'05 Toyota Tacoma Blues (Beware, lengthy spell/grammar checked rant inside)

1988SupraDreams

New Member
Mar 10, 2006
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San Jose, CA
I just recently read a thread about the Toyota Tacomas '00 and under rusting so badly that the frame would crack, and I felt inspired to write an extensive rant about my 7 month saga with my '05 Tacoma. Fortunately I have no rust, but I believe that is the least of my worries.

This "Taco" is a lemon if I've ever seen one. Clutch Failure TWICE, and the first time was in conjunction with the transmission on the drive home from BUYING it (Bear in mind this was a "Toyota Certified Used Vehicle"). Shortly after I got it back from the dealership (Which ended up being a month later thanks to the pathetically slow dealership-insurance company communication) the accessory meter failed. They replaced it with my usual $50 deductable.

Then 7,000 Miles down the road the "New Dealership installed clutch" failed. I found out that they got rid of the original Luk clutch for a cheapo Aisin clutch which shouldn't even see the inside of a tercel's 4spd, and to add insult to injury, upon opening up the transmission myself I found that the clutch was installed incorrectly to BEGIN WITH. As the truck sat for my pathetically slow clutch job, a passer-by notified me that my rear end was leaking onto the pavement.

SO... I drove the P.O.S. back to the original dealership I bought it from (Which was 3 hrs away from the closest Toyota dealership) and told them to FIX their P.O.S. that they sold me once and for all. As I was preparing to leave to go to the stealership, I noticed an unnerving tapping noise that sounded frighteningly similar to my Supra's untimely rodknock (Which started this whole "I need a truck" saga). So, my next wise move was to let the engine warm up, and sure enough the noise went away as the engine warmed up-- piston slap.

I informed the original stealership of this as well when I delivered the Roach Coach to their so called #1 dealership in northern california (6 years straight I might add). This is what the SHOP FOREMAN had to say about my piston slap, "That sound is normal, we started up four other new trucks with the same motor and they all displayed the same symptoms." WTF a tapping noise NORMAL? I made sure to get that in writing so that when my engine suddenly loses compression, I'll know who to take it to ;).

So the resealing of my rear end went well and I drove the truck home. Several days later, I was lurching out of a Carl's Jr. parking lot about 25 miles away from home when all off a sudden I hear a loud grinding noise and then a loud thud. I look down at the 6spd and the shifter is out of gear. I prayed to god that it would go back in gear and move along smoothly, of course fate was not on my side. Clunk Clunk Clunk THUD. The loudest four letter word that I believe I had ever spoken spilled out of my mouth.

I told my friend to get out and try to put the truck in gear as I stood beside it and looked at the driveshaft. The driveshaft spun in spurts, but there were no signs of the driveshaft being damaged. My only conclusion: the teeth inside of the differential shredded off SOMEHOW. By this time I had wised up and bought towing insurance, and had it towed to the dealership that was closest to its location. Now this dealership was different than the others, THEY ACTUALLY CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON EVERY SINGLE DAY. But then again it only took them TWO DAYS to do the ENTIRE JOB AND fill it up with the fluid I asked them to. It took the original stealership a WEEK to do a RESEAL job. Well I had hoped that nothing else could go wrong since every piece of the driveline had been replaced except the engine, I should have knocked on wood.

About a week passed and the check engine light flashed its ugly head. The second it's ugly orangey evilness reared its frightening head, I drove it home and whipped out my scanner. "Catalyst system below efficiency" ...What? Okay so you would think that it would be the o2 sensors right? Wrong. Apparently these trucks have a wideband and it has two o2 sensors and two A/F sensors. So I called my not-so-local parts man whom everybody knows and loves. (And I still do, bless his heart :biglaugh:) He stated that he believed that it was the A/F sensor. So, I replaced that, and the sensor I got was BAD, it sounded like a BABY'S RATTLE.

From there I took the sensor to my local dealership and said, what is this gimmie a new one. They of course did, and I replaced the sensor. Then the next day the check engine light came on again! OTHER SIDE! At this time I'm so tired of this truck that I'm finding this whole thing to be horribly funny. So I purchased another one from our not-so-local parts man and replaced it too. Three days later CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. Catalyst system below efficiency, both banks. So, now I'm just so fed up with that that I'm willing to shell out $100 just to know what the hell is wrong with it.

As this is going on I'm stuck driving it because my Supra has a crappy owner who let it get low on oil on a road trip with no money in his pocket (Slow 2JZ build time *whistles*). So about a week passes and another lovely little warning light comes on: AIR BAG. :cry: Luckily I have an expensive snap-on scanner that tells me everything that my heart could desire like the future and the weather. I plugged it in and it told me that the sensor in the passenger seat is ka-put. $223.56 from our not-so-local parts man.

Now understand that I bought this truck to be a reliable vehicle that can tow around my Supra from place to place as I work on it, and so that I could have a vehicle that could survive the snow out here. So far I'd say I've sunk about 2k into this vehicle in parts and deductables. I can barely afford the payment as it is let alone sink more money into the emissions system and the air bag system. I'm not saying all New Tacomas are lemons, I'm just saying that the ones with a 4.0 V6, a 6SPD, 4x4, or Off-Road Packages are.

Original dealership: Roseville Toyota
Dealership that replaced the transmission and installed the second clutch incorrectly: Merced Toyota
Dealership that replaced the rear-end: Michael Toyota in Fresno

Also as a side note, all the mods listed in my signature came installed on the truck when I bought it.
And for those of you who made it this far, I commend you.
 

Entropy

No Supra... For now ;)
Apr 10, 2007
121
0
0
Lacey, WA
Well, maybe the previous owner of the truck sucked at life? I dunno, I read your whole post, and thats absolutely horrible.... Sorry to hear that! I mean, usually Toyota anything is a good idea, but I guess there are exceptions to every rule. Did it maybe get flooded or something before you bought it?
 

1988SupraDreams

New Member
Mar 10, 2006
509
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San Jose, CA
I even flogged the hell out of it when I test drove it to MAKE SURE that there was nothing wrong with it. Apparently it passed Toyota's "130 point inspection". I think what I'm going to do is sell the rims and tires, get some 15" steels and get stock size tires and take the 2" blocks out from the front and the leaf spring benders out of the back. I feel like I have baby the HELL out of it or something ELSE is going to break, I mean it's a TRUCK, not a minivan. Trucks are supposed to work hard, that's what they are made for.

This might sound bad, but it's for sale. Once I get the two check lights off this thing is gonna get primped up and parked in town, and that's where it's gonna stay. The only new truck that I have heard nothing but good things about is the new Hemi dodges (Sadly). Tundras and their cracking cams make me thing that Toyota is taking too many shortcuts to cut cost these days.

Also I forgot to mention, It had 64k on it and I bought it for 22k after taxes and everything. After this is all said and done, I'm probably gonna be out 4k more. Once I refinace that I'm going to try to save some money for an OLDER Toyota truck, like an '84 straight axle. But then I'd probably do something stupid with that like put a 7M in it haw haw.

Bleh, thanks for you support guys.
 

shaeff

Kurt is FTMFW x2!!!!
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Mar 30, 2005
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Wow. That's incredible. :( I'm really sorry, man. I have a '94, and it treats me just fine. No problems.

Sounds like when you're done putting money into this truck, it'll be like brand new again. :(
 

Keros

Canadian Bacon
Mar 16, 2007
825
0
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Calgary
This thread makes me sad.

It pains me to see a toyota emblem on a pile of bolts like that. I hope everything works out for you.
 

jaime.g

New Member
Jun 29, 2007
13
0
0
sa,tx
its a shame to hear that about your 05 taco.

my 02 taco already has 170k miles on it and has had zero problems and only the spark plugs changed once since it was bought new.
most reliable vehicle i have ever owned.
 

1988SupraDreams

New Member
Mar 10, 2006
509
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San Jose, CA
jaime.g;1000687 said:
its a shame to hear that about your 05 taco.

my 02 taco already has 170k miles on it and has had zero problems and only the spark plugs changed once since it was bought new.
most reliable vehicle i have ever owned.

2.4L 2.7L or 3.4L?
 

Clip

The Magnificent Seven
Oct 16, 2005
2,738
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Virginia
why i intend to buy an 85-95 :) most have already been torture tested and passed.

sorry to hear about it, i loved the look of them
 

1988SupraDreams

New Member
Mar 10, 2006
509
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San Jose, CA
Update: I will be seeking the advice of an attorney over this matter, and will hopefully be RID of this truck once and for all!

Letter that I will be faxing to the attorney:
My 7 month saga with my '05 4.0 V6 6SPD Manual 4x4 Off-Road Package Access Cab Tacoma. Purchased September '07 from Roseville Toyota in Roseville California.

The first vehicle failure was the transmission on the drive home from buying it (Keep in mind this is a "Toyota Certified Used Vehicle"). We were told by Toyota extra care that we needed to take it to the nearest Toyota dealership which was Merced Toyota. It took 25 days for Merced Toyota, Roseville Toyota, and "Toyota Extra Care" to determine who would pay for the repair. After calling numerous times for updates, phone calls were not returned, and it seemed that there was no interest in repairing the vehicle. Finally it was determined that it would be split between the Roseville Toyota and "Toyota Extra Care", and we recieved the vehicle back within two days with a new transmission and clutch kit (We requested that the clutch kit be replaced since the transmission was out and paid for this out of pocket) once this determination was made.

Then 7,000 Miles down the road the Merced Toyota installed clutch failed. I found out that they got rid of the original "Luk" brand clutch for a "Aisin" brand which does not have a good track record for quality, and to add insult to injury since we were out of a vehicle this entire time, upon inspection of the transmission it was found that the clutch was installed incorrectly to begin with. As the truck sat, a passer-by notified me that my rear end was leaking onto the pavement.

So I contacted Roseville Toyota to make repairs and also notified them of an unnerving tapping noise that sounded frighteningly similar to rodknock coming from the engine. I decided to let the engine warm up, and sure enough the noise went away as the engine warmed up-- piston slap, not rodknock

I made my findings known to Roseville Toyota of this as well when I delivered the Truck to their so called #1 dealership in northern california (6 years straight I might add). This is what the shop foreman had to say about my piston slap, "That sound is normal, we started up four other new trucks with the same motor and they all displayed the same symptoms we belived that the noise is caused by a small piston skirt that expands as the engine warms up." In his explanation he described piston slap to a tee and told me that it was normal. I made sure to get that in writing so that when my engine suddenly loses compression after the warranty has passed, I'll know who to take it to.

It took them a week to reseal my rear end and the truck was picked up and driven home. Several days later, I was leaving a parking lot about 25 miles away from home when all off a sudden I hear a loud grinding noise and then a loud thud. I looked down at the shifter and it was out of gear. I prayed that it would go back in gear and move along smoothly, of course fate was not on my side. Clunk Clunk Clunk THUD.

I told my friend to get out and try to put the truck in gear as I stood beside it and looked at the driveshaft. The driveshaft spun in spurts, but there were no signs of the driveshaft being damaged. My only conclusion was that the teeth inside of the differential shredded off somehow. By this time I had wised up and bought towing insurance, and had it towed to the dealership that was closest to its location which was Michael Toyota in Fresno. Now this dealership was different than the others, they actually called me to let me know what was going on every single day. But then again it only took them two days to do the entire job, but at least they made contact with us and did not hassle us about the cause of the failure. Well I had hoped that nothing else could go wrong since every piece of the driveline had been replaced except the engine.

About a week passed and the check engine light came, and I drove it home and plugged in my scanner. "Catalyst system below efficiency." Apparently these trucks have a wideband and it has two o2 sensors and two A/F sensors. So I called my Toyota parts man out of Texas, and he stated that he believed that it was the A/F sensor. So, when the sensor arrived it sounded like a BABY'S RATTLE, so I could only conclude that the "new" sensor was bad.

From there I took the sensor to Merced Toyota and asked them to replace it. They of course did, and I installed the sensor. Then the next day the check engine light came on again. This time is was the other side. So, I purchased another sensor from my Toyota parts man and replaced it too. Three days later the check engine light came on again. Catalyst system below efficiency, both banks. So now, I am stuck and going back to the dealership to eat the $100 dollar inspection fee.

Also, upon inspection of the rear suspension, there is a modification that I was unaware of. The leaf springs have clamping blocks that raise the suspension two inches and attach to the axle shafts. This is not factory and I did not know that they were installed on the vehicle when I purchased it. Due to this the struts are working harder than they should by working in a range that is two inches higher. Now they are creaking and rattling over every little bump, or even when someone gets in or out of the vehicle. However, I cannot remove these parts because the wheels and tires that came installed on the vehicle when I puschased it are two big and will rub with these parts uninstalled.

So about a week passes and another lovely little warning light comes on this time it was the air bad system. I plugged my scanner in and it told me that the sensor in the passenger seat is ka-put. $223.56 from my Toyota parts man.

Now understand that I bought this truck to be a reliable vehicle that could survive the snow out here. So far I'd say I've sunk about 2k into this vehicle in parts and deductables.
 

1988SupraDreams

New Member
Mar 10, 2006
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San Jose, CA
So, this saga ended with me selling the camper shell and floor mats and buying the car in my avatar. Best purchase I've ever made. The truck? Told them to come get it and filed bankruptcy because the lemon law didn't cover the failures in the various areas. If all the failures had been in one area, then I would've had a case. My celica is still running strong 5 years later xD
 

te72

Classifieds Moderator
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Mar 26, 2006
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1988SupraDreams;1907375 said:
So, this saga ended with me selling the camper shell and floor mats and buying the car in my avatar. Best purchase I've ever made. The truck? Told them to come get it and filed bankruptcy because the lemon law didn't cover the failures in the various areas. If all the failures had been in one area, then I would've had a case. My celica is still running strong 5 years later xD
Dude, can't go wrong with a RWD Celica. I have a Mk2, love that car to death, quite similar to yours, except mine has the roof... and the 6m... and.. you know, I guess they're not all that similar at all haha. Still, the 22RE is a damned good motivator.

Have any pictures of the car on here? Those wheels look pretty sweet. :)
 

fixitman04

fixer of all things !!
Sep 18, 2008
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north dakota
food for thought... the emission stsyem of any vehicle sold after 1998 has a federally required 8 yr-80000mile warranty on parts. so if it is in the evap or catalyst system it is covered