Problems with 2006 Toyota Tacoma SUSPENSION

Purchased my truck from the dealership and have always taken it in for the oil change with the dealer inspection tickets since it was purchased. in the last inspection i was informed that the brakes needed to be replaced. took it to another shop where the lead mechanic informed me that my car was "unsafe" due to significant rust on the leaf springs and frame area bolts near the leaf springs. i called the dealership to ask how my car had gone through all of these inspections and i had never heard that my vehicle had "unsafe" levels of rust on the undercarriage. i was informed that they do not inspect the undercarriage ( !? ). when i asked for the best course of action, i was informed that a car with rust on the frame should be junked. i cannot believe i spent all that money for what i thought was a quality truck that is unsafe to drive. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota tacoma. the contact received a notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v604000 (suspension). the contact stated that the part needed to remedy the vehicle was unavailable. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. updated 3/24/15*cn the consumer stated the leaf spring on the passenger failed. when it failed, it shot out underneath the vehicle toward the brake and gas lines. the consumer stated while driving, he heard a loud noise coming from under the vehicle. he discovered the heat shield was loose, due to the rusting the problem. updated 09/2/15.*jb updated 9/15/2017*cn

Took truck into dealer for service and was informed that the frame had rusted to the point that there was now a hole in it. contacted toyota via phone and email and was told on both occasions that there was not a "program" in place to assist owners with this problem. previous replacement program covered tacomas made from 1998-2004 that exhibited the same issues, premature rusting/corrosion of the trucks' fames. my limited research has shown numerous cases where the frames of the truck corrodes to the point that it is unsafe to drive. please see forum at this link for other examples http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2006/toyota/tacoma/frame. obviously this is a defect with the most important part of the truck and one that toyota has been made aware of numerous times, but refuses to address. it is my believe that they should assist their customers by replacing the frames that have deteriorated prematurely. after talking with toyota and multiple dealers, i have no where else to turn for assistance. any help you can be would be greatly appreciated. *tr

I brought car in for routine oil change. mechanic called me in to show me the extreme rust under the frame. it is flaking off in chunks and almost rusted through in some parts. mechanic informed me that this was not normal and i should contact toyota for possible recall information. i contacted toyota, but have not heard back for over one month. *tr

While changing the oil on my 2006 toyota tacoma, i notices significant rust on the frame of my truck. i scraped at some and chunks fell off revealing a weakened frame. my spare has not been able to hold air and upon inspection the entire metal area that holds the tire in place is rusted. the mileage is under 90k i would like to have this documented as i have been reading other complaints from 2006 tacoma owners they are experiencing the same problem as myself. this car is as a family vehicle as utilize it in camping, canoeing and other outdoor activities. thank you *tr

In october of 2012 i purchased a 2006 toyota tacoma from interstate toyota in airmont, ny. the vehicle had 79,000 miles on it, had and had passed the toyota 160 point / certified pre-owned inspection. prior to the purchase i asked about missing rear wheel molding, non functioning outside temperature gauge and what looked like rust on the frame. the vehicle was brought into their shop and put on a lift. the molding was repaired, the guage ordered and shipped to my home, and i was assured by my salesman, justin goetz, that the rust was merely surface rust, and that the vehicle wouldn't have passed the 160 point inspection had it been more then just simple surface rust. i was happy with my truck and purchased it with their platinum warranty coverage using toyota financial. several weeks ago the a/c stopped working. i got an appointment at my local dealership, shore toyota, in pleasantville nj to have it fixed. i asked that the a/c be checked, and that the frame be checked as a mechanic that performed my last oil change had noted concern about frame rust to me. shore toyota replaced the a/c clutch (covered under warranty), and proceeded to tell me that "the vehicle should not be driven and taken off the road immediately as the vehicle is not safe to drive!!" i was informed that the frame was severely rusted out with perferations holes on the left & right side rails. i was told that there was no way this vehicle could have passed a 160 point inspection because it would take much longer then 8 to 9 months for so much rot to occur. i was floored!! i just wanted my a/c fixed. i never could have imagined that my $20,000+ truck was a junker.....that i'd been had. toyota corp said there were no recalls and nothing they could do about it at this time. i wish i could include the pics i have of the frame.

During some under body inspections prior to performing some brake repair, i noticed a crack in the rear drivers side frame in front of the shock mount. i contacted the local dealership and they confirmed a perforation and crack across bottom portion of c-channel in frame. the denied any responsibility and claimed the crack was due to severe offroading, which is absolutely incorrect. i asked them to prove that theory and they could not. they would only provide a reference number and that i could contact their legal department. i am now stuck with a 6-ish year old vehicle that cannot be driven. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota tacoma. while driving 35 mph and making a right turn, a loud clunking sound emitted from the rear of the vehicle. the contact recently received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v604000 (suspension). the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the rear leaf spring was cracked and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 102,540. updated 06/29/16*lj *tr

On 3/14/2013 i noticed a noise that seemed to be coming from the rear suspension of my vehicle. i took the vehicle to my mechanic, who upon inspection noted that both rear leaf springs were broken.(see document) i then had the vehicle repaired on 3/22/2013. on september 29, 2014 the nhtsa announced the recall of my vehicle for the leaf springs(recall id 14v604) since that time i have been trying to get reimbursed by toyota for the repairs that i had completed prior to the recall. i have contacted toyota customer service several times and each time they have told me i needed to send more documentation. i've attached the required documents i have sent them, including the original invoice for diagnosis, the repair and a letter from my mechanic on letterhead supporting those documents. at one point in december 2015, they toyota representative i was speaking with, actually called the mechanic to get verbal support of these documents. in december, i received a letter from toyota stating that the remedy would be provided in early 2016. i've been told that once the remedy was provided i could then receive reimbursement for the repair. yesterday, february 4, 2016, i was checking the status of the recall on my truck on toyota.com and it stated that "there were no open recalls on my vehicle at this time" i contacted toyota again and they stated that i did not send the proper paperwork and that i had to prove my vehicle was part of the recall. i've attached the repair order and letter from my mechanic as well as a copy of the recall notification and a look-up from the toyota site that shows my vehicle is covered under the recall. i am contacting you, simply because toyota is trying to avoid reimbursing me for this recall and actually seems to have taken me off of the original recall status. i am very frustrated. the case # with toyota is 1510072576

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota tacoma. while approaching a stop, the contact heard a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle jerked. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the dealer was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v604000 (suspension); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 98,000.

Despite washing, scraping/wire brushing, spot priming and painting the truck frame once per year, the frame from just in front of the axel, all the way forward, both sides, is severely corroded. the front cross piece is totally disintegrated. the "incident" is that the corrosion is so bad that the front stabilizer bar mount, driver's side, has torn away from the frame. further inspection shows that the frame in the engine compartment area needs total replacement/extensive repair. this appears to be the same frame corrosion problem supposedly addressed by toyota in the 1990 to 2004 vehicles. but toyota is not issuing recalls or "customer programs" for 2005 tacoma's and newer. since the box sectioned frame rusts from the inside out, the severity of the problem is not apparent until it is too late - when a catastrophic frame failure can happen - as with the failure of my stabilizer bar. toyota needs to address this frame issue immediately. can you imagine if an axel mount or engine mount failed on the highway? this vehicle is only 6 years old, this is insane! *js

Rear driver side leaf springs have started digging into the side of fuel tank. no leak yet. visual signs of damage. *tr

I recently had an issue with the engine fan hitting the shroud on my 2006 tacoma. i took my tacoma into the local toyota dealership for diagnostics. they informed me that the frame was cracked around the weld where the drivers' side motor mount bracket was welded to the frame. the bracket has started sinking into the frame which could ultimately cause serious problems to consumers leading to vehicle accidents etc. i have been doing research and have heard of this same issue happening with 2005 & 2006 tacomas from numerous other tacoma owners. the welds around the motor mount brackets are weak. these should be one of the strongest welds on the truck. toyota advertises their trucks for off road use yet they barely hold up to normal highway driving. i hope toyota resolves this matter accordingly. *tr

Noticed rust on the frame of the vehicle with heavier amounts near/on weld points, & bolt points. rust is accumulating on the steering tie rods. heavy rust on rear differential and various steering component parts. i consider the amount of rust on the frame and the above mentioned components a manufacturer's defect. if any of the components fail while i am driving i could crash and injure, or kill another motorist/myself. i spoke with toyota of sd service rep who told me i should contact toyota. i have a 100,000/10yr extended service plan and want this resolved prior to the time frame running out. *tr

The frame and most of the mechanical components attached to the frame on my 2006 toyota tacoma pick up are rusting very rapidly, it has approx. 45,000 miles on it. at the rate it is rusting i feel it is going to be a safety issue down the road with the frame cracking or a mechanical problem. *tt

1) no known events or driving behavior led to the failure. truck is driven on streets only, and rarely used to carry heavy loads 2) shock absorber seat component split and the consequence was that the load-bearing springs dropped from typical platform. wheel and transmission were out of alignment. risk of traveling at highway speeds was motor meltdown and/or loss of control of vehicle. 3) parts were replaced. *tr

I had my truck inspected by toyota of bristol for frame rust. at that time they said it was surface rust and toyota would not do any thing about it even though it was still under warranty. now the truck has rusted to the point that i can not drive it and it only has 63500 miles on it. the spring shackles on the rear of the truck have completely rusted away leaving the rear end of the truck almost completely unattached to the truck frame. even though toyota has a campaign # sc-eod to repair 2005-2008 toyota tacoma frames the said mine was not covered. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that when driving with a heavy load, the rear suspension would drop. the dealer advised that the rear suspension springs would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 93,000 and the current mileage was 97,000.

In 09 noticed my 3year old trucks frame was rusting on the frame. rust was to the point that frame was swelling and flakes of metal were falling off to the touch. took truck to dealer where it was inspected. they said there was nothing they could do and recommended sanding rustproofing and paint. despite taking action against rust frame has continued to corrode in other locations such as welds where shocks are connected to frame. concerned frame will eventually fail. *tr

Tacoma 2006 rear end suspension bottom up on one side only, the dealer doesn't want to pass the problem under warranty, i have 75,000km the warranty expire at 60,000. any little imperfection on the road will make the suspension bottom up. dangerous to drive. *tr

I have a 2006 toyota tacoma v6 4d 6'bed. at highway speeds i noticed a vibration in the whike truck. my brake drums and rotors hae been replaced tires balanced by two companies and the problem still exist. *tr

When truck has 4 to 5 passengers, the rear end bottoms out with the slightest dip in the roadway. *tr

When i drive over a bump even a small one the leaf springs bottom out, but worse when some one is riding with me. never could load my camping gear in with out it doing this. leaf springs are weak. seen recall but dealership wont replace leaf springs for me. my shocks are gone because they weren't made to take all the load. 1/4 ton leafs springs don't support a 1/2 ton vehicle. corvallis was where i took it the last time, but they said have to wait for fix? my fear of them breaking and a crash happen and other people get caught up in it and some one lose a life. what will it take to get this fixed? tired of the b.s. they say. can you help with this are am i gonna need a lawyer? i guess if you can't make them fix it then both of you are guilty of this problem,you not making them fix it, them for not.

4. my rear end was constantly bottoming out and as a result it created a pretty harsh ride. what exactly does that mean? well, every time i carried a full load of passengers / towed our 19' boat, / or hauled material in the bed it will bottom out. the slightest dip or speed bump even at 10mph is felt. do i feel it when i'm by myself and the bed is empty, and there are no other passengers? yes, but at higher speeds. do i ever off-road my vehicle? no. \ well, typically in the pre 35 thousand miles while under warranty toyotas paper work would constantly state that they were unable to duplicate the problem, therefore there was nothing wrong with it. i called to make an appointment the second time and a girl answered and i asked about making an appointment and i told her about the issue that i was having, and she responded, telling me that my truck was beyond its warranty period. oh, i have 66, thousand miles on it and purchased it in january of 06. anyway, she gave me an 800 number to see if i was eligible. well, a request was put in for one of the main mechanics to take a ride with me to witness the problem. a very short ride later after having hit a few small dips at 10, 20, and 30 miles per hour when he both heard and felt the bottoming out of the vehicle. he suggested that we go back to the service center. we got back and the first thing he did was look under the bed and he popped up and stated that the springs were flat on one side and off on the other side. why didn't everyone else do the same before, now when it's to my convenience to have the issue addressed, i'm denied. i'm denied about an issue that's been there all along. i was simply told "sorry, we can't do anything for you. your mileage is too far over the warranty. ". i've never heard of any other 1/2 ton pickup not being able to carry a load. they should just call the tacoma a cruck because it's more car than truck. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota tacoma. while driving 60 mph on the highway, the front driver side wheel began vibrating. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer. the vehicle has not been diagnosed. the current and failure mileages were 62,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota tacoma. he stated that he heard a noise in the front end of the vehicle for the past five months. the mechanic stated that the suspension might be the cause of the failure. the contact felt that he should not have to pay for defective suspension when the vehicle has only 6,400 miles on it. the current and failure mileage on the vehicle was 6,400.

I own a 2006 toyota tacoma 4x4 dbl cab long bed trd sport ($30,867.00 + tax!) and have enjoyed it for just over a year now. it has 29,816 miles and has had all service done at toyota dealership. while driving on a paved road i went over a very small bump, and the left front side of my truck dropped about 3" inches causing tire to rub fender. i got out and looked under the driver side front and could see that the coil over shock broke off near the bottom. i took photos and brought both the photos and truck to my local dealer. the 2 service people at the counter both said it would be covered under warranty, but then the service manager told them that i must have hit something to have this happen. i told them i did not hit anything and it went down when i went over a very small bump in the road. not a big bump! he again said "no" he would not warranty it. this totally dropped the front left side down onto the tire and could easily have caused an accident. i have called the toyota customer experience center and was assigned ref: 2007 0907 0986 i really like my tacoma, but if toyota continues to treat me like this, i will have to buy a different brand. i will also tell as many others as i can about my treatment at the dealership! *jb contact stated i had to buy new coil over shocks and replaced myself. updated 12/12/2007 updated 12/12/07 *tr

Front suspension instability, i have replaced the tires two times, and have replaced the oem shocks for the bilstein "oem trd" but the vehicle behaves like the front sway bar or the rack & pininion are loose. i have taken this vehicle to the dealer countless times but they are unable to notice the noise that comes from the front suspension or anything wrong. it is my perception that a design flaw or a defective part of the front suspension or rack & pinion have to be causing all of the instability. i really consider this vehicle very unsafe and hope to find the problem withim the next couple months or i will replace it for a tundra. *jb

Rear-end whines between 50 & 65 mph, going up grade. (auto trans.reg. cab, 2.7 engine) i took it to my toyota dealer and they told me it was road noise. well i know the difference between road noise & a mechanical noise. i just want this to go on record. thank you. *nm

Front suspension noise on 2006 toyota tacoma d/cap prerunner, have taken the vehicle for service seven times and the dealer is unable to fix the noise. *jb