nomowork
Well-known member
Oh what a feeling!
I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma which I bought new. I have never owned a Toyota prior to this truck but always heard good reviews from other owners so decided to jump in.
Within the first year, the parking brake froze. It turned out the lever in the middle of the linkages under the cab was never greased. Okay, no big deal, just added some grease and no more issues.
Front corner marker lights went out, one at a time of course. No big deal, just change bulbs. To change bulbs the cover must be pulled out to unseat three plastic tabs. It undid it alright and broke off two during the process. Seems that to change bulbs, you pretty much have to change the plastic lens too. Silicone adhesive to the rescue.
There was a recall on possible defective lower ball joints so the dealer replaced them under the recall. They forgot to realign the front end so that cost me a couple of tires!
Right after the extended warranty expired, an occasional tapping noise on cold start ups when putting into gear, forward or reverse. Tried different brands and weights of oil, trans fluid change, grease universals and change rear end lube. Still happens. Apparently others have the same issues and even Toyota doesn't know what to do about it. I guess I'll just have to ride it out and see if something breaks in the future.
And finally...............two days ago I was changing the oil in the engine. I happened to crawl under the truck from a different angle. I dropped the skid pan and proceeded to change the oil and filter. Being somewhat anal, I always wipe down the underside of the motor and chassis after working under there and noticed that the driver's side motor mount is missing both of the bolts that attach it to the frame! :shock: :shock: The paint of the metal bracket welded on the frame shows no sign of a bolt ever being there! So, took the truck to the Toyota dealer this morning. I was hoping that they would install the bolts free but didn't hold my breath. They told me that yes, there would be a charge. The mechanic told me they didn't have the exact bolts available but they could use some they had. I asked them if they were at least Grade 8 bolts and he didn't know what grade 8 meant! :shock: The mechanic also told me that it appears the motor mount was installed 180 degrees backwards! :shock: I left and told them I'd take care of it myself.
BTW, the VIN starts with 5T................................ I think that's it for Toyotas.
I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma which I bought new. I have never owned a Toyota prior to this truck but always heard good reviews from other owners so decided to jump in.
Within the first year, the parking brake froze. It turned out the lever in the middle of the linkages under the cab was never greased. Okay, no big deal, just added some grease and no more issues.
Front corner marker lights went out, one at a time of course. No big deal, just change bulbs. To change bulbs the cover must be pulled out to unseat three plastic tabs. It undid it alright and broke off two during the process. Seems that to change bulbs, you pretty much have to change the plastic lens too. Silicone adhesive to the rescue.
There was a recall on possible defective lower ball joints so the dealer replaced them under the recall. They forgot to realign the front end so that cost me a couple of tires!
Right after the extended warranty expired, an occasional tapping noise on cold start ups when putting into gear, forward or reverse. Tried different brands and weights of oil, trans fluid change, grease universals and change rear end lube. Still happens. Apparently others have the same issues and even Toyota doesn't know what to do about it. I guess I'll just have to ride it out and see if something breaks in the future.
And finally...............two days ago I was changing the oil in the engine. I happened to crawl under the truck from a different angle. I dropped the skid pan and proceeded to change the oil and filter. Being somewhat anal, I always wipe down the underside of the motor and chassis after working under there and noticed that the driver's side motor mount is missing both of the bolts that attach it to the frame! :shock: :shock: The paint of the metal bracket welded on the frame shows no sign of a bolt ever being there! So, took the truck to the Toyota dealer this morning. I was hoping that they would install the bolts free but didn't hold my breath. They told me that yes, there would be a charge. The mechanic told me they didn't have the exact bolts available but they could use some they had. I asked them if they were at least Grade 8 bolts and he didn't know what grade 8 meant! :shock: The mechanic also told me that it appears the motor mount was installed 180 degrees backwards! :shock: I left and told them I'd take care of it myself.
BTW, the VIN starts with 5T................................ I think that's it for Toyotas.