Within a year of purchase, the rear leaf springs became soft and the truck bottomed out on bumps. I took it to a local dealer (haddads, pittsfield, MA) and they refused to service it claiming nothing was wrong. I later took it to a springfield dealership and received the same answer. I then took it to superior spring in pittsfield. They found both springs were broken and had to be replaced. I called Toyota and they refused to honor the warranty, claiming I had over loaded the truck. I had not ever carried more than a few hundred lbs in the bed of this 1/2 ton truck. I have owned the truck since new and been the sole operator. A few weeks ago the steering became sticky. My mechanic replaced the steering shaft at a cost of $400. He stated that Toyota should recall the vehicle for this because he sees this part fail often due to poor construction. Also, the frame on this truck has significant rust already and does not look like it will outlast the body and drive train. I'm not pleased.

- Pittsfield, MA, USA

Excessive rust on vehicle frame and suspension components.

- Mullica Hill, NJ, USA

The following is the dealer inspection report for my truck: "found extreme corrosion to frame. Tow hook and driver side sway bar mount unable to re-attach due to frame perforation front cross member missing (rusted off) found hole in left side of frame. Steering rack mounts extremely perforated, ready to detach. Do not recommend driving vehicle due to extreme damage to frame" truck purchased new, single owner, well maintained....updated 06/10/14

- Volcano, HI, USA

I recently purchased a 2005 Toyota Tacoma trd sport double cab and discovered it had severe and dangerous frame rust. It has a hole rusted through the frame in the front and large rust flakes are falling off in other various places. Upon doing research, I found out about the massive recalls regarding frame rust on Toyota trucks. I spoke with Toyota and they said the frame would be replaced if it were currently registered in a cold climate state. I am trying to get them to email me that statement so I can have it for my records. The truck came from a cold climate state. It is currently registered in North Carolina. They said they won't help me only because it is in nc, no matter how dangerous the rust. Is that legal for them exclude me for that reason? I have pictures to prove that my frame is just as bad as the trucks being repaired. It is definitely a safety concern because it is not a matter of if, but when the frame breaks. Thanks for your help.

- Burlington, NC, USA

Normal driving on the street I noticed a noise on the rear right side of my vehicle and I stopped to verify what happen when and I realize that the rear right spring assembly was broken ( split apart in two sections).

- Toa Alta, PR, USA

I have noticed excessive rust on the frame of my 2005 Toyota Tacoma and also rust hole through the frame/leaf spring mount on the right side. I did contact and send pictures to Toyota customer experience center file# stating that the vehicle is out of warranty and they wont repair this unsafe condition that so many Tacoma's are having. When one of these Tacoma's gets into an accident with the frames compromised by the rust it will cause severe injury or death to the occupants and this has to be fixed now.

- Bridgewater, MA, USA

I am the original owner of a 2005 Toyota Tacoma pick up listed above. Back in the fall of 2013 I was advised by my local mechanic that my truck had frame rot near the front passenger side of the vehicle. I brought the truck to lia Toyota in colonie, NY and they documented the problem. Several months past and I did not hear anything back from them. I called the natl customer service at 800-331-4331, who advised that the problem was documented, case #9735757600. I have been back and forth with the local dealer but to no avail. I am not getting any feedback. I know that Toyota has had problems with frame rot in the past and it was supposedly rectified but apparently not. I am just trying to figure out what I do next. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- South Glens Falls, NY, USA

The frame of the truck is rusting out at an accelerated rate. The welds are rusting out at high stress points (engine mounts and suspension areas). Toyota has a history of this problem with the Tacoma.

- Edgewood, KY, USA

I took my truck to get it inspected and they said there are holes in the frame a large as my hand. It will not pass inspection and cannot be driven. I have been driving my 2 little sons around in this vehicle which has been unsafe for a long time. The holes are big enough to have started years ago as a small hole which make the truck undrivable. I have a nice looking truck that cannot be driven. The 1st generation Tacoma were recalled for this same reason. What is Toyota going to do?

- Callicoon Center, NY, USA

The frame on my 2005 Toyota Tacoma pre runner is completely rusted out due to a flaw in the manufacturing process. The recall was 3 months past the date of the end of the recall. Now my vehicle has large cracks in the frame and is no longer safe. This issue still exists in the 2005 model and must be addressed for public safety. There was a recall that covered this problem up until the end of 2004. Mine was purchased in the beginning of 2005. This is a known problem with this truck and is being ignored by Toyota. They are failing to repair this and picking and choosing if they infact want to repair some trucks and not others. Toyotas options on the fact that my truck has a manufacture defect that is unsafe to drive. Please help!!

- New Smyrna, FL, USA

During a repair visit to Toyota service center I was informed that my frame was rusting in several places. I was told that at the present time the vehicle was safe to drive but that the rust would continue and lead to an unsafe condition. Toyota is aware of rusting problems with previous model years. I see that the 2004 and earlier model years were recalled for rusting frames. Dealerships was also aware of an increase in frame rusting cases in 2005 Tacoma trucks as well. Truck only has 66,000 miles and was not used for heavy hauling. Repair or reinforcement is not an option. Only remedy offered by Toyota was for me to replace the frame at a cost of $13,000. I feel this is an unsafe design flaw that needs to be addressed.

- Essex, MD, USA

Started hearing rubbing/grinding type noise coming from front end. Inspected and found lf cv axle leaking grease, so thought the noise was coming from there. Replaced lf cv axle, and the noise did not go away. Inspected further and found drivers side frame where the motor mount bracket is welded to cracked, causing the motor to flex and the fan to rub on the fan shroud. Contacted Toyota, who instructed me to get it inspected at a dealership. Took to Toyota dealer, who told me there was no evidence of driver abuse, no rust, not really anything that showed why the weld had broken, but that Toyota did not want to do anything due to aftermarket lift and oversized tired. Lift was already installed on vehicle when purchased at a Toyota dealership. Toyota corporate told me they did not want to help because vehicle is out of factory warranty. The steering shaft is directly under the part of the motor that is sagging down, and I am afraid if it were to break completely it might stop the vehicle from being able to turn. Also, is there now extra stress on any of the wiring" is it flexing and potentially breaking any fuel lines" I have done some reasearch on this, and found a lot of peolple having the same issues with their trucks. Toyota has started putting updated frames with more support for the motor mounts on the 2007 models, knowing there were issues with the 05/06S, but are refusing to acknowledge the problem and fix the ones that have broken.

- San Jose, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the rear suspension shocks had been replaced more than eight times due to a recurring failure. The contact also mentioned that when the vehicle had warranty the dealer replaced the component each time until the contact's factory warranty had become expired. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the technician stated that both shocks had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000. The current mileage was 172,180.

- Aibonito, PR, USA

Notified by dealer truck would not pass inspection due to frame being cracked and rusted. Toyota will not cover repairs. Is not safe to drive. Sub frame isn't deteriated like frame.

- Leechburg, PA, USA

Took vehicle in for inspection, notified that the frame has excessive corrosion (rust) on the entire frame with signs of metal separation. A crack was also noted on the passenger side where the front and back parts of the C-frame are welded together. When the surface rust was ground away, the crack was 5" long and the bottom of the C-frame had two large perforations. With this condition, the vehicle will not pass the inspection. The dealer contacted regional rep and owner contacted Toyota customer service - both advised no assistance and the frames were of a different production lot then the prior recall (2nd gen vs 1st gen). Also cited age and mileage being a factor. Other than the frame, the vehicle is in very good condition. 2005 Tacoma with 131000 miles should still be a passable vehicle.

- Franklin, MA, USA

As I was leaving work I slowly drove over a speed bump. The rear end of my truck began to bounce like a boat in choppy water. I got out and looked to see if I had a low tire. All four tires were fine so I kept looking. Upon closer inspection to the left rear wheel well, I noticed that the shock rod had broken off at the theaded end and shot straight through the bed of my truck. I immediately took the truck to glenn Toyota for inspection. Initially they took great interest until after they learned that Toyota manufacturing would not cover the catastrophic failure. Now the truck rides like a boat in choppy water and even the slightest bump in the road causes an exaggerated response in the suspension making it dangerous to drive. There is no previous history of damage to the vehicle nor has it been mistreated.

- Lexington, KY, USA

The Toyota dealership where I purchased my new 2005 Tacoma 7 yrs ago, informed me my truck will not pass state inspection due to holes rusted through the frame. The largest of the holes was located under the driver's side on the inside of the main box frame component. There are similar holes along other box style frame parts. These rust holes originated from the inside of the box frame and not from where any rust preventative could be applied by the owner. Any post production application of undercoating or underbody oil by the owner to the interior of these boxed areas is not possible since they are inaccessible. The dealership informed me that there was nothing they can do without Toyota headquarters approval. I called the Toyota customer relations line at 1-800-331-4331 and after a long conversation with the representative I was told that my truck model was not covered by either a vehicle warranty or a remedial action by Toyota. Researching this issue on the internet reveals that Toyota Tacoma models have had frame rusting problems consistently since the mid 90's. my options from Toyota, all at my own expense, are to: 1. find a frame shop that can patch these holes but most likely the patch will only last a year. 2. have the frame replaced which the dealership roughly estimated it to be close to $12,000. 3. junk the truck and get a new vehicle. I bought this truck expecting to get at least 300-400K miles. The truck looks new, the body has no rust, it has no mechanical problems and runs great. I have religiously followed the recommended service schedule.

- Titusville, PA, USA

Vehicle was at dealer shop for brake job and technician reported rusted-through failure of frame which renders the vehicle unsafe to drive. This is a second generation Tacoma, 2005 model year.

- Frankfort, KY, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that an abnormal ticking nose was heard from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the U-joint needed replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,500 and the current mileage was 76,000.

- Willard , ND, USA

Sudden onset of steering intermediate shaft U-joint seizing making steering difficult. Also lost return-to-center of steering. This could pose a serious risk of over-steering into oncoming traffic when making a left hand turn at a tee intersection. The unprotected U-joint is exposed to striking of road debris and salt spray. The U-joint does not have grease fittings or any obvious means of lubrication. Internet research suggests this is a very common defect for Toyota Tacoma with approximately 75K or more miles starting with model years 2005 and newer.

- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA