2001 TOYOTA TACOMA Power Train Problems

MY TACOMA HAS BEEN IN A COUPLE TIMES FOR TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT AND HAS BEEN INSPECTED FOR RUST BUT NOTHING WAS EVER DONE OR SAID ABOUT IT NEEDING ANYTHING DONE. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET I NOTICED THAT WHEN I SLOWED DOWN MY LIFTED AND WHEN I ACCELERATED MY BED LOWERED. I PULLED OFF TO FIND THAT MY FRAMES HAS RUSTED APART IN FRONT OF REAR LEAF SPRING. TOYOTA CORPORATE WAS CALLED AND THEY SAID NOTHING CAN BE DONE?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, A LOUD NOISE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE REAR END. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE AND DRIVE TRAIN HAD NO OIL PRESENT, WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000.

Mileage: 152,000

WHILE DRIVING HEARD A SKIDDING SOUND, LOOK UNDER TRUCK LOST TRD PLATES, ROTTED BECAME LOSE AND FELL. UNDER CARRIAGE CORRODED. *TR

Mileage: 148,330

LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END. IT APPEARS THE DIFFERENTIAL CASE ROTTED OUT LEAVING THE REAR END WITH NO GEAR FLUID. WHEN THEY REPLACED THE FRAME (AS IT ROTTED OUT TO)... THEY SHOUD HAVE REPLACED THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING. LUCKY THIS HAPPEN AROUND TOWN AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY. I CAN IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE DIFFERENTIAL BLEW APART AT HIGH SPEED (WITH FLYING METAL AND NO CONTROL OF ACCELERATION IF NEEDED TO AVOID OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT). I CALLED TOYOTA CAR CARE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD GO IN HALF ON THE REPAIR AND GET BACK TO ME IN A FEW DAYS WITH THE DETAILS. THEY DIDN'T... I CALLED THEM A FEW DAYS LATER AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP ME. LOOKED TO BE A +/- $2,000 REPAIR. *TR

Mileage: 200,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DIFFERENTIAL WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED AND LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

Mileage: 76,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, AND DURING THE REPAIR THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING WAS LEAKING AND EXHIBITED SUBSTANTIAL RUST. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A COMMON DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000. UPDATED 02/17/11*LJ UPDATED 05/11/11

Mileage: 200,000

2001 TOYOTA TACOMA REPLACED REAR AXLE BEARING TWICE ALREADY TRUCK HAS LESS 90000 MILES. IN BOTH INCIDENTS IT HAS RUINED THE INTERNAL PARTS OF THE AXLES CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CARRIER CASE. I BOUGHT A 3 RD TRD AXLE AT A WRECKING YARD TO FIND THE SAME PROBLEM IN THAT AXLE. I WAS FORTUNATE I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT. THE REAR AXLE COULD OF LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR DEATH RELATED TO AXLE FAILURE. *TR

Mileage: 90,000

RUSTY LEAKY DIFF PROBLEM THE OIL LEAKS CONSTANTLY. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL AND NOTHING THEY WILL DO ABOUT IT AT THIS TIME. *TR

Mileage: 121,790

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH A NOISE WAS HEARD THAT GRADUALLY BECAME LOUDER. WITHOUT WARNING, THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD. IT WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE TRANSFER CASE LOCKED UP AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO SIN OF A LEAK PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. UPDATED 08//25/06. *JB

Mileage: 70,026

2001 TACOMA 2 WHEEL DRIVE 4 DOOR PRE RUNNER. HAVE HAD A HORRIBLE "CLUNK WHEN I REALEASE BRAKES. THE WHOLE TRUCK JERKS AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER JUMPS ABOUT 3 INCHES. TOOK IT TO PRECISION TOYOTA IN TUCSON AND WAS TOLD IT IS CALLED AXLE WRAP. I DID SOME REASEARCH ON AXLE WRAP AND BASICALLY IT IS WORN OUT REAR SPRINGS. THE ONLY THING I HAVE CARRIED IN THE TRUCK HEAVY IS MY 200 LB. MOTORCYCLE. THE TRUCK HAS HIGH MILEAGE AND IS ALL INTERSTATE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE AND HAVE SEEN ANOTHER COMPLAINT HERE. I AM WORRIED WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE IT IS DOING TO THE WHOLE DRIVE TRAIN. WHAT'S GOING TO "SNAP"?*AK

Mileage: 50,000

FILE #200408021294. CUSTOMER (KIM REAMER) 07/27/2004 07:50 AM I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA 4 X 4. IT HAS AN ISSUE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED YOU WOULD FEEL A JOLT OR A SLIGHT PUSH FROM THE DRIVE TRANE AREA. I HAVE READ UP ON THIS AND IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS ENGINE WRAP WHERE THE ENERGY GETS STORED UP IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE RELEASE IS WHEN THE BREAKS ARE RELEASED FROM A STOP. IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE HIT IN THE REAR END BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. YOU SOMTIMES HERE A SLIGHT THUD. THESE SYMPTOMS DO NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT QUITE OFTEN. PER A CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER TOYOTA TACOMA OWNER HE STATED THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS AND HAS A REPAIR DIRECTIVE OUT. I AM SENDING THIS TO VERIFY THAT INFORMATION AS MY DEALER STATE HE FELT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY TOY AFTER TAKING IT FOR A DRIVE WITH ME IN IT. PLEASE NOTE I POINTED IT OUT ONCE BUT HE SAID IT IS NORMAL. NORMAL IT IS NOT SERVICE RESPONSE: RUSS SWANSON: WE MET AND WENT ON A ROAD TEST TOGETHER WHEN YOU WERE LAST HERE ON JULY 21. OUR BEST INTEREST IS IN FINDING ANY ABNORMALITIES AND CORRECTING THEM. IF THIS CONDITION WORSENS TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS AN ABNORMALITY, IT WILL BE OUR PLEASURE TO CORRECT IT. AT THIS POINT, ANY ATTEMPT AT CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. RUSS SWANSON KOOL TOYOTA MY RESPONSE: WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ROAD TESTED WITH YOU IN IT, I ONLY NOTICED THE VEHICLE DO IT ONCE WHICH WAS SLIGHT TO WITH WHAT IT DOES. AS I STATED IT HAPPED ABOUT 4 TIMES DRIVING IN TO WORK AND HEARD IT THUMB ON ALL 4 CASES. THE PUSH OR ACTION FROM LETTING THE BREAK OFF ONCE STOPPED WAS FELT 4 TIMES AS WELL. THIS IS NOT NORMAL UNDER ANY DRIVING CONDITIONS AND CONCERNS ME THAT YOU SAY SO. THIS WOULD BE CONSTRUED AS ABNORMAL. THERE A REPAIR DIRECTIVE OUT THERE REGARDING THIS COMPLAINT. BUT TOYOTA IS FAILING TO CORRECT THE ISSUE TO SAY IT IS NORMA. THEN WHY A REPAIR DIRECTIVE?. PLEASE ADDRESS MY CONCERNS. THANK YOU. KIM R. REAMER . *AK

Mileage: 44,000

THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES TO CORRECT A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN CONSUMER WOULD MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO STOP, THE DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THE CONDITION WAS DUE TO A SLIP JOINT IN THE DRIVE SHAFT WHICH NEEDED TO BE LUBRICATED AND WAS A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ISSUE, BUT ALSO STATED THE CONDITION WAS DUE TO THE DRIVE SHAFT SEIZING UP, THE SHOCKS AND REAR BRAKES WAS REPLACED.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE MOVES FORWARD AND THEN SWAYS BACK, DEALER REMOVED DRIVELINE AND PERFORMED LAP ADJUSTMENT, ALSO ADDED A COMPOUND. *SLC

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE MOVES FORWARD AND THEN SWAYS BACK, DEALER REMOVED DRIVELINE AND PERFORMED LAP ADJUSTMENT, ALSO ADDED A COMPOUND. *SLC

MAKES A CLANKING SOUND IN DRIVESHAFT WHEN SHIFTING.REPORTED THIS TO DEALERSHIP PROCEEDED TO ADD GEAR OIL TO REAREND .THIS HELPED SOME BUT DIDNT STOP NOISE . CONTACTED CHARLIES AGAIN AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD DROP AND PACK DRIVESHAFT TO ELIMINATE SOUND. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DRIVESHAFT AND IM AFRAID THAT THE END RESULT COULD BE DANGEROUS. IVE CONTACTED THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. AND WAS TOLD A NEW DRIVE SHAFT WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION AND THEY WOULD ONLY PACK THE OLD ONE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.I BELIEVE PACKING THE DRIVESHAFT WOULD ONLY BE A BANDAID ON A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. ARE YOU AWARE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER TOYOTA TACOMA DRIVESHAFTS? *AK

THREE BOLTS THAT HOLD DRIVESHAFT CAME OUT ALMOST ALL THE WAY . CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER HAS FIXED PROBLEM.*AK FRONT DRIVE SHAFT BOLTS WERE NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY AT FACTORY. *YH