaced the frames, the hose to the center support bearing mold did not match and caused the u-joint to be crooked. the contact attempted to install a new bearing, but it did not align with the frame. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer the dealer stated that the bearing was fine. the contact stated that the failure was not remedied. the failure mileage was approximately 208,000. updated 03/16/17*lj the consumer stated took truck in for frame warranty work, it was released 85 days later in a "repaired condition." the consumer stated ford made the replace bearing holes the wrong size. *tr

I am unsure when this had happened but the frame on my 2001 toyota tacoma is corroded and broken into 2 pieces in 2 different areas. the place where it is broken is not corroded but just broke. would like to know if this truck is under a safety issue that toyota should be responsible for or if it is just an expensive paper weight.

I have a 2001 toyota tacoma and the frame is broken in two on the passenger side of the truck and rusted in two on the other side of the truck. the truck is very unsafe to drive and i am learning there was a recall on these trucks for faulty frames. i have also learned that they stopped the recall in 2012 before i owned the truck. how is this going to help me if i bought the truck after the recall is over but the issue just happened? i paid too much for this truck to only get to use it for a short amount of time before the frame fell apart. this is a recall that should never be discontinued, if i was not told of this problem by my mechanic something bad could have happened to my family while driving down the road. i am unsure how the frame broke but i was told about it after i took it to a mechanic to have the brakes worked on. the spot that is broken on the passenger side is not even rusty just broke like it was a weak frame. my mechanic informed me to not even drive it home so i had to have it towed home on a flatbed.

Last year, 2015, i received a recall notice from toyota concerning an issue with the spare tire hanger. i went to the toyota recall web page and typed in my vin, two recalls were outstanding, the spare tire and the frame. i contacted toyota concerning the frame recall and was told that the frame recall had been closed. i informed the toyota rep that i never received a recall notice for a frame issue. she stated that the noticed had been sent and returned due to incorrect address. toyota than resent the notice to the correct address based on 911 changing my address from 132 center st, to 338 center st. i than told the rep. that i do not understand how toyota could close out a recall which is a major safety issue and asked to speak to someone else. long story short i was told the recall had ended and there was nothing toyota would do to correct the issue. afterwards i crawled under my truck and looked at the frame and did not notice any rusted out areas. on monday november 7, 2016 as i was driving to work i lost the brakes. i was able to return home as the brake failure occurred at the end of the street i live on. i crawled under the truck to see if i could locate the damaged brake line. i found an area covered with brake fluid and determined the line had failed. while i was under the truck, i noticed the frame had rusted through just in front of the passenger side rear leaf spring. this is a definite safety issue which in my opinion could be a matter of life and death. i also noticed on the news this morning that toyota once again has made a multi billion settlement due to frame rust issues on their 2005 to 2010 toyota. i want toyota held responsible for not repairing and of replacing the damage they know exists on my truck!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the frame of the vehicle was severely corroded. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the frame was severely corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

My son purchased this vehicle from a private sale. there was a recall on the vehicle for the frames. frame was inspected in 2010 and an undercoating was applied-sealing in the existing rust on the frame. this existing rust has since gotten worse to the point where it is now unsafe and starting to break. we have contacted toyota but they refuse to do anything because the 15 year extension was up in july. we were unaware of this and now the truck my son has only driven for 7 months is now worthless and unsafe. toyota did not properly address the safety issue of this frame back in 2010 and now refuses to fix their mistake. they feel that just because the 15 years is up that they are no longer responsible for the safety of the vehicles they put on the road. please help me tell them that they are still responsible.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the frame was rusted through and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the contact stated that the manufacturer's repair initiative from approximately 2012 was completed on the vehicle, but has now failed and rusted through. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 270,000.

My frame has rotted away leaving the rear end hanging on a frame disappearing!

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while the vehicle was being repaired, the technician noticed that the frame was rusted. the vehicle was not repaired for the frame failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure the approximate failure mileage was 220,000. the vin was not provided. updated 03/29/17lj the consumer stated that he was not notified of the recall. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. updated 9/15/2017 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the frame was corroded and the vehicle was unable to be driven. the dealer diagnosed that the vehicle needed a new frame and was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. while driving at a slow speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. while inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the fuel tank strap fractured due to excessive corrosion. the contact stated that the subframe that supported the rear suspension was also excessively corroded. the vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 05v225000 (suspension); however, the repair failed to remedy the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 133,613.

2001 toyota tacoma has severe rust all over the frame of truck. holes so larger that you can pass a hand through. toyota had a voluntary program but did not get literature etc. to the owners of the vehicles. they stated program was a 15 year warranty enhancement program and it was supposed to last from the original date of service on the vehicle for 15 years. they claim to have closed the program, but this was open to tacomas all the way through 2004. 15 years after 2004 is 2019. why they would close the program before the stated 15 years was up is beyond me. i own 3 tacomas. the 1997 model is fine, but one 2001 model's frame looks like swiss cheese and is not drivable. the other 2001 model is very close to being not drivable. we are at a loss as to what to do and toyota isn't backing their word or product.

2001 toyota tacoma has severe rust all over the frame of truck. holes so larger that you can pass a hand through. toyota had a voluntary program but did not get literature etc. to the owners of the vehicles. they stated program was a 15 year warranty enhancement program and it was supposed to last from the original date of service on the vehicle for 15 years. they claim to have closed the program, but this was open to tacomas all the way through 2004. 15 years after 2004 is 2019. why they would close the program before the stated 15 years was up is beyond me. i own 3 tacomas. the 1997 model is fine, but one 2001 model's frame looks like swiss cheese and is not drivable. the other 2001 model is very close to being not drivable. we are at a loss as to what to do and toyota isn't backing their word or product.

I was just informed by my mechanic that my 1001 toyota tacoma was unsafe to drive. the frame at the point where the rear springs attach is completely rusted through and that the rear spring is likely to detach at any time. my toyota tacoma is ready to fold in half due to the extent of frame rust. the mechanic went on to say that the frame rusted from the inside out due to inadequate drain holes.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact inspected the cab and noticed that the subframe was extremely corroded. in 2010, the dealer determined that the subframe showed no rust. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, the contact was informed that there would be no assistance in replacing the subframe. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

We recently had our toyota tacoma 2001 brought to a mechanic to fix the alternator & change oil. we were informed that the frame of the body was so rusted it was not safe to drive & that due to the steel used in manufacturing the vehicle it had rusted easily from road salt used in cold climates. apparently this is a common problem for this year & make of toyota however we were unaware of this. we contacted toyota & they said that any fix to the vehicle was expired. apparently there is some sort of a review for the tire lift but due to the rust our local toyota dealer says it can not be fixed and there is nothing they can do. we realize this is an older vehicle but it does run well & it seems unfair to lose the use of our truck due to an issue that toyota has known about for many years. the rust to the vehicle frame is so extreme that it was described by our mechanic as looking like "swiss cheese" & that has been years in the making. we are grateful that the alternator went out or we would not have known how unsafe this vehicle is & that no accident occurred due to this condition. it seems wrong to purchase a vehicle & because poor materials were used have no option but to salvage it. i am writing you to see if there is an option that we are unaware of. thank you for your time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle's frame was corroded. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the entire frame was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 106,000. updated 07/13/16*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair when it was advised by the mechanic the frame was severely rusted and had fractures in the center. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 158,000. updated 09/29/16*lj *js consumer stated she sent a letter and pictures same day as receiving vehicle owner's questionnaire. updated 06/13/18*jb

The entire frame is corroded and needs to be replaced. hendrick toyota says the vehicle is safe to drive, but a local body shop says the integrity of the frame is 10-15%. says it could break at anytime. i purchased in august 2015. the previous owners state they received no recall or notices from toyota on this issue.