Very loose steering wheel. Problem is the slip shaft in the steering column. Over time the lover shaft wears and the steering becomes loose and sloppy. Problem first shows up as looseness in the wheel and eventually turns into a clunk when driving over minor rough roads. From talking to mechanics and other Tacoma owners this is a very common problem that Toyota will not address. Problems include difficulty maintaining control over rough pavement. Wandering at all speeds. Major direction changes when breaking on all roads. Smooth or rough. Over all the truck is very difficult to drive. I've had the truck actually change lanes when I hit an unexpected rough patch of road at appox 30 mph. There was nothing I could due because of the slop in the steering wheel. Please note that this truck is very well maintained and I have gone through the entire front suspension and steering trying to fix this problem with no luck. I'm now faced with spending even more money to replace a steering column.

- Des Plaines, IL, USA

2003 Toyota Tacoma 4WD crew cab pickup I would like to relate a recent experience I had with my 2003 Toyota pickup. I was driving the truck through a parking lot in largo, Maryland on January 29, 2009. Suddenly there was a loud noise and the vehicle dropped down in the front end and I came to a stop. The front driver side wheel had dropped down into the wheel well. I had the vehicle towed by boswell auto service of waldorf, Maryland near where I live. I was told by the mechanic that the castle nut on the driver side ball joint assembly had come off. I was told that this was an extraordinary event. The ball joint assembly separated and as a consequence front axle was broken as well. In reviewing my records I saw the recall for the lower ball joint for my Toyota. I had this recall work completed at waldorf Toyota on December 29, 2005. I brought this to the attention of the mechanic who fixed my truck. He told me I should make the dealership service department aware of this incident. In his opinion, this event should not happen if the ball joint castle nut is installed correctly. I took the information to waldorf Toyota on February 3, 2009. I spoke with the service manager (michael pavan, 301-843-3700, mpavan@toyotaofwaldorf.com) and a man I believe was a mechanic or service supervisor. I showed them photographs and the broken ball joint assembly. They told me that the remnants of the cotter pin were still in so that they believe they had installed the castle nut correctly. I left the broken ball joint assembly with them. The service manager told me he would report it to his regional manager.

- Waldorf, MD, USA

The contact stated a recall letter was received pertaining to the lower ball joints. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall on 12/27/05 where the ball joints were replaced and the vehicle was realigned. The vehicle began to shimmy after about three month later and it was taken to an independent repair shop. The front tires were balance which resulted in difficulty of steering due to the tires becoming worn. The contact expressed that the worn tires were a direct result of the improper alignment performed by the dealer on 12/27/05. After 3 days, the vehicle was taken back to the independent repair shop for tire rotation because the difficulty in steering had worsened. The rotation fixed the problem for awhile however after a couple of months the steering worsened. On 6/26/06, the vehicle was taken to another independent tire dealer for realignment. The contact can provide specifications for the realignment of the tires before the alignment, after the alignment and the specified ranged.

- Lexington, NC, USA