Holy crapola!...Somebody say it ain't so!

Check this out! These are registered complaints with the 2006 Toyota Tacoma. Have any of you experienced any of these issues? I only posted a few from the site but there were at least ten registered complaints regarding the cruise control/stuck accelerator and three regarding the brakes!!!! Big issue to me, besides the obvious safety concerns, is that Toyota does not seem to doing anything about it. Anyone else heard of this?


1. CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI Case Number: 10165368

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK

Details: APPLIED BRAKE PEDAL AS I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION WITH A RED LIGHT AND COULD NOT STOP, CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO REAR END A STOPPED VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE ALSO PICKED UP ACCELERATION WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE A SECOND TIME. I HAD TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER TO STOP IT FROM CLIMBING UP THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. POLICE OFFICER AT THE SCENE VERIFIED THIS OBSERVATION AFTERWARD INDICATING A MECHANICAL PROBLEM AND NOTED SAME ON THE POLICE REPORT. MY BRAND NEW VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT, TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND REMAINS THERE AWAITING AN INSPECTION BY THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

2. CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI Case Number: 10183253

Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

Details: YESTERDAY GOING HOME, I TOOK THE INTERSTATE. TRYING THE LOWER SPEED (FOR BETTER MILEAGE), I WAS GOING 60 MPH WITH THE CC SET. TRAFFIC CAME UP ON ME AND I FELT MY TRUCK WAS IN DANGER, SO I USED MY FOOT TO INCREASE TO 70 MPH. WHEN I REACHED 70 MPH, I PRESSED SET ON THE CC SWITCH FOR IT TO SET THE CRUISE AT 70 MPH. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL AND MY TRUCK SLOWED DOWN TO 60 MPH, THEN DOWN SHIFTED AND SCREAMED LIKE CRAZY UNTIL IT HAD PASSED 70 MPH, THEN SLOWED BACK DOWN TO 70 MPH. I WAS ABOUT TO REPRODUCE IT 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE. I'M SURE IT WOULD DO THE SAME AT LOWER SPEEDS, BUT DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO CHECK IT. *NM

Occurrences: 3 Injuries: 0
Fail Date: 02/21/2007 Deaths: 0
Date added to datbase: 2/22/2007




3. CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI Case Number: 10183012

Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Details: ME AND MY FAMILY WAS OUT ON 2/13/07 AND WAS COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT. THE GAS ON MY 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA WOULD NOT LET OFF. I APPLIED BRAKES, THIS WOULD NOT DISENGAGE THE GAS. A CAR WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND TURN INTO A SIDE ROAD BEFORE HITTING CAR. WHILE IN NEUTRAL RPM'S WERE HIGH CAUSING THE REV LIMITER TO KICK IN. CUT IGNITION SWITCH OFF. RESTARTED TRUCK AND WAS OKAY. TOOK THIS TRUCK TO DEALERSHIP ON 2-14-07 THEY COULD NOT MAKE IT HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY CONTACTED TOYOTA. ON 2-15-07 TOYOTA HAD NOT CONTACTED THEM BACK. I CALLED TOYOTA MYSELF AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER ON 2-15-07. THIS IS 2-20-07 AND TOYOTA HAS NOT CONTACTED ME ON THIS ISSUE. I HAVE CALLED THEM BACK AND E-MAILED WITH NO RESPONSE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION AND COULD GET SOMEONE KILLED. THIS HAS HAPPENED AGAIN SINCE THEN. *NM

Occurrences: 2 Injuries: 0
Fail Date: 02/13/2006 Deaths: 0
Date added to datbase: 2/20/2007

4. Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

Details: CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 67 MPH, TRAVELING IN THE LEFT HAND LANE OF HIGHWAY. CAR IN FRONT SLOWED DOWN AND I MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE AS ANOTHER CAR WAS TAILGATING ME. STEPPED ON THE GAS WHEN THE CAR I WAS TRYING TO GET BY ACCELERATED. TRUCK ACCELERATED RAPIDLY TO 75-90 MPH, STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO RELEASE CRUISE CONTROL BUT TRUCK CONTINUED ACCELERATION. IN FRONT OF TRUCK WAS SEMI, I HIT THE BRAKES TO CONTROL SPEED, BRAKES DID NOT WORK AS AUTOMATIC BRAKES BUT LIKE OLD BRAKES, PUT BOTH FEET ON BRAKES BUT TRUCK DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND CONTINUED AT 55 TO 65 MPH. WENT INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, PUT ON FLASHERS. BRAKES WERE SMELLING AT THIS POINT. PUT TRUCK INTO NEUTRAL AND TRUCK CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD AT EXCESSIVE SPEED. PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE AND CONTINUED TO EXIT RAMP WHICH WAS VERY LONG. FINALLY GOT OFF HIGHWAY AND TURNED THE KEY OFF. TRUCK SMELLED BADLY FROM THE BRAKES. WAITED ABOUT 10 MINUTES, CALLED SON WHO CALLED TOYOTA. I CAREFULLY PUT THE TRUCK IN DRIVE AND CRUISED INTO A GAS STATION, TURNED TRUCK OFF, EXITED VEHICLE. SON CALLED BACK AND SAID TOYOTA SAID "DO NOT DRIVE THE TRUCK". THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK TO PICK IT UP. SON AND PARTNER GOT TO VEHICLE AND THE HUB CAPS WERE BURNING HOT FROM BRAKES BEING APPLIED. TOYOTA DROVE VEHICLE FOR 111 MILES AND CHECKED EVERYTHING OUT AND FOUND NOTHING. I CALLED TOYOTA AND HAVE STARTED ARBITRATION FOR THEM TO BUY BACK MY BRAND NEW TRUCK. *JB

Occurrences: 1 Injuries: 0
Fail Date: 01/27/2006 Deaths: 0
Date added to datbase: 2/2/2006

 

What's the link to the site? This doesn't sound to good.

 

You have to join but it's free. Some reports you have to pay for

http://www.mycarstats.com/safetystation.asp

 

These stats/complaints are made by individuals. They are not always accurate and/or unembelished. I had an 05 Liberty CRD (diesel) and if you look on that site for complaints on it. There are FAR MORE than 4 (more like 4 pages). It was much more warranted on a vehicle with so many issues.

Remember that these could just be disgruntled owners, but then again they could be actual cases. I have not had any problems with my Tacoma, but my grandfather is having issues with his CVT Camry. Toyota has spent a ton of time and effort to fix the problems with that transmission.

Most of the complaints I have heard like these are operator error or a result of tampering. That is not to say that they are completely bogus, but that I would look at these with a grain of salt.

 

agreed, some of those seem almost like very possibly operator error. Like how so many people, rather than stepping on the brakes step on the gas?

 

I tend to agree with James Bond (007) on operator error. Some of these complaints point that way. However, it’s not a bad idea to use caution while using CC. Be informed that the brake force in a vehicle can always over come the engine power but will take longer at higher speeds. Then you always have the option of gearing down and "neutral" if road conditions permit. The traffic light incident mentioned above has happened to me when I'm wearing big work boots. You think you are stepping on the brake but you are also stepping on the gas with equal force. A truck with this much torque can take off on you.

And thanks to flavalk for digging up this disturbing information. This phenomenon could be why some new members who sign up to TW and never return. Their trucks may have sped into the Bermuda Triangle? It can be very scary if a lady is at the wheel when this happens or under slippery conditions.

 

I completely agree with all that you say, but when I see the same complaint issued numerous times, I begin to wonder if there is not something to it. Like the old saying, where there's smoke, there's fire.

However, I do want to think that if Toyota had serious problems (and these are VERY serious) like those listed above, they would be all over it.

 

One other thing to look at. The syntax of these complaints are all exactly the same. Plus there are only two "signatures" - *JB and *NM

Four complaints, from two people, with the same wording... smells like someone is making a stab at Toyota. I would be curious to look back at that site and see what other complaints these two have filed against Toyota.

My biggest reasoning for putting these under a magnifying glass - I have never heard of these problems before. I have scoured and searched through numbers of forums (TTORA, CUSTOMTACOS, TACOMAWORLD, TUNDRASOLUTIONS, TOYOTANATION, etc.) looking for reasons not to buy my Tacoma. Small problems that had nothing to do with safety were at question - A/C baffels coming loose, poor radio reception, TPM System faults, and so on. I never came across someone with a problem of acceleration during braking.

I have heard of people getting aftermarket floormats and the accelerator getting "stuck" on the floor...

Not to say that this didn't happen, but I am skeptical. "all that glitters is not gold"

 

...or they could just be "glued" to their Tacomas. I would rather be driving my Tacoma that sitting hear at my desk.

 

probably a couple rednecks doing that because toyota is in nascar, haha

 

LOL - Well, I can't talk. I have redneck roots. My mother's half of the family still sport the singlewides of North Carolina's NorthWest. That and I grew up in Mississippi - backwood Mississippi.

 

yeah, im redneck kinda too, but, i HATE nascar

 

Excellent point! I did not notice the same two signatures so perhaps you're right. Oh well, maybe no need for concern after all, so I guess everyone can go back to sleep now. (But I will be keeping an eye on my CC )

However, I feel it neccessary to report that I HAVE experienced sudden and violent acceleration. It seems to have a direct correlation to the force and velocity at which my right foot depresses the accelerator

 

What!? You don't like driving in an endless circle hundreds of times waiting for some one to wreck!?!



Oh, okay.

 

i had the same cc problem when it would not set it self it would just slow down but after a while i started to work never had any problems since

 

This was on your 06? Did it disengage when you hit the brakes/clutch? And, you say, the problem just went away? That is strange.

 

well it actually would not engage i would get up to the speed i want to cruise at and i would press the set button and i would just not set it did it for a while but then the next day it was working kinda weird i really never found a reason why

 

Well, it could have been worse, but there are a ton of things that can cause that problem. The most common is a poor conection on a switch in the circuit.

I have never seen a problem where a CC unit would continue to accelerate after you hit the brakes/clutch as mentioned above.

 

Huh, I haven't had that problem. Oh wait! That's because I have the 2.7L!

 

Some real world numbers would be helpful. If people who are experiencing these problems would report them to the NHTSA, something could be done, if indeed, a problem truly does exist. People complaining on internet forums and beginning arbitration/lawsuit against the manufacturer is fine. If owners who are having problems (which must be serious and capable of causing accident/injury/death) report these problems to the NHTSA, the government will investigate and order the manufacturer to issue a recall if enough verifiable complaints are received. The other factor to consider is the ratio between vehicles sold versus the number of complaints received. Unfortunately, and this is how auto-makers view this, 4 complaints per 500,000 vehicles sold is not considered a problem. Now I'm not trying to minimize the complaints if they are indeed happening, but a big portion of the equation boils down to the percentage of owners registering a particular complaint before the manufacturer will consider it to be an issue. But if owners feel there is a serious problem with their vehicle, it needs to be reported to the NHTSA as well as the manufacturer.