BENT Tailgate TSB done w/o hassle or BS!

Guys,

My 07 TRD Sport is only 5 months old and my tailgate is still spotless. I brought my truck in to a dealership for a tire re-balancing and happened to mention the Tailgate TSB to the service write up assist. manager.

She looked it up on the TSB and informed me that there indeed was a Tailgate TSB and without me mentioning anything, ORDERED the new stiffer Tailgate for me.

She said she can do all Tailgate TSBs for anyone who qualify. No need to show the BENT TAILGATE or anything.

Ms. Joann at Faulkner Toyota at Trevose, PA. If you are in the Philly area, get your Truck over there pronto !!! Call her first, obviously....

 

I asked about the TSB at my dealer (Keith Pierson Toyota) and was told after I bent my tailgate they would get me a new updated one. Considering I currently have 30K miles and don't want to be stuck with a weak tailgate, I keep thinking about just bending it on my own before the warranty is out.

 

Dude, bend the damn tailgate and get it over with, I'm gonna do the same thing. Pave the way for me at Kieth Pierson!!

 

Damn, still too far to drive with gas the way it is.....

 

How do I know if mine falls under the TSB? It's an 07 Reg cab Pre-runner 4 cyl. I'll bend mine too if it gets me the better one.

 

You may be closer to Harrisburg Faulkner Toyota. I would, if I were you check with them. After all it's the same Faulkner dealership owned by the same Faulkner family. Just tell them that Trevose Faulkner is taking care of their customers with their Tailgate TSBs...

 

I've been trying to get my bent tailgate replaced per this TSB (BO018-07 aka. BO004-07). Toyota of Colorado Springs first told me 'no problem', and sent me over to the body shop that does their body-work. Then the body shop calls me a day after I drop it off and says 'no-dice'. <snip>

--Jimbo

 

Is this TSB 05-08?

 

The TSB numbers are shown above. It applies to model years 2005 - 2008. But some of the later units have a more substantial tailgate on them (thus the TSB does not apply to them). Toyota made the change after the following VINs:

Code:

 
[U]WMI        Drivetrain          Production Change Effective after VIN:[/U]
5TE       2WD & PreRunner      5TE###2N#8Z485818
5TE           4WD              5TE###2N#8Z486214
3TM           4WD              3TM###2N#8M014078
3TM        PreRunner           3TM###2N#8M014063

 

James Wing
1220 Custer Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719-337-5601


13 May 2008

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
19001 South Western Ave.
Dept. WC11
Torrance, CA 90501


Dear Toyota,
I have a 2005 Tacoma that is still within the 3 yr/36,000 mile warranty period. My issue is with the flimsy tailgate. Impressively, Toyota Motor Company has acknowledged that the gates are too flimsy, and issued a TSB (#BO018-07) indicating that they will replace these tailgates under warranty with a stiffer one.

The problem arose after Toyota of Colorado Springs had already agreed to perform the warranty repair and sent me to their subcontractor for body-work. My gate has a dent in it. They are now using the existing dent as an excuse to refuse the warranty repair. I received a call from the subcontractor that it would not be covered.

Since the subcontractor seemed to be the one arguing against the warranty repair, when I went back to pick up my existing tailgate, I tried to demonstrate to the manager there how much bowing there was in the gate under a reasonable load. I hopped up and down on it three times in the center of the tailgate and the whole thing just collapsed under me. This thing is so flimsy it is a safety hazard. My tailgate won't even stay closed now.

This tailgate being defective has nothing to do with my dent. It has everything to with the gate being built with all the structural integrity of a Coors can. Toyota has acknowledged it, and seems to want to do the right thing, but is being circumvented by the use of a loophole.

There appears to be great concern that the end result of this warranty repair is that I would benefit by what amounts to getting a dent repaired for free. I am aware that dealers must handle many customers who simply try to get something for nothing. The dealership seems to be unable to get past this suspicion. If you look at my truck, you can tell that I am not overly concerned with dents (not that my motivation should be relevant). In fact, if it bothers the dealership so much, they are welcome to put an equivalent dent in the replacement (stiffer) tailgate. A used tailgate of the right color with the stiffening kit installed would be perfectly suitable as well. I need to have a gate that won’t collapse under me when I am loading tall, heavy equipment.

I think that Toyota, in pursuit of their advertised ‘meteor-proof’ reputation, instead of a ‘tin-foil’ one, has decided to replace that small percentage of their tailgates that actually get used like a real truck. I further assert that the refusal to honor the warranty on mine due to an unrelated technicality is contrary to that pursuit, and contrary to a good-faith administration of the warranty.


Sincerely,

James Wing

cc.
Toyota of Colorado Springs
1323 Motor City Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80906