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

I decided to go ahead and torque my diff bolts myself. It was very easy to do. I did have to remove the shield mounted on top to get to the top 2 bolts. Since my truck is not included in the recall that's probably all the dealership would do for me anyways. Maybe being proactive will prevent a leak from happening. I did the research and the touque spec is 33 ft lbs on the 2016 OR with rear locker. If it leaks in the future I will have the dealer repair as a warranty claim. No longer on my mind now.

 

Stop sale on 2017 Tacoma's
Post #84

18ft-lbs according to this post.

Good to hear they took 33 though without shearing. Someone on here popped one off.

 

Somehow I feel like the O/R and older Taco diffs were 14mm nuts, now the non-locking is all 12mm nuts and take much less torque. I haven't checked my truck yet but I think its 18ft-lbs for 12mm and 33ft-lbs for the 14mm nuts.

Edit: Non-locking models are smaller nuts so this is the case. M8 nuts for non-lock, M10 for locking.

 

Took my truck in for 10k yesterday. They inspected and didn't see any leaks. So checked torque and sent me on my way.

 

My '85's 8" have 10mm. I've broken a few studs.

They don't take much and I'd imagine you don't want to crush the gasket.

 

Previously I never torqued bolts like these ones in particular, usually by feel or even by impact lol.

Some of the Toyota paper gaskets like to be soaked in water prior to install, the gaskets sometimes don't fit nicely and flex better when wet. Again feel benefits situations like gaskets and weak studs.

Now I have to torque all these damn tacos properly to see how much they turn.

 

Unclear on loaner advised vs. wanting to keep your truck.

For those that have insisted on keeping your truck, did you encounter resistance?

If only seeping a little, why not just bring the truck back when they get the parts in? Notices aren't going out until June, anyway.

Will they have you sign something, like driving against recommendation?

What about the tens of thousands of owners who don't read tacomaworld or haven't heard the news of the recall? I'm sure all those aren't in imminent danger.

 

Pretty sure they got it wrong. M10 bolts with 14 mm nuts on the OR/Manual/Locker get 33 ft-lbs DO NOT TIGHTEN YOUR DIFF BOLTS TO 33 LB FT (READ THIS FIRST)

 

Any news on this? have they found the parts to fix the issue ? have to take mine on Saturday !

 

I would first check under the truck and look at the diff. It's very easy to see if you have a weep or not. If so, I would just wait til they have the fix at hand.

I sold some parts to another tacoma owner, who was unaware of this recall - looked under his truck ('16 TRD Sport) and sure enough, found some weep spots on his diff.

 

Toyota line tech?

 

It is crazy how some people are trying to fix the issue themselves. Guys, take it into the dealer, Jeebus.

 

I checked under the truck and sure the diff is leaking. Took a pic already, that is why i am taking it to the dealer on Saturday, just wanted to know if Toyota came up with a final fix already instead of just torquing the bolts

 

Some of us don't live near a dealer.

2 or so hour round trip for me. (120 miles).

 

So a recall for a safety issue isn't worth a 2 hour drive roundtrip? Guess you're right, that's way too much time to take care of a safety issue on a truck. Might as well never do any maintenance either on it either, just takes too much time.

 

Depends on the recall, I've ignored a few on my trucks in the past, still haven't had my spare tire carrier inspected/replaced on my 1st gen.

Willing to accept the risk and I've inspected it myself numerous times, still functions just fine and securely mounted.

 

Shootz the rest of my response was cut off. Bad phone connection.

My truck isn't currently weeping or on the recall list. It is worth it to me to try and re-torque (I have, just to check them) the differential nuts myself before driving it to the dealer for a fix.

So if it does start weeping I will do so. If it still keeps weeping then I will take it in.

I don't believe the dealer has some magical touch, I'm perfectly capable of doing things on my truck and will as long as it doesn't cost me anything. If it is going to cost me then I will determine if its worth my time to take it in.

 

Honestly, it's not that big of a deal to DIY check. If I lived 2 hours from a dealer, I feel pretty confident that I could take care of this in 20 minutes if I didn't have a leak and feel comfortable that it wouldn't be an issue. Even the repair wouldn't be that difficult provided enough oil didn't leak out to damage the gear set or bearings.

 

a) there is a procedure, but no parts. ETA from my dealer is end of next month.
b) if you drop off your truck, you'll get a rental until they fix it.
c) No, they won't torque the bolts if there is any sign of leakage. You will need to go through the recall process, which means waiting for parts.