We have noticed the daytime running lights lens are melting and cracking on both sides. i think this is a safety issue,possible fire hazard. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the dtr lights malfunctioned and melted the headlight case. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised him that the dtr light bulb assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the current mileage was approximately 89,569. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the daytime running lights became overheated and fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted who stated that there was no defect. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 66,000.
The running / parking lights are burning through and melting the lens covers on both sides of headlight assemblies. there are visible burn marks and cracks on the lens for both sides of the vehicle. *tr
Both front amber daytime running light lenses melting, bubbling and cracking from bulb heat. active tsb but not valid after 36,000. *tr
I have a 09 tacoma and the drl's have actually burned, melted and popped the lens in front of them. also, the bulbs themselves, upon examination, have burned the socket in which they are held. you can see black around the base of them. took it to toyota at 59k miles and i have the platinum 7year/100000mi warranty and was told it would cost me 1100 for parts alone to fix, offered no help and lied to me and said they have had no other incidents of this nature and its a rare problem never before seen. i have removed my drl bulbs out of concern of a fire starting and then i probably get stuck with that bill of a burnt front end. i should not have to pay because toyota put in a bulb that's too hot or because toyota decided to make a cheap plastic cover for the bulbs. i had zero influence on this failure. there are countless posts on all kinds of websites concerning this problem. i can track down over 1000 in less than 30 min. please help. when i call toyota i just get bullied around and talked to like i'm dumb or don't know what i'm talking about. *tr
The lens on my daytime running lights are melting, and i'm worried about it might causing electrical problems or even causing a fire. *tr
The drl (daylight running lights) bulbs were designed to close to the lens cover and the bulb is to hot. it burnt / melted the lens on both the right and left headlights. it leaves a dark spot ( approx 2.5 inches in diameter) . it happened when the outside temp was hot (greater than 105 deg f) and the running lights were on (they come on automatically when truck is started). i have looked on line (google search) and a lot of people are experiencing there headlights having a melted / burnt spot on both the right and left sides. the local dealer says there is no fix or recall currently. i have read that some people were getting this problem fixed if the mileage or time was within the warranty. mine occurred after. i believe this could be a fire concern and the burnt spot is semi blocking the performance of the drl. the drl is so people can see you coming. there needs to be a recall! *tr
Day time running light covers burnt from the heat of light bulbs being mounted to close to lens cover. lens cover cracked, burn and at some times smolders. *tr
My trucks headlight unit has daytime running lights "amber turn signal lighting" and its continued to cause melting around the housing. this has been going on for a year now and the dealership has been informed on more than one occasion and they refuse replacement because its not a declared recall from toyota. the light issue continues to get worse and is almost completely melted around the turn area. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he noticed that the turn signal bulbs had burned through the turn signal covering. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the turn signal bulbs were positioned too closely to the casing. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 56,250. the vin was unavailable. ..updated 11/29/12 *bf the consumer stated the lights were no longer effective
Daytime running light (dtrl) housing burned/melted/cracked on both lh & rh. safety related system with proper oem factory bulbs still installed. *tr
The headlight lenses are melting in the front of the daytime running lights/turn signal. both sides have the same issue. they both have a horizontal crack and a melted blob of plastic that will likely keep getting bigger. i consider this to be a safety hazard. while at lowes yesterday, i checked the headlights of one other tacoma, and he had the same issue. when i got home, i performed a google search and found several forums where owners were having the same issue. most said that when they mentioned it to their toyota dealership, the dealership acted like no one has had this problem before. some customers were able to get the headlights replaced and some were not. i'd be concerned that the replacement will have the same issue a couple of years from now. *js
Day time running lights overheating and melting the plastic inside headlight which looks like it is burnt and black causing headlight to crack and damage to the bulbs. i have replaced driver side now and passenger side has started to melt. *js
The headlight lenses are melting in front of the daytime running light bulbs/turn signals. i feel that this is a safety hazard and should be recalled by toyota. i was told by toyota customer service that my toyota extended platnium warrentee will not cover this part and they will not authorize the replacement of the headlights. *tr
Tl * the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the headlight lens would continuously overheat and become cracked. the contact was concerned that the vehicle would possibly catch on fire since the bulb was so close to the lens. the vehicle was not taken for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 100,000. updated 3/13/14*cn
Front amber turn lamps bubbled, look very hot on plastic lens, burnt through, could possibly cause fire? lens cracked. *tr
Daytime running lights are to close to the plastic in front of the bulb, which has cracked and melted the plastic lens, which is a fire hazard. *tr
The plastic lens covering the daytime running lights/blinkers are melting and cracked. the cause appears to be from the lights which are on when the engine is on. left and right side lens are melted. *tr
Daytime running lights are too hot causing the plastic lenses to crack, melt, and burn. toyota is treating this as purely cosmetic in t-sb # 0129-11 (for 6 model years they were aware of it). this listing should be changed to a safety recall, that amount of heat could start a vehicle fire. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the daytime running lights were melting the headlight lenses. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the lenses would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified and offered to pay for the cost of the lens but not for the labor costs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 51,000.
The drls/turn signals of the 2009 toyota tacoma have a faulty design resulting with the lens melting (toyota calls it bubbling) and cracking. toyota did issue a recent tsb (t-sb-0129-11) to replace the headlight assemblies on impacted trucks. several model years were included. the tsb is worded that only trucks with less than 36k miles and less than 36 months old will be repaired. my truck had about 40k miles and was about 34 months old when i finally took it to the local dealer. i didn't bring it in when i first noticed the defect because i didn't think toyota would even consider not replacing the lights because it's an obvious design defect. some of the older models mentioned in the tsb would have been older than 36 months when the tsb was released. drls were developed so other drivers can better see you. a melted drl lens will dim the brightness of the light to other drivers. toyota should be repairing all the damaged headlight assemblies. *tr
I noticed that the dtrl had started to melt the amber lenses and brought it to the attention of my local dealer. although i was still within the warranty mileage, i was over by a few months on the 36-month warranty (i bought the truck used in dec-2011.) i just heard from my local dealer that i've been trying to work with concerning the melting lenses in my '09 tacoma trd. i tried to get toyota to replace the lamp assembly and they would only cover half of the replacement and subsequent re-aiming of the head lights. i then printed out some instructions to install a toyota relay and jumper wires to turn the dtrl function off, leaving the turn signal function alone. according to the dealer, toyota will not sign off on, nor allow their dealers to make this modification, even though the parts are all toyota oem parts. i would also strongly suggest that every owner of a tacoma that is having any issue (melting, bubbling, cracking etc.) with the dtrl's write toyota corporate expressing their deep disappointment with the quality of toyota products and the corporations lack of concern for the customers safety buying the product. with all the negative that toyota has received during the past few years over safety related issues, you would think that toyota would be falling all over themselves to correct a known safety issue in a required system, instead of tap dancing around like they are doing. as a retired law enforcement officer, i find that the response i've been receiving from toyota to be particularly disappointing, especially since this is a safety issue involving a mandated lighting system. the staff at nhtsa is welcome to contact me at any time to discuss this. *tr
The daytime running lights have melted and cracked the lens/plastic. these are also used as front end turn signals. if these fail, it could be a major safety hazard. while there is a tsb, the dealership denied to pay for replacements since my 36k warranty has now expired. this is not something that just started to happen and toyota is aware of the problem. *tr
The running lights melt the plastic headlamp covers and literally melt the plastic, this is a picture of my second set that are also melting
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. while examining the vehicle, the contact noticed that the daytime running lights were beginning to melt the headlight housing. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not available. the current and the failure mileage was 60,000.
After completing an oil change on my 2009 toyota tacoma in october of 2011 i noticed that the amber lens in the headlight was discolored and seemed to be melting due to overheating. over the past year i have been monitoring the situation and noticed that the melting and cracking of the amber lens inside of the headlight is progressively getting worse. it seems that the daytime running lights were not properly engineered in this model. because of the defect there is a clear concern for driver safety. the melting lenses create an obvious fire hazard. the toyota dealership where i purchased my tacoma in the metro atlanta area advised me that toyota has no recall of extended warranty for this "known" problem. i was very dismayed to hear this because the issue is clearly presents a threat to the driver. because of this situation i have to make a decision on what options are available to me. either i replace the entire headlight assembly with the toyota factory assembly which is already known to have a defect or purchase and aftermarket headlight assembly and hope the it is engineered better than the toyota one, or i figure out a way to disable the daytime running lights to cut back on the head that builds up with them constantly being on. i would rather not disable the daytime running lights because i believe that they do provide significant safety value. i am not sure what i am going to do at this point but clearly action is needed. i would like toyota to step up to the plate and replace the defective potentially harmful headlight assemblies. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the head light bulbs were overheating and causing the lens to melt. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician verified the failure and stated that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 77,000.
The dtrl amber bulb has melted both lens due to excessive heat from bulb.the left/right lens are cracked and falling apart. *tr
Daylight running lights burn /melt the lens due to excessive heat, in less then 30k miles. i believe toyota has a design problem with the drls. every tacoma with the drl option will eventually have this problem. the compartment that holds the dlr light is small, with no ventilation, and the lamp dissipates approximately 28 watts of heat, which is focused toward the lens (along with the light). it is simply too much heat in too small an area, and the heat is sufficient to melt the plastic lens in front of the lamp. since the drl is part of the headlight assembly, the cost of parts is reported to be around $700 plus labor. i believe that lenses (with proper lamps) should never melt. asking tacoma owners to pay $700 +, every 30k miles is outrageous! my headlight assemblies were replaced under warranty, but they are sure to fail again if something is not done to correct the design of the dlrs. it appears that toyota is ignoring the problem and hoping most people won't recognize the problem until after the vehicle is out of warranty. now i am concerned that this condition will eventually lead to an electrical fire. *tt
In september 2011, i noticed the daylight running lights had an orange/brown spot in the middle of the lens. eights months later, the daylight running lights have melted and cracked the plastic lens. the passenger side lens has completely melted in half. the bulb appears to sit too close to the lens in the housing unit. fire risk. *tr
On the headlight assembly of my vehicle both of the running light lenses are melting. they first started to bubble and i noticed it at approximately 40,000 miles. i took it into the dealership to have it checked out and they said that the warranty would not cover it and offered no fix. recently, i looked at the lenses again and they are now cracked and burnt. the plugs that the bulbs are in are burnt as well. toyota told me they would pay half of the damages, but not the whole thing. in toyota's service bulletin that they published in 2011, it states that the 2005-2011 vehicles have defective headlights and came out with a new designed headlight for them. with that said, my tacoma is a 2009 model. one of my biggest worries regarding this defect is the fact that i like to go on road-trips in my vehicle which sometimes requires me to drive for long periods of time. i am concerned that over time the lenses will melt completely and cause a fire or short in the wires. i have three small children and i should not have to worry about defected headlights catching fire and endangering them. the last time i went to the toyota dealership, i walked around and looked at the used tacoma's and found the same issues on almost all of vehicles. like i said my biggest thing is my safety and toyota knows that they manufactured a defective headlight and refuse complete responsibility for it. *tr
Daytime running lights are melting the plastic lamp housing. all components are factory stock: bulbs, housings, wiring, etc. melted plastic housing has changed the turn signal beam geometry resulting in reduced visibility and risk of accident. also, melted material indicates a possible fire hazard. *tr
My 09 toyota tacoma drl (daylight running light/turn signal) lens burned/melted/broke. i have exceeded my warranty but i feel toyota should stand behind their product and replace my light lens. my local dealer did do a 50/50 split on the cost of replacement, but this is a design problem. light lens should never burn/melt/break regardless of how old or how many miles the vehicle has on it. not all tacoma's have drl , this is an option, my local dealer did not know this but i pointed this out to him. i have a friend with same problem but his tacoma is still in warranty and the dealer did a 100% replacement. i contacted toyota with a letter and pictures and was told toyota would not stand behind their product because i had exceeded my warranty. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the daytime running lights were made with double contact bulbs. the heat from the light was burning through the lenses. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and had the lenses replaced but the dealer did not change the bulbs. the contact believed that the failure would recur because the bulbs were not replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that the failure was extremely rare and offered no further assistance. the contact stated that the bulb burned through the lens within two years. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 37,600.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the signal lights started to separate from the vehicle and the lens lost color. also, the contact mentioned that the headlights were dim. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. ...updated 04/08/15 *bf updated 4/13/15*cn the consumer stated the signal lights are housed in a heated lamp module and they constantly burned out/ the melted the signal lens inside the head lamp assembly and cracked the plastic and now the signal lamps are fogging up inside the lens of the head lamp assemblies. updated 04/21/15*jb updated 10/22/2015*js
The daytime running lights (drl's) on my 2009 tacoma have bubbled up and cracked the lens/plastic. i am not sure if this is because the bulb is too close to the plastic or the wattage is too high for the plastic. the drl's are also used as front end turn signals. if these fail, it could be a major safety hazard. dealership denied to pay for replacement for it is not covered under the agreements of my extended warranty. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that front turn signal lenses burned out. the contact noticed visible burn marks on both lenses. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 66,000.
The contact would like to use the complaint that was sent via email. jo. not sure who to contact but i am a safety professional for many years and an incident last night confirmed an obvious danger to drivers based on the relationship between dashboard lighting and headlamp activation. a near miss last night reminded me of the same condition i noted last year in a similar incident. i believe a significant threat to drivers exists, it is an unrecognized threat, a simple remedy would correct and i would like to discuss that concern.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the lenses for the daytime running lamps and the turn signals were melted. the contact was concerned that the failure could lead to a fire. the dealer was contacted and advised that the entire lighting assembly would require replacing. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 40,000. the current mileage was 100,000.
I noticed the daytime running light lens had cracked & melted. this is obviously a defect due to the amount of heat the bulb is putting out. i am disappointed that a company such as toyota will not take care of this problem. according to what i have read the fix is over $700 to fix. it makes you wonder if greed is the root of all evil. *tr
Headlight housings turn signal/dtrl lens is burned and cracked due to excessive heat from bulb. apparently from what i have read in forums and other on line sources, toyota is avoiding this problem by saying no remedy due to factory warranty expired or completely denying it. however, they have made available upgraded replacement parts. i bought this vehicle in march 2011 and noticed this condition right after purchase. it has now worsened to the point they need to be replaced. vehicle now has 48,381 miles. *tr
2009 toyota tacoma front turn signals burning lens. amber turn signal bulbs appear to be to high of wattage from factory. lens are bubbling/melting and discoloring from heat from the bulbs. drivers side must have gotten hot enough to crack the turn signal lens itself. possible fire hazard. a check of 9 other similar tacoma trucks on hickam afb shows the same problem with 3 other vehicles or 3 tacoma's counting mine. vehicle has just under 20,000 miles and never been in a accident. turn signals also act as daylight running lights which are turned on whenever truck is running. [xxx] only property damage was to the truck lens, burnt/cracked. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
Running lights melting, possible fire threat. *tr
Daytime amber running lights have melted and cracked the lens. happen around 30,000 miles but toyota said they have not heard of problem, but i know better after reading other complaints. to costly for them to fix. maybe safercar.gov might help. *jb
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the plastic fog light cover was fractured and became melted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the technician stated that the fog light cover would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 56,000.
At appx. 24,000 miles, i noticed that my 'daytime' running lights were cloudy and that both lenses were cracked. i neglected to take it in for this, since i was more concerned about the engine hesitating on acceleration. when i finally remembered to tell/show them, they weren't concerned, because the warranty was out. they did offer to split it with me. my cost would have been $492.00. screw'em... this is clearly a factory defect. especially with as many of the same complaints i have found for this. you'd think the dot would do something. *tr
Drl burning lens. afraid it will catch on fire. *tr
Front left and right signal light lens melted and cracked. unit was inspected by an authorized dealer and determined to replace both headlights under warranty due to defect lens. approximately a year later lens melted and cracked again. called toyota to report and find out if there is a recalls for this issue. toyota representative initiated a report and informed me that there is not a recalls for this issue at that time and will not be replaced due to vehicle is not under warranty. at this time i am not sure at what point this lens melting; due to the light bulb heat may cause a fire and i am taking under consideration to remove the signal light bulbs which will make signal lights nonoperational. it has to be a bad manufacture headlight design that is causing that area to melt and an investigation should be initiated for recall consideration. your response will be appreciated. *tr
The daytime running lights (drl's) on my 2009 tacoma have bubbled up and cracked the lens/plastic. i am not sure if this is because the bulb is too close to the plastic or the wattage is too high for the plastic. the drl's are also used as front end turn signals. if these fail, it could be a major safety hazard. dealership denied to pay for replacement for it is not covered under the agreements of my extended warranty. *tr