2002 Toyota Tacoma Steering Problems

After your mechanic replaced the rack and pinion, upper ball joints, and lower ball joints, your steering still feels problematic and unsafe — you're concerned you could lose control on the highway. Your spare tire also fell off its hanger because the mounting cable rusted away, and your rear parking brake cable has also rusted. When you contacted Toyota about the steering issue, they said it was too late to help you.

Your steering wheel feels loose and wobbly, and your wheel alignment keeps drifting out of spec on its own. The lower ball joints are wearing unevenly and could fail without warning, which would affect your ability to steer safely. The fix will likely involve replacing the worn ball joints and getting a professional wheel alignment.

I RECENTLY TOOK MY 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA INTO THE LOCAL DEALER, DCH IN WAPPINGERS FALLS NY, BECAUSE OF LEAK IN THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. UPON LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE,THEY OBSERVED A CRACKED AND RUSTED FRAME. WE TOOK THE CAR DOWN AND I WENT TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION. THAT REPAIR SHOP HAD SAID THERE WAS A FRAME RECALL FOR THAT YEAR. I CALLED TOYOTA IN CALIFORNIA AND THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THAT YEAR AND THAT THEY SENT OUT A NOTICE, BUT IT HAD TO BE BROUGHT BY THE END OF 2012. I TOLD THEM I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE. THERE HAVE BEEN 2 OTHER RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE WHICH I DID RECEIVE NOTICES. THEY CHECKED WITH THEIR COMPLIANCE OFFICE AND SAID THEY DID SEND IT TO ME. I ASKED HOW MANY NOTICES WENT OUT AND THEY SAID ONE AND THEY DO NOT SEND THEM CERTIFIED MAIL. WHEN I STATED THAT I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE, THEY TOLD THERE WAS A DEPARTMENT THAT MAY STILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST ME. AFTER OPENING UP A CASE WITH TOYOTA, THEY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE I FAILED TO BRING THE CAR IN BY THEIR DEADLINE. I TOLD THEM AGAIN THAT I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE AND THAT I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH A RUSTED AND CRACKED FRAME. THIS SEEMS TO BE PROBLEM WITH A GOOD DEAL OF TOYOTAS. I WAS HOPING FOR SOME KIND OF HELP, SINCE THEY'VE ADMITTED THE PROBLEM AND I NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE AND WE, AT THIS POINT HAVE ONLY THEIR WORD THAT THEY SENT ME A NOTICE. THANK YOU. TOYOTA CASE# 1405131065. UPDATED 07/03/14

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT DURING THE INCIDENT THE STEERING RACK HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT. IN A SECOND INCIDENT THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT 2 PISTONS HAD COME THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

AFTER HAVING MY 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA OFF THE ROAD AND GARAGED FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS, I WAS GETTING THE TRUCK READY TO BE DRIVEN ON THE ROAD AGAIN. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I TOOK THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE MY JOB WAS ELIMINATED IN OCTOBER 2010. AFTER CHANGING THE OIL LAST WEEKEND IN MY GARAGE I NOTICED AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE FRAME. IN FACT, SO MUCH RUST THAT THE RUBBER BODY MOUNT BLOCK ON TOP OF THE REAR LEAF SPRING SNAPPED OFF IN MY HAND. THE LEAF SPRINGS, BRAKE LINES, AND FRONT SUSPENSION AND FRAME ARE ALL IN QUESTION REGARDING VEHICLE SAFETY. I IMMEDIATELY DID RESEARCH ONLINE TO CHECK OUT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ABNORMAL AMOUNTS OF RUST ON THE FRAME AND TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS TOO. I WAS SHOCKED AT WHAT I FOUND. A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WITH TOYOTA TACOMA RUSTED FRAMES. I COME TO FIND OUT ONLINE THAT TOYOTA HAS A HISTORY OF RUSTED FRAMES, BREAKING FRAMES, UNSAFE FRAMES, AND A RECALL CURRENTLY FOR A REAR SPARE TIRE MOUNT ISSUE DUE TO RUST. I ALSO FOUND OUT TOYOTA WAS REPLACING FRAMES ON MY MODEL. I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS TRUCK INSPECTED FOR PENNSYLVANIA STATE REQUIREMENTS AND TO HAVE THE RUST CHECKED. THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE WAS NOT VALID FOR THE RUST INSPECTION AND THE FRAME REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE PROGRAM EXPIRED, I WAS TOLD TO CALL TOYOTA. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY TOYOTA OR MY DEALER THERE WAS AN ISSUE, NOT BY MAIL, PHONE CALLS OR CERTIFIED MAIL. I HAD THE TRUCK PARKED IN MY GARAGE FOR THREE YEARS SO IT WASN'T EVEN ON THE ROAD DURING THIS TIME. SEVERAL PHONE CALLS LATER TO TOYOTA AND THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE MY FRAME UNDER THE CUSTOMER CARE PROGRAM CITING I DID NOT HAVE THE UNDERCOATING APPLIED BY DECEMBER OF 2012. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID I COULD WELD REINFORCEMENT PLATES TO MY FRAME MYSELF OR FIND A JUNKYARD FRAME. REALLY TOYOTA?

2002 TOYOTOA TRUCK, LOST CONTROL AND HIT MY FORD S/W, TRUCK WAS ON RECALL FOR BALL/JOINTS , BOTH ME AND WIFE WAS HURT BY THIS UN INSURED DRIVER, DRIVER WAS CITED FOR WRONG TURN INTO MY LANE, I LOST BOTH MY CAR AND MY HEALTH, WHAT CAN I DO TO RECOVER DAMAGES FROM A UNINSURED TRUCK AND DRIVER? *JS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING FORWARD OR IN REVERSE AT APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 10 MPH, IT SHAKES VIOLENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AND USUALLY IN COLD WEATHER. THE VEHICLE SHAKES ROUGHLY AFTER IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A WHILE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS. SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 20040604 WAS REFERENCED. THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING RACK AND STEERING COMPUTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $2,200. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NOTICED ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR ON FRONT TIRE. TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND WAS INFORMED THE BUSHING, INTEGRAL TO RACK AND PINION HAS FAILED. AS A CONSEQUENCE THE WHOLE RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACING. MECHANIC INFORMED ME THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA TACOMA. HE ALSO INFORMED ME HE HAS HAD TACOMAS WITH AS LITTLE AS 9000 MILES HAVING THIS PROBLEM. MY TACOMA HAS 19000 MILES ON IT, I GUESS WE ARE LUCKY. HE ALSO STATED HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. APPARENTLY IT IS A COMMON DEFECT. THIS TACOMA HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD OR OTHERWISE ABUSED SINCE WE BOUGHT IT NEW. THIS PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO STEERING FAILURE. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. HE STATES THAT ON MARCH 20, 2005 HE HIT A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD ON WHEN HIS STEERING LOCKED UP AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING STEERING POWER ASSIT PUMP FAILED. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK