09+ Melting DTRL Lens Recall Petition

Could you replace the bulb with a lower wattage one to reduce the heat?

 

I was wondering what caused this...my lights started bubbling like this and even cracked in the middle, same thing on both sides.



I wasn't too concerned about the safety aspect of it but they do look pretty ugly...I may swap these for aftermarket black headlights and replace the original DTRL bulbs with LEDs to prevent more problems.

 

Follow up....these LED's were too long (tall) so I put them in the tail lights and they work fine there. Replaced front DRL's with smaller size: 3157 CK LED Bulb - Dual Intensity 45 SMD LED Tower 3157-A45-T-CK: Amber SACK. Next up BHLM's.....and repairing the DRL lens I pushed out DOH!!

 

Holy shit . My blinker went out the other day... The blinker is the same bulb as the DTRL right? Does anyone have a write up on how to replace and a good place to buy replacement bulbs? Tried searching around to no avail

 

Try to find a 3175, and not one tagged 3157/4157.
There's about 2 watts difference between the 3157 and 4157.
Not much, but seems to be enough.

 

Thanks for the advice. Anyone else have any input?

 

Hey did you also get a resistor..I know that the website also has flashers for LEDs..

 

There are no electronic flashers available for Tacomas equipped with DRL.
A few vendors had them a year or two ago, but they are no longer available.

 

Yes Black_magic2010 the shorter LED's mentioned worked just fine for the DTRL's, I did use resistors, also from superbright...RL-650: Tail Light Load Resistor Kit RL-650, 1 resistor per LED, easiest to tap the body ground - they come with install schematics, very simple install. they get hot so keep away from plastics (recommend suspending in air or securing to frame away from finished paint/plastics.

 

I called Toyota HQ about this like a month or two ago. They said they had never heard of this issue and I told them its all over the different forums. Then they told me that it does not help them if its on a forum. Then they told me to take it to the dealership and see what they say. I am at 60k miles and at 5 years now. So I am definately out of warranty. I took it to Poway Toyota yesterday and they want me to drop it off today so they can do some of the recall work on it and check out the DTRLs. I told them to push the issue because I did not want to have to bad mouth them or Toyota on my forums. I will see what happens hopefully tomorrow.

 

I was told at Big Two Toyota here in Chandler that if they had a couple of other complaints here in Az they would probably fix it. But no one in Az has complained yet. Come on guys go to your dealers here so we can get this fixed.

 

Poway Toyota just told me they can not fix my DTRLs. That I would have to fight it out with Toyota.

 

Just called Toyota HQ again to tell them what the dealership told me. The called the dealership and let me know that the cost to replace the housing would be $883.00. Toyota will not cover this for me because my vehicle is past its 3/36000 warranty. Again they have not heard of this happening to other vehicles. I agree with OP. If you see this happening to your truck, please call Toyota HQ. Im sure this will be a recall one day.

 

Amazon.

Depo housings with the BHLM already done are around $170/pair shipped.
I don't know how they hold up to DRL though.

 

I have noticed my lenses bubbling for quite some time now, conveniently well after the warranty on my '09 has worn out. The other day, though, I now see that the lens has cracked in half and half fallen out! It's just a short trip down a logging road until that sucker is bouncing around my headlight assembly...

BS Toyota hasn't heard of this issue before... the dumbass that answers the phone is just useless, just like the ones responding to emails.

 

I filed a complaint with the better business bureau as well.

 

That's not going to do any good. Toyota probably isn't even a member.

This needs to be elevated to the DOT/FHWA.
Photographs of the burned and broken lenses with a comment indicating that the lenses are not in compliance with Federal law.

Enough reports and they'll force a recall.

 

it has become clear to me by reading all of the posts here that toyota is not going to do anything about this problem. so, my plan would be to replace the housings and use smaller bulbs or led's. however, to date, i have not found a flasher for these trucks which would enable us to use led's. so a smaller bulb would be the ticket. tell me what replacement housing you guys have had good luck with. i have no intention of buying genny toyo parts for this.

 

or, maybe part of the answer it to turn off the dtrl as it seems to me this is the source of the heat, rather than use of the turn signal. anyone have the quick trick for doing this?

 

Well Great News! Toyota just called me and told me they will fix my melted DTRLs for free. I guess my BBB complaint worked!!