# 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
> NHTSA complaint `859846` · 2011-06-03 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** TACOMA
- **Year:** 2006
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- **Miles at failure:** 97,000
- **Speed:** 5 mph
## Narrative
USED MY 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER TO TOW A VEHICLE A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE A SHORT CIRCUIT IN TRAILER WIRING CAUSED  WIRING FIRE IN PRERUNNER---30 AMP FUSE IN TOYOTA FAILED TO PROTECT CIRCUIT, LEADING TO TOTAL TRUCK WIRING MELTDOWN AND RUIN.  FUSE WAS OF THE AMPACITY REQUIRED BY TOYOTA--30 AMPS.  TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW, NEVER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND NO CHANGES HAD BEEN MADE TO WIRING OR FUSE SYSTEMS.  AUTO ELECTRIC REPAIR SHOP REQUIRED $2800 IN PARTS AND $2000 FOR LABOR TO REPAIR MELTED WIRING LOOMS AND FUSE BOX; THEY SUGGESTED THAT FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED BECAUSE TOYOTA USES A 30 AMP FUSE ON A #12 WIRE CIRCUIT THAT WILL MELT AND BURN BEFORE THE FUSE BLOWS.  (12 GAUGE WIRE TYPICALLY MUST BE PROTECTED BY A 20-AMP FUSE.)  TOYOTA (CORPORATE) REFUSES TO DEAL WITH MY ISSUE OR TALK TO ME ABOUT WHETHER THE FAILED FUSE AND MELTDOWN COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THEIR INSTALLING A FUSE WITH TOO HIGH AN AMPACITY RATING BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIR DONE BY A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP.   IS THERE A DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW WITH THE PRERUNNER?  I AM CERTAIN THAT I DID NOTHING TO MY PRERUNNER (AS ITS ONLY OWNER) TO EXPLAIN WHY THE TRUCK NEARLY BURNED UP AND THE WIRING SYSTEM MELTED DOWN (AND WAS COMPLETELY RUINED) SIMPLY BECAUSE OF A SIMPLE SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE TRAILER I TOWED FOR LESS THAN ONE MILE (BEFORE MELTDOWN OCCURRED).  I AM HOPEFUL THAT NHTSA MAY BE ABLE TO USE MY INFORMATION TO APPROACH TOYOTA ON THE POTENTIAL DESIGN DEFECT ISSUE AND, CERTAINLY, TO COLLECT MY COMPLAINT WITH AN
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*