Toyota recalling 228,000 Tacoma's due to oil leaks and possible loss of control of vehicle

Nope. All work was covered under warranty.

 

Yes, just don't think Toyota is going above and beyond and really wants there customers to be happy so they are taking initiative to Make everyone aware of the problem and doing the repairs. They are obligated to do that regardless. They are only doing this to protect themselves from legal issue. If it was an oil gasket this would be a different story. They would release a TSB for the ones leaking and change a part or design of effected parts or whatever is needed to stop the issue on future production trucks, to save costs and expenses.

Before people start complaining. All manufacturers do this. So I'm not trying to make Toyota look bad here. Just stating facts. I will say right toyota is lying about the number of effected vehicles. Seems to be a lot more trucks with diff leaks and only more are going to come about.

Just checked mine again today and it's still dry

 

Good deal.

 

Truck held hostage till a fix comes out?...RIDICULOUS WAY TO RUN A CAR COMPANY!
So now I have a loaner Camry to bet the living hell out of.

 

Lets think about this failure for a couple minutes. Every photo I have seen, including my own 2017 OR (with 2 months and 3k miles), has the leak starting between the bolts. What I think is happening is either the diff casting or the axle housing is warping ever so slightly when the bolts are tightened. This is because either the diff casting or the axle housing is too weak or the bolts are too tight. There is a thin gasket between the casting and the housing which requires both mating surface to be very flat. If either part is too weak when the bolt is tightened it warps between the bolts and the leak starts.

The weak part could be caused by either a bad design (which is doubtful Toyota knows how to design these parts) or the part supplier got the metal content wrong (or hardness, temper, etc.).

So for trucks that don't leak, leave it alone! Tightening the bolts is the wrong answer, with the added force you could very well warp a part and start the leak. If it is not leaking I suggest leaving it alone.

For the rest of us Toyota is struggling with a fix because they have to either redesign the diff casting or the axle housing which ever one is warping. They need to get a cagillon parts made and start a huge effort of replacing all these parts. This is the good repair.

They could also design a gasket that will seal the warped parts which I think is the crappy repair.

I am waiting until Toyota figures out what to do and then I will wait til they have done a bunch before they mess with my truck. If I need to top off the diff fluid every couple weeks so be it. My truck is not going near a dealership until they have the repair understood and some experience doing it.

 

Drove down to my Toyota dealer to get a crush washer and a quart of differential oil to top it off myself while we wait for the official fix to trickle down. They offered to take a look but I refused knowing if they see the symptoms they're actually required to keep the car (second paragraph) If anyone is wondering here's a printout from them. They said "about a month" to figure it out.

Crawled under the truck when I got home and torqued everything to 18 ft/lbs to stop the bleeding for now.. every single nut turned. The average was about a quarter turn extra to reach 18 ft/lbs

 

They are probably trying to figure out, what determines a gasket bolt/replacement and what determines a new rear end replacement.

Minor seeping with no significant fluid loss probblay will be a gasket replacement. But if noticeable fluid loss is also noticed, they will probably have to replace the rear end.

The guys that had dealers just re-torque bolts with visible seeping, did not perform the recall and need to revisit another dealer and if nessesary rat them out to corperate.

 

I have 1500 miles until my 10,000 mile service is required. I sure hope they find a fix before I hit that, but it's unlikely. It's not possible for me to do my job without a truck. I will raise hell if they try and give me anything other than a truck. I don't care is it's a '94 F150, I just need a truck that runs.

 

My November 2016 built 2017 Limited with ~93xx miles. Photos taken just now.

 

Shit!

 

The 4Rs also have diff problems. Both my front and rear diffs were replaced at 20 K.

 

Took 2016 Limited 4x4 in for oil change with 36,000 miles. Service tech comes out 45 minutes later and tells me they need to impound my truck due to a safety recall. No ETA on the fix. Offer me a RAV-4 and inform me that no Tacomas or Tundras are available. Unacceptable... Memorial Day weekend approaching...no trailer hitch on the RAV-4???

 

If you need to cool it down....

 

The golden 4 runner? Most here swear that these things are bullet proof and much better quality than the Tacoma. Perhaps I'll get the popcorn out now and listen to some of the replies from these guys who think they needed a truck but we're so unhappy with the Tacoma and traded it in for a 4 runner and it somehow fits all their needs.

 

Did this guy actually use the word "impound" when he told you this? I'm positive it takes legal authority to impound someone's vehicle - Something a Toyota dealership has none of (unless you stopped making your payments about 3 months ago). Weird way to put it to a customer.

 

Mine was fluid filmed too. I cleaned off around the diff and keeping an eye on it. So far all good. Checked my fluid and checked the diff nuts. Won't bring mine in till they have the parts to fix!

 

Just wanted to share my experience:

Diff has been howling since about 7k. Took it in at that time and was told the noise was normal. I'm at 22k now. I am not on the list but have weeping at the gasket. Took it in to get it fixed, thinking work would be done under warranty, and dealer tells me there IS NO LEAK. So I start a case with TMC, but they tell me that they go by their dealers' assessments of whether it is leaking or not.
Not sure where to go from here. I know it's just weeping, but a leak is a leak. Thinking about taking it to a different dealer and trying to get them to agree that it's leaking.

What do you all think?

 

I would take it to another dealer. It looks like many of the other seepers posted here.

 

If you look back at my diff pics I had a similar picture. My dealership said the same thing. I opened a case with corporate and went in to the dealer. They put it on the lift and there was ....nada. Nothing. Not a drop. It didn't even have a hint of residue or look like they cleaned anything off. My picture looked like everyone else's. I honestly couldn't argue with them. It wasn't seeping or weeping when I got under it.

The only thing I can think is that moisture collects there and stays damp for a while?? It's too coincidental for me, but I couldn't argue with them when I was under the truck staring at it.

So, I say all that just to point out that you might be in the say boat as I was. I would absolutely open a case with corporate and tell them about the howl and the weeping, but they will want you to go in again to the dealer and talk with the tech. Get under it and look. It would be absolutely batshit crazy for them to deny a leak if you can point it out in front of them. (Thats what I was prepared to do when I went it--and found the weeping at disappeared completely.)

 

Just wanted to chime in with my experience. My truck (16 SR5 4x4) was part of this recall. Called my local toyota dealership to book an appt. I was told to take it in on a specific week because they would have parts available to perform the recall. Well, that didnt happen. My vehicle was inspected. I was told 6 hours later that I had a leak. It would take a normal person a few seconds to peek under and determine that a leak was present but whatever, I suppose dealers have certain steps they have to go through.

I was advised not to drive the truck and that currently there is no known remedy. The guesstimated time my truck to be down is 6-8 months per service advisor. They make me take my truck home and park it in the garage BUT they stressed for me not to drive it at all. I was provided with rental paid by toyota. This was yesterdays event.

This morning I call corporate just to clarify some info I received at the dealership. First service rep I came across stated that there is a fix and parts coming in June. I asked exactly what the fix was, she wasnt able to answer the question so I was forwarded to a manager supposedly. Manager came on the phone, states there is a fix which would include gasket and hardware replacement -OR- if the internals were compromised, those were to be replaced as well. Managers ETA= "not sure" lol.. seems like a toyota circus. Oh and she said she's never heard of the term "Lemon Law".

Anyways, just venting. Kinda frustrated that I have to pay for a Truck that is sitting in my garage not knowing when it will be fixed because toyota has "NO REMEDY".