Toyota Tacoma 2004 and Earlier Frame Problem

epena

Updating my reframing job, my tacoma went in on June 6th for the scheduled frame swap. A last minute glitch came up about a week prior, when the service advisor advised that the dealership would not cover the cost of the rental car. Following the advise of previous posters on this forum, I immediately contacted the Toyota Customer Service Center. They started a case file, & the rep, concurred with me that the rental car tab was covered. Anyways, by the time the 6th rolled around, the issue had been ironed out with the dealer. I have to say that I am impressed with the way and speed that customer service handled this.
Tomorrow will mark two weeks that the dealer has had my truck. the advisor initially estimated a week to do the job. He's kept me updated on the developments. A delay occurred when in the process of taking the truck apart, additional adjoining parts not initally coverded were broken or had to be cut, due to the extent of the corrosion on the parts being removed. This required an additional parts list to be submitted to Toyota for approval...which came this past Thurs. The parts were ordered, and hopefully the job is back on track. I'm springing for a new clutch ($500) & shocks ($400), plus replacing all of the radiator / heater hoses on the engine ($200).

epena

Glad to hear you have your truck back..curious...have you gone back and attempted to reconcile the tech notes with your own observations?

terceltom

The techs. that did the job were not there when I picked up the truck. I know another one of the techs. who is going to talk to the two that performed the reframing. The truck is in for it's yearly state inspection today at my regular garage. That garage owner told me he would give it a good check for me. Most of what the dealer noted are small items not requiring a bundle of money. I believe like others, that the two techs. that did the reframing were just trying to cover their butts and just documented everything, regardless of how minimal it might be, just so I couldn't claim something worked before that didn't work afterwards. I crawled under the truck myself and couldn't find anything to worry about.

Is the delay in your reframing because of the other work that your having completed? I was really impressed with the speed (three days) and quality of work of the two techs. trained to do reframings at my dealer. They're really experienced though. They did many so far and had two Tundra's lined up to do after mine. Keep us posted and good luck with your final results.

hackattack5

You ask would another auto maker replace frames that are roted? of course they would. Lets say you are driving down the road @ 65mph and your frame breaks into 2 peices, The other side of the frame is still holding the truck together but the brake line snaps and you have no brakes. What kind of liability would Toyota have when the Judge learns that the frames were not made to spec? It is clear to me that Toyota did the math and figured after enough people died that they would have to do a major recall anyway.

hackattack5

American truck owners bashing? you paid $12,000 for your truck. There are guys out there that paid $23,000 for their truck new and with less than 50,000 miles on it have to drive a corrola rent a car for 3 months and then have to pay thousands of dollars in "wore out parts" so just because your toyota dealer treated you right and you bought your truck from a buddy does not give you the right to label the rest of us as American truck owners bashing. I have a 99 Taco and as soon as I get my check I am buying a Ford. Toyota has had the rusted frame issue since they have been building trucks with the exception of the T-100 which was not built by Toyota. Think about it how many old Toyota trucks do you see on the road in the midwest? I don't see many at all.

terceltom

I'm a big Toyota fan as many on Edmunds could tell you. I just received my 2004 Tacoma back from a reframe and am completely satisfied. However, you made a very good point though with the minimal number of old Toyota trucks on the road. Of course you have to remember most of the "95" to "99" trucks were repurchased already by Toyota .

hackattack5

In 1986 I was the first one in my family to buy a foreign vehicle. It was a brand new toyota 4x4. I paid $9000.00 for it and drove it for 160,000 miles before somebody rear ended me and totaled it. All I had to do for maintenance was oil tires and brakes. Now at the time that thing rusted to hell and back but I did not pay attention to the frame. I went out to find a replacement and that is when I learned from a guy at work to watch out for frame rot. He had a 1983 that the frame rotted on and was no longer a fan. So for the past 20 years I have been watching and I would say that most I have come across, the frame has been very rusty. It seems the 4x4 are worse than the 4x2 but that might be because its harder to see. The only exception is the T100 which I have never seen any rust that amounts to anything on them. I have owned 3 of those and they were good trucks. So its time for me to switch to Ford for awhile and let toyota get there head screwed on right. The worst thing they did is when they decided to be the biggest in the world. You would of thought they would of learned something from GM on that mistake but they didn't

epena

terceltom...no, the delay was caused by the techs during the initial dismantle. Seems some of the bolts were frozen through from the rust & the only way to remove the part was by cutting thru and around other parts not initially included in the swap out. The advisor told me he had to send a supplemental report to Toyota, with pics and documentation on each of the add'l parts. By the time he did all this, got the approval, & ordered the add'l parts, it added a week or so to the job. Today is day 15 and counting. I'm hoping it'll all be done by this weekend, or early next week.

hackattack5

I remember the recall effected 813,000 trucks. I wonder how many Toyota bought back. My truck did fail. They are going to give me $11,600.00 for it. It was a 1999 4X4 with 92,000 miles on it. Now reality has smacked me in the face because replacement trucks are close to $30,000 So now I give them my paid off truck and get a new one with a $20,000 loan that will cost $23,000 by the time its paid off. Thanks Toyota. I don't want to complain but if it had a good frame that truck could of lasted another 10 years

terceltom

Yeah, 150% of Kelly Bluebook Excellent value for your used truck isn't as good of a deal as it sounds when you have to put out another $20,000.00 in this economy if you want another decent truck.

epena

As I previously wrote, my Tacoma went in to the dealer in Miami for the frame swap on June 6th. The service rep initially told me a week or so for the job. A problem arose when add'l parts were found defective, and a week or so was lost waiting for the athorization from Toyota for the add'l parts. They had my truck for 22 days. I've had it back now for one week. I must say Toyota did an excellent job. My Tacoma HANDLES AND FEELS LIKE NEW, with 160K miles!! The final bill for Toyota came to $ 13,400, + 3 weeks for the rental car. I dropped another 2K on it, to replace the original clutch, all the rad / heater hoses, the top seal on the fuel tank, and the front shocks, struts, and upper assembly, which were not amoung the parts covered. I consider it $$ well spent, as I expect another 160K from this truck. Also, the dealer advises that the work comes with a one year parts / labor warranty. Though my case was somewhat drawn out, in the end I cannot say enough good things about the quality and attention to detail that Toyota provided. Thank you to all on this forum who shared their experiences, thus giving guidance to those of us that follow.

terceltom

Interesting, my dealer told me my new frame was still garanteed for 15 years after the date the truck was put into service. I'm really glad that your truck came back in great condition, as did mine.

cartman7

all the 1995 owners are being left out in the cold ,main office is rude,dealer id rude my recall just expired ,but it was tested in 2010 (before i owned it and instead of fixing or junking the truck they put it back on the lot ,sold it to a guy ,and it ended up at an auction where i talked to the salesman Chris was at the auction an assured me the frame was good , then i did research and found out my truck failed also ,i still drive it , my personal mechanic said i can drive it if i go easy with it but toyota really dosent treat customers right ,they didnt even want my truck for a trade in. i love the new tacomas but ive read theyhave frame and other problems .toyota single handedly pissed off a lot of customers ,but they should back up the tacoma frame for a lifetime since it was a factory defect and its a safty issue .so please .we all gotta spread the word and take action or people will buy a korean or chinese car that dosent rust

cbone14

1999 Taco failed hammer test yesterday in Indy. Dealer said it was safe to drive just bring it back, surrender truck and get check. Any tips on how to handle this and get more money would be helpful.

terceltom

"all the 1995 owners are being left out in the cold"
"but toyota really dosent treat customers right"
"toyota single handedly pissed off a lot of customers"

There is so much incorrect information in your statements! How can you possibly say "all 95 owners are being left out in the cold" when Toyota bought tens of thousands of these trucks back from the owners at 150% of their K.B.B. excellent value regardless of mileage or condition?

"but toyota really dosent treat customers right"

Really, not only did they offer this buy back of the older models, but at their expense of approx. $11,000 per truck, put brand new frames on the newer Tacomas, what did you expect, Toyota to give everyone with a 15 year old truck a new one?

"toyota single handedly pissed off a lot of customers"

OMG! on the contrare, Toyota showed me just how much of a reputable truck manufacturer they are by reframing my 2004 Tacoma with 113,000 miles on it; and I wasn't even the original owner. Who else would have done that?

greg128

OMG! on the contrare, Toyota showed me just how much of a reputable truck manufacturer they are by reframing my 2004 Tacoma with 113,000 miles on it; and I wasn't even the original owner. Who else would have done that?

Yes but why did it need a new frame after 7 years? My neighbor has a 26 year old Chevy truck that he uses to plow snow and the frame is still solid.
That frame is about 3-1/2 times as old.

terceltom

Every car or truck manufacturer occasionally has it's lemons or recalls and mistakes; but the point is Toyota acknowledged their problem and stood good for it, would GM have done that, I doubt it.

KCRam

Keep in mind, you purchased the truck after the program was announced. Toyota made it very clear that people who bought trucks after the program was announced are only entitled to a refund of what they paid - this was to keep people from buying affected Tacomas at a low price from owners who weren't aware of the situation and "flipping" them for a huge profit in the buyback.

You say you were told the truck was inspected back in 2010 before you bought it... even though it passed, you are not the owner at the time of program notification. All you will get from Toyota is what you paid for the truck.

kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host

cbone14

Just spoke with Toyota Corp yesterday and my 12k check will be waiting for me next week. Not bad for 99 with 170k miles on it. It's a shame nice looking truck going to the crusher. Kcram you dont know what you are talking about, I asked whats to stop me from buying another 99 and getting the deal. She said "nothing," but eventually they will tell you no more. The issue with the 95's is the 15 year extended warranty has expired but I agree there are plenty of 30 y/o vehicles still rolloing on original frames.

irvin1965

I have been notified about possible rust to my pickup's frame and that I should bring it in for inspection. It is a Limited Service Campaign and Virginia is one of the state's, due to salt on the state's roads, where these vehicles are affected. If the frame has deteriorated, I suppose they will buy the vehicle, replace the frame or if no deterioration; they will apply a corrosion resistant compound. Nothing seems this simple and I do not feel comfortable with the whole process. My rear bumper which I thought was chrome is peeling badly, never seen anything like this before for such an expensive truck.
Any advice that anyone can give me on how to approach and handle this situation would be greatly appreciated. Joyce

cbone14

They wont fix it, if it fails you will get a check, if it passes they recoat frame. My 99 is now flat as a pancake and have moved onto 2000 trd 4runner with money in the bank. Miss the old truck but great deal. Rust was found on the frame under passenger door, large hole. Good luck

tcincy

It depends on:

What they are offering you.
How you've maintained your vehicle.
What condition it's in for the next few yearts.

My 1999 Tacoma ran great because I took great care of it.
I had to have a GREAT deal to part with it, even in 2008 with 141,000 miles on it. I was very wary until I actually was told what they would pay me.

Mine was part of the frame rust campaign in 2008.
They were not repairing frames - they were only buying back Tacomas from owners when they had enough rust on the frame that fell short of their "standards".

Mine did not have very much - but it qualified.

I was offered 3 things: Buyback, loaner vehicle, $ 1,000 bonus.

1. Toyota offered me 1 - 1/2 (one and one half) times the
retail value. It was in the Blue Book at $ 5,800.00.
They offered me $ 8,700.00. It stunned me. As I said, I wasn't sure
the entire deal was "on the level" until then.

2. They gave me a loaner vehicle for 30 days, starting the day I turned over
my truck to them - in order to look for another vehicle.
No strings. I took one of the dealership's loaner cars. Due back in 30
days.

3. They offered an additional $ 1,000 discount if I moved up to a Toyota
Tundra. I did not - I got another Tacoma.

I had great luck with my Tacoma, and hated to part with it. But the amount of money they paid me to sell it back to them cemented it.

I don't know what I would have done if they said they would repair the frame. I have read both good and bad on here from owners who had a frame "repaired".

What are they offering you and how does it compare to you continuing to drive your vehicle as it is?

- Tim, Cincinnati

irvin1965

Well, I got the letter from Toyota. I live in Virginia so I am going to the dealership. I have a nice truck; it belonged to my husband who is now deceased. The truck has about 155,000 miles on it. The bumper as I mentioned, which should be chrome, is rusty and peeling off. I don't know about the frame. We have maintained the vehicle very well. I just don't know what to expect from the dealership. I guess if it passes inspection, they will coat the frame and if I don't, they will want to buy my truck. Man I wanted this truck to last. The letter says there is a 15 year warranty on the frame so since I have a 1998 I suppose they will let the clock run out if I have some rust and I will end up with a truck that will eventually be worth nothing.

irvin1965

What state are you in? I am in Virginia. I guess this comes down to all the salt that is put on the roads during the winter time, you think? Joyce

cbone14

This is a pass fail test. Toyota was very fair, beyond fair if you ask me. My 99 Taco had 170k on it and I got 12k for it. It does not matter what condition it is in, only that is drives and has a clean title. You can get it re-inspected up to 15years out every year as long as they are offering the buy back program. No Tacoma's from 1995 to 2000 are being repaired because they dont make that frame anymore. If it fails you get much more than truck is worth(150% of KBB retail value) or you get it recoated and then have it reispected yearly out to 15 years. The dealer does not have a dog in this fight, if anything they hope it fails so they can sell you a new one. I hope this is helpful as I just went through this last month.

irvin1965

Well, I will be finding out in the next week or so if the truck passes inspection. I have until December, 2011 to have it inspected. The 15 year warranty I would think would end at the end of 2012 since I have a 1998 but maybe Toyota is ending the program at the end of 2011. I will see what they tell me. I have about 162,000 miles on my truck and it is in very good shape, as far as I know. Thank you so much for helping me. Joyce

tcincy

Re: the warranty.

When I sold my Tacoma back to Toyota, my older brother had a 1998 Tacoma that did not "qualify". However, they advised they were retro-actively placing a 15 year warranty on all Tacomas. So his was goo dutnil 2013.
They said he could bring it back every year to have it inspected for the buyback, as long as the program lasted.

I would take it sooner rather than later to have it inspected, because you don't know when they will end the program.

jmack05

Going on Monday 8/29 for my first experience with a dealer checking my frame. I have a 2000 Toyota Tacoma sr5 v6, 103,000, original owner, good title, well cared for. Am I a fool for thinking they may do the anti-corrosive treatment on my truck? No thru rust that I can see, obviously lots of surface rust. I've browsed this forum quickly and didn't find much about this treatment. I suppose it would require a good bit of prep to do, basically really uncertain what the future holds for my just fine paid for truck, much like some of you. Is the treatment speal just to get us to the dealer? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

terceltom

If they find any it'll be up by the gas tank where you can't see it; that's where mine was. I got a brand new $11,000 frame job for my 2004 and it didn't cost me a penny. The guys at my Toyota dealership did an excellent job. It's like getting a whole new truck. Good for another 150,000 miles now. There are no buy backs for the 2000 on up trucks.

cbone14

They WILL NOT replace a frame on the 1995-2000 tacoma's, they will simply buy it back at 150% reail KBB. They will take a hammer to all of the frame and beat on it for weak spots. I to had plenty of surface rust and thought mine would pass, however after the hammer test they found a hole about the size of a 50cent piece right under passenger door. 12K later I am driving an older TRD 4runner with money in the bank. Again, dealer has no dog in this fight, it is corparate. They all treated me very nice, allowed to take anything of truck that I wanted including new tires I had on it. Good luck, it does suck if your truck fails, as mine was paid for to but you will never get that kind of money for a vehicle.

jmack05

Is there any kind of significant percentage that have passed? From my browsing, not really unless the vehicle never saw the outside world.

tcincy

jmack:

The first thing is to find out if the Toyota program for Tacoma frame rust program is still in effect.

Back when I sold them my 1999 Tacoma - in Sept. 2008, they were qualifying rusted Tacomas under two circumstances:

1. Surface rust had to be, in their estimation, in excess of their "standards".
At the time their standards were they didn't want very much surface rust
on any Tacoma frame.

My Tacoma qualified - but my brother and I agreed (and the Service Mgr.
agreed) there was not "a ton" of surface rust. Yes, after 9 years there
was some, but it wasn't a concern the frame would rust through. But it
qualified.

2. If there is / was even a pinhole-sized rust through hole - no matter how small - anywhere on the frame - the Tacoma qualified.

You might ask what the qualifying factors are NOW as compared to back in 2007-2009.

Good Luck.

jmack05

Thanks, esp tcincy
Got bulletin in mail back in April/May. I'm thinking Toyoya is wanting to wash their hands of this mess esp with 96-00 trucks sooner rather than later, at least that's what I'm hearing, very few if any trucks are 'passing.' I'm fine with it because I have no choice anyway. Took creeper/maglite under truck today, lots of 'bubbly' rust over rear 2/3 of frame, usually not a big deal, but in this circumstance, I can see where it is probably going to end up. Whatever, will be fine either way, as long as they 'take care of their customer.'

irvin1965

I have a 1998 Toyota Tacoma and I am taking it to the dealership because I received a letter from Toyota. I live in Virginia where they put a lot of salt on the roads in Winter. The letter states if they find rust perforation that they will repurchase the vehicle. If not, they will do the rust corrosion treatment. So I am going this week to see what they say. I will be glad when this is over and I wish they would buy the truck for a decent price if it is going to rust down in the road.

terceltom

You'll get 150% of Kelly "Excellent" BlueBook value if rust perforation is found.

terceltom

You are correct, 2001 and after get the new frame.

terceltom

Correction on this post, 2000 on up, get the new frame if rust perforation is found.

jmack05

I'm confused, hearing no buy backs on 2000 on up, buy backs on 2000 on up; frame replacing on 2000 or 2001 on up? Bulletin letter states either buy back or anti-corrosive treatment. Plus, I'm hearing very little on the anti-corrosive treatment actually happening.

irvin1965

Well, I shall find out this week. Never expected this to happen to my truck. Joyce

jmack05

Truck went in this morning, passed frame test, going next week for anti-corrosive treatment, will have truck for 2-3 days, get free loaner. Service manager said very few 00s are passing, but I'm probably better off since my trucks buyback would have been between $11000-$12000. Not much out there at that level, since used prices are a bit elevated esp on [non-permissible content removed] vehicles. Keep in mind replaced timing belt, shocks, cats, and tires in last 2-3 years, glad I'm keeping truck.

irvin1965

Well, as long as you are satisfied. You know a person does not have any control over this situation that they are put into. And, you have to trust Toyota that they tell you the truth about the true condition of your truck. I just hope that if they do not buy my truck that I don't find out later that it did have a rust problem (or was very susceptible to rust) and I was not told about it. Because, you know, these Toyota Tacoma SR5 trucks cost a lot of money to buy at least a lot to me. Joyce

jmack05

Agree 100% with you. Unsure how consistent dealers are from one to other, but, I use a dealer about a half hour away because I have had poor service from the local one. I trust them, when I got home I got under truck and could see all the places they scraped and hammered, made me feel better. Prices are out of sight on any of these Japanese pickups, even used. Good Luck to you. Anxious to see the job they do with this anti-corrosion deal. Josh

irvin1965

Well, I called and made my appointment for Tuesday, Sept 6. They told me to bring my truck and plan to leave it and come back the next day and pick it up. I said to them you mean I have to leave it just to have it inspected and come back the next day? Yes, she said. Now, I ask you how hard is it to put this truck on a rack and check it out. Makes me wonder if they are just planning in advance to apply the corrosion resistant spray to my truck's frame. I might need to call another place and check their procedure. Joyce

dennisny

Hi, I have a 1999 Tacoma with 54,000 miles in perfect condition. That is until my mechanic found extensive rust. Toyota has my truck, they gave me a loaner. Dealer says they will either replace the frame or buy back. It may take two weeks to get an answer.

From reading other posts, it seams the buy back is more likely. That's fine with me. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

terceltom

Dealer should know that they are not going to replace the frame on a "99". You'll get 150% of Kelly Bluebook Excellent value. This sounds good but on a truck as prestine as yours sounds, I might have wished that they reframed the truck. But you have no option. I had my 2004 reframed and the dealer did an excellent job. I kept it 3 weeks and then sold it. It was like having a brand new truck, but I just didn't need it any longer.

dennisny

Thanks for sharing your experience. I just purchased a 2011 4Runner, so I really need the "buy back". I'm sure I could have kept my Tacoma for many more years, but I could never expect to get %150. Enjoy the weekend. D.

biggun1

Ck w/the service manager. No 1 else knows beans. Mine said @ 30 min. to rack it, inspect it....& another 20min for the paperwork. In & out in less than an hr. Good luck....,john

terceltom

Interesting! I thought they were required to at least spray the truck to prevent further rust even if there isn't any, it if it passed inspection. You should for sure ask for this if they don't offer it.

irvin1965

Well, went to Shelor Motor Mile, Christiansburg, VA and left my 1998 Toyota Tacoma over night for the inspection. They found no rust perforation. They did the rust corrosion treatment and wanted to keep it 24 hours. After the vehicle was there for a few hours, I received another call that there was a crack in the manifold exhaust and it would cost me $518. Since this is not the place that services my vehicle (no longer under warranty), I declined the repair work. I will have it checked somewhere else and repaired by my service man. That way I will know if I truly have this problem and I already know I can save at least $150.

capricorn_62

Hello,
I'm a newbie to the tacoma world. I just purchased a 2003 Tacoma extracab 4x4 and I read some of the blogs about the frame rusting and toyota replacing the frame or buying the truck back. Could some steer me in the right direction to have my vehicle checked out for this? Not sure if the owner had it done or not he passed away in Jan. 2011 and I found a letter in the glove box for this problem. The underneath is all rusty but nothing serious. The wife said the vehicle has sat outside since her husband pasted away. The vehicle only has 52,000 miles on it and I really like this truck. Help!
Thanks, :confuse: