2002 Toyota Tacoma Structure
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
MY TRUCKS FRAME RUSTED TO WHERE THE CAB IS IN GRAVE DANGER OF SEPARATING FROM THE BED OF THE TRUCK. WE DIDN'T GET A RECALL ON THE FRAME AND HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS HAPPENING. THE TRUCK WAS BOUGHT NEW AND WE DO LIVE WHERE THEY PUT SALT ON THE ROADS. NOW, TOYOTA SAID THEY WILL NOT HELP REMEDY THIS AT ALL BECAUSE THE TRUCK WASN'T TAKEN INTO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN APPROX. 6 MTHS OR HOWEVER LONG THEY HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS. HOW WERE WE TO KNOW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN? WE HAD NO PRIOR NOTICE UNTIL WE SAW IT OURSELVES AND A MECHANIC NOTICED IT AND WOULDN'T JACK THE TRUCK UP TO REPAIR A BRAKE LINE. HE SAID IT WOULD SEPARATE THE TRUCK FROM THE CAB PART.
TACOMA FRAME RECALL: GOOD DAY, I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE WITH MY MATTER AND PEOPLE WERE SAYING TO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. I HAVE A 2002 SINGLE CAB TOYOTA TACOMA WHICH FRAME HAS TOTALLY RUSTED OUT NOW WITH A HOLE RITE THROUGH THE FRAME. I PROVIDED TOYOTA WITH MY VIN NUMBER YET THEY SAY I AM NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A FRAME REPLACEMENT YET THIS IS A FACTORY DEFAULT ON TOYOTAS FAULT. MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO BE ON THE ROAD AND I USE IT EVERY DAY FOR WORK WHERE MY LINE OF WORK INVOLVES DRIVING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE EVERYDAY ALL DAY AND I WAS WANDERING IF YOU COULD HELP WITH FILING A CLAIM AGAINST TOYOTA? I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF THE FRAME WHICH IS ABOVE THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB
I HAVE A 2002 TACOMA AND FOUND THE FRAME WHERE THE FRONT PART OF THE REAR LEAF SPRING HAS RUSTED THROUGH. THE OVER LOAD SPRING IS HOLDING THE DRIVER SIDE REAR OF THE VEHICLE UP. THIS VEHICLE HAD 50,000 ACTUAL MILES ON IT AND THERE IS NOWAY THAT THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING.
MY FRAME HAS SIGNIFICANT RUST, AND HAS HOLES IN THE FRAME NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE LEAF SPRING ATTACHMENT. I PURCHASED AND REGISTERED THE TRUCK TOWARDS THE END OF TOYOTA'S GOODWILL CAMPAIGN, BUT THEY DID NOT NOTIFY ME. PREVIOUS OWNER RECEIVED NO NOTICE OF CAMPAIGN, SO THE FRAME WAS NOT SPRAYED INTERNALLY WITH RUST PROHIBITOR TREATMENT. TRUCK HAS APPROX. 136,000 MILES, AND IS OTHERWISE IN GOOD CONDITION. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE FRAMES FOR THIS MODEL YEAR LIKE THEY DID FOR OTHER MODEL YEARS. THE GOODWILL CAMPAIGN WAS ADVERTISED INCONSISTENTLY, AND A SERIOUS STRUCTURAL ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL, NOT ARBITRARY. CASE #1402130463 WAS ESTABLISHED WITH TOYOTA A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY ALSO COULD NOT CONFIRM THAT PRIOR OWNER WAS CONTACTED REGARDING GOODWILL CAMPAIGN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO BE SERVICED DUE TO EXCESSIVE SWAYING WHEN DRIVING. THE CERTIFIED MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRAME UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS CLOSED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER OPENED CASE NUMBER: 1705200515. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND SEVERELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE HOLES IN THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 230,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
EXCESSIVE RUST CORROSION ON THE VEHICLE FRAME. EXCESSIVE RUST CORROSION TO THE POINT WHERE THERE ARE ACTUAL HOLES IN THE MAIN FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WHERE THE VEHICLES SUSPENSION ATTACHES. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN INSPECTED FOR CORROSION AND UNDER RECALL AND HAD ADDITIONAL CORROSION PROTECTION APPLIED. I JUST NOTICED THE HOLES IN THE FRAME ON MARCH 2, 2017 AND WISH TO INQUIRE IF THE VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THE EXTENDED FRAME WARRANTY. JUDGING BY THE EXTENT OF RUST AND DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLES FRAME, I FEEL CONFIDENT STATING THAT THE DAMAGE HAPPENED SEVERAL MONTHS TO A YEAR AGO.
I HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE VERY LITTLE. HAS 46500 MILES, DONE IN STAMFORD CT A CITY THAT DOES NOT USE SALT IN THE WINTER BUT ONLY SAND. I NOTICED EXCESSIVE RUST UNDER AND IT NEEDED TO WELD STEEL PLATES TO SUPPORT THE CHASSIS TWICE ( THE FIRST WHEN THE CAR WAS 5 YEARS OLD). IN SPITE OF THAT THE DETERIORATION CONTINUED AND NOW THE CHASSIS IS BROKEN NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL MAKING THE CAT LOCK ,UNABLE TO TURN,UNDRIVABLE, PARKED AT HOME. CARS OF THIS MODEL WERE RECALLED BY TOYOTA AT FIRST SOME YEARS AGO AND EVEN AFTER THAT MORE PEOPLE COMPLAINED AND ADDITIONAL PRIOR YEARS WERE ADDED. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA DEALER IN STAMFORD AND TELLS ME IT IS PRIOR TO THE LATEST RECALL.
I WENT TO HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED. WHEN THEY RAISED THE TRUCK ON THE LIFT THE FRAME BROKE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRUCK NEAR THE BED. THE ENTIRE BED OF THE TRUCK FELL BACKWARDS. THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. I HAD OWNED THE TRUCK FOR FOUR YEARS AND NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA THAT THIS MIGHT BE AN ISSUE. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE FRAME BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. AS A RESULT THEY REFUSED TO HELP FIX THE ISSUE. MY $11,000 TRUCK IS NOW TOTALED. A WORKER AT THE TIRE PLACE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED. THIS IS ALSO A CONCERN WITH MYSELF AND FAMILY THAT DROVE IN THIS VEHICLE UNAWARE OF ANY ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS AVOIDED FIXING A KNOWN PROBLEM BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A WEAK RECALL REQUIREMENT ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND HAS COST HARDWORKING FAMILIES MONEY AND COULD END U COSTING SOMEONE A LIFE. ALL TO SAVE MONEY. WHY DOES TOYOTA GET TO ADMIT THEY MADE A MISTAKE BUT ONLY BE REQUIRED TO FIX IN ON VEHICLES THEY CHOSE?
THE FRAME HAS RUSTED OUT AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR YEARS TO GET TOYOTA TO COVER THIS DAMAGE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE SERVICED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V542000 (TIRES), THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 212,632. UPDATED 05/10/17*LJ *CN
FRAME RUST
VEHICLES FRAME IS RUSTING THROUGH. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FRAME RUST THROUGH TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN POKE HOLES THROUGH IT WITH A FINGER, THIS IS HAPPENING WITH MY TACOMA AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. I PURCHASED THIS LAST APRIL, AND DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE FRAME ISSUES TOYOTA'S HAVE UNTIL THEY RECALLED THE 05-15 MODELS FOR THE SAME EXACT ISSUE, I HEARD THEY ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF RECALLING 95-00. TOYOTA WILL NOT ASSIST ME BECAUSE THEIR CUSTOMER FRAME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ENDED LAST MONTH. EVEN THOUGH I JUST PURCHASED 3 MONTHS AGO AND THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE A VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE, TOYOTA IS GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED. THE NUMEROUS TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVES I TALKED TO TOLD ME THEY KNOW THEIR FRAMES ARE FAULTY AND THAT THIS WAS TOYOTA'S FAULT, YET HE COULD NOT ASSIST ME DUE TO COMPANY POLICY OF THEIR FRAME REPLACEMENT PROGRAM ENDING A MONTH PRIOR, EVEN THOUGH ALMOST ALL THE YEARS AROUND MY 02 TACOMA HAVE BEEN RECALLED. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO AN ACTUAL RECALL, NOT JUST A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM THAT THEY CONVENIENTLY WONT ASSIST ME WITH, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I CANT AFFORD TO GET RID OF THIS TACOMA NIGHTMARE. THERE ISNT EVEN A SPECK OF RUST ON THE BODY, LOOK UNDERNEATH HOWEVER AND THE FRAME IS RUSTED OUT.
I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAD A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RUST. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE RUST AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT NOTICED RUST ON THE VEHICLE'S FRAME NEAR THE SPRING HANGER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE THE DEALER, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO THE COATING ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 01/25/2017*CT UPDATED 7/10/18*JB *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAD A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RUST. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE RUST AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 164,000. ...UPDATED 03/13/17 *BF UPDATED 08/11/2017*JS
CPSC: 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA: CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS A RUSTED BODY FRAME, AND IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *SS
I PURCHASED A USED 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA IN FEBRUARY OF 2015 ONLY TO FIND OUT THE FRAME HAD SERIOUS RUST ISSUES. I FOUND OUT THROUGH MY OWN INVESTIGATION THAT THE TRUCK HAD BEEN TRADED IN TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY KNEW IT HAD RUST ISSUES. THEY PROCEEDED TO SELL THE TRUCK AT AUCTION KNOWING IT COULD BE DANGEROUS! I BOUGHT THE TRUCK FROM A USED CAR DEALER. UPON BEING TOLD ABOUT THE FRAME RUST ISSUE BY MY MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED BY SERVICE RECALL. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A VEHICLE THAT IS UNSAFE AND VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR.
INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT FRAME HAD EXCESSIVE RUST/CORROSION AND TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP. CALLED DEALER SERVICE (TOYOTA OF DANVILLE, IL) AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS THEY QUIT REPAIRING THESE IN MARCH OF 2016. NO NOTICE OR RECALL WAS EVER SENT TO ME AND I WAS UNAWARE THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM UNTIL I GOT TRUCK BACK FROM MECHANIC. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A VEHICLE TOYOTA KNEW TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE FRAME, DID NOT NOTIFY ME TO RECTIFY OR ADVISE OF THE ISSUE, AND WILL NOT EFFECT ANY REPAIRS.
I REPORTED TO TOYOTA (CASE #1606073163) AND ADVISED THEM OF THE ROTTED FRAME NEAR THE GAS TANK WHICH WAS RECALLED. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 01/2016 AND JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM WHEN THEY TRIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE ON THE LIFT TO REPLACE THE TIRES. TOYOTA STATES THE RECALL EXPIRED AND WOULD NOT REPAIR OR PROVIDE THE CHASSIS RAILS EVEN IF I ABSORB THE LABOR AND HAD THEM INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE HAS LOW MILEAGE AND VALUE BUT IS UNSAFE AND I CANNOT SELL IN THIS CONDITION AND TOYOTA IS INDIFFERENT SAYING TOO BAD WE CAN'T HELP YOU.
MY 2002 TACOMA FRAME IS SIMPLY RUSTING AWAY AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO GET ENGAGED TO RESOLVE WHAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING ISSUE. THE FRAME IS GETTING TO THE POINT OF COLLAPSE AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS FRANKLY A CRIME. MYSELF AND MANY OTHER TACOMA OWNERS HAVE THIS EXACT ISSUE AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE NHTSA STEPS UP AND PREVENTS FRAME ROT HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS DUE TO POOR MANUFACTURING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS WERE DETACHING FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUB FRAME HAD CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
THE CHASIS ON THE TRUCK IS RUSTING OUT.THE MAJORITY OF RUST IS NEAR AND AROUND BOTH REAR TIRES. THERE WAS A RECALL BUT TOYOTA WILL NOT HONOR THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 83000+ MILES
BODY FRAME IS RUSTED TO A POINT WHERE THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE
THE FRAME ON THIS TRUCK WAS RECALLED AND NOW TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA,INC. IS TELLING ME IT WAS AN OLD RECALL AND THE OWNER THAT OWN IT BEFORE ME DIDN'T GET IT FIXED SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO FIX IT BECAUSE THE TIME LIMIT IS OVER.IM THE SECOND ONE TO OWN THIS TRUCK AND DIDN'T KNOW THEY WAS A RECALL ON THE FRAME.
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Quick Summary
The 2002 Toyota Tacoma has 134 Structure complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.