2001 Tacoma FRAME is RUSTING AWAY!

I have a 2001 4x4 regular cab. Bought it new, took care of it, had Rust Stop Oil treament done 4 times. Garage kept but drove in Winter. Washed often to get the salt off it. I have only 52,000 miles on this truck. The frame is really rusting away and it's killing me. I called Toyota and they told me the VIN said a free frame inspection was authorized. I took it to the local dealer. A young 21 year old kid crawled underneath it, in the parking lot, with a small ball pean hammer. He tapped on it a few times and said the frame is fine! End of inspection. This was last year and I could pull chunks of rust and metal off the frame in areas where there were welds or connections. It's much worse now. I called Toyota again and they said my truck is not part of the recall "yet". I said what do I have to do, wait for the frame to fail while driving it?? She went mute. Resale value of the 2001 4x4's have fallen sharply since this issue hit the news. I can't get squat for it. Now the 2001 Tundra is having the same problem and a recall was issued for them. Any word if a recall will be coming for the 2001 Tacoma? I can't say I'd ever buy one again. Pretty upset with Toyota. Opinions appreciated. Thanks

EDIT: I'll try and post a picture once the rain stops and I can crawl under it. The rust is HORRIBLE

 

the recall i definatly out for the 01-04 frame. they replace the frame and suspention on them. the tundra they are just replacing the cross member over te spare tire for now at least. my 04 isnt bad enoufe yet but toyota will do it if their are holes in the frame. were do you live

 

Erie County NY. Think Buffalo..... I know. Road Salt. I've had other trucks and none of them rusted like this thing. I really cleaned and took care of this truck. None of my friends with other brand pickups have frames that look like mine. They don't take care of theirs either like regular washings, etc. I looked at their frames and there is just surface rust on them. My tacoma frame is pitted, flaking and rotting to the core. Toyota won't do squat for me. I could fill a 1 gallon bucket with hand removed rust flakes in 5 minutes if I wanted to.

 

They just announced the recall for the Tundras... Tacomas next?


Toyota recalls 100,000 Tundra trucks

Federal safety regulators say the vehicles are prone to excessive rust, which can cause brakes to fail and spare tires to fall off.


http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/24/autos/toyota_recall/

 

i would take it to the dealer again and get them to do it again. my friend isa dealer mechanic and he has replaced a couple frames on 01 and 02 so far but he told me that all 01-04 truck are under the recall for 15 years. the frames are made by the same company that make ford frames and ford tells you to bad when their frames rot and fall apart

 

How would I do that? Would Toyota pay for it? I just called them last week and they said they won't do squat.

 

toyota will pay for it if the rust is bad enoufe

 

I'd go back to the dealer. All the tacomas in that year range are getting replaced at the dealership near me. Its like non-stop up here in the northeast. I saw 3 the last time I was at the dealer this summer and actually took a pic for tw live thread.

 

A dealer inspection has to be authorized by Toyota or so they told me. They won't do it again as they said the frame was fine last year after the 20 year old mechanic crawled under it and tapped it with a ballpean hammer. I sent Toyota USA photos of the frame and the pieces (large) that I could pull off with my fingers. I never heard back from them.

 

I've relocated several times since I bought the truck. I never got a letter.

 

The last inspection was in August of 2008 so it's been well over a year. I called Toyota consumer relations last week and told them the frame was getting very bad. They had my info from last time and have a file started on my truck via the VIN number. They told me that the frame rusting away is just part of living where I do. Does anyone have a phone number or a person to contact at Toyota HQ in regards to this issue? If I hadn't had the four Rust Stop Oil treatments done, this frame would be toast by now. Thanks

 

This came from another source doing a google search

Owners of 2001 – 2004 Tacomas have begun to receive letters informing them of a Customer Support Program for frame perforation caused by rust. This warranty extension will be offered for a period of 15 years, five times the original coverage, with no mileage limitation from the vehicle's in-service date, for this specific condition; some conditions apply and these are explained in the Owner Letters.

I can assure you we have gone to great lengths to fortify the integrity of this extraordinary program. Here are some details of the program and what we have done to prepare for this event.

Based on our experience with the 1995 – 2000 Tacoma, we were able to determine that greater than 97% of the perforated frames came from twenty specific Mid-Western and North-Eastern states where road salt use is prevalent.

Owners in the twenty states will have until October 31, 2010 to visit their local dealer for an inspection and application of a corrosion-resistant treatment process in order for the extended warranty to be applied to their vehicle. Toyota is currently preparing the dealerships in these specific twenty states to apply the corrosion-resistant treatment. Customers will receive a letter from us when dealer preparations are complete. Further details and limitations will be provided in the owner letter. Owners in the other thirty states do not need to take action for the extended warranty to be applied.

We encourage owners to wait until they receive their letters to ensure the dealer has ample time to spend with their vehicle.

If the frame is confirmed by the dealer to be perforated, it will be repaired. Obviously, this new program is different compared to the earlier model Tacoma and here’s why.

When we announced the 1995 – 2000 Tacoma program, frame repair was not an option for us or our customers. At the time, we no longer manufactured frames for many variations of these vehicles. In the case of 2001 – 2004 Tacoma, replacement frames are still in production.

To develop this new program, engineers here in Los Angeles, working with Toyota engineers from Japan, created a more comprehensive and less intrusive disassembly and reassembly process with built-in quality. In doing so, they identified all of the major and ancillary parts needed to complete the repair.

Along with a frame, dealers will receive kits that include all the necessary nuts, bolts, washers, clips, mounts, etc. Additionally, they will replace specific major components like leaf springs and lower control arms as necessary. They won’t replace mufflers, brakes and other wear items as part of the program. However, if the owner wants these parts replaced, we provide the opportunity to take advantage of labor savings.

We have allocated a generous amount time for dealers to complete the work and to address the unique challenges specific to each vehicle.

We are confident with the unprecedented steps taken with both programs to minimize the inconvenience of our customers and to protect the value of their vehicles. It is our intention to deliver on the “total ownership experience” and to maintain loyal Toyota customers.

We sincerely appreciate the feedback we receive from sites such as edmunds.com. If you have any concerns with your Tacoma or other Toyota vehicle, please call our toll-free help number at 1-800-331-4331. Thank you.

Brian R. Lyons
Safety and Quality Communications
Toyota Motor Sales USA

SOURCE: Toyota Tacoma 2004 and Earlier Frame Problem - CarSpace Automotive Forums

 

Not to be a P.I.A. BUT a "Toyota inspection" is MORE than a "20 year old" banging a hammer on a frame....Two things missing here,the dealer "Makes" $$$ on these ,why turn away a factory authorized job and Toyota "Keeps" a customer unlike other companies that have ANY problems and tell you , sorry but "Buy another one"....

That being said,read the "Frame sticky" on this and you will find MORE people have had GREAT results from this than those who did not...Myself included

The TUNDRA recall/TSB is brand new BUT typical Toyota,They will fix it on their $$...Friend has already been in touch with his dealer and "When" the TSB starts he is at the top of the list...THOROUGH inspection included .

S

 

I'll give it one more try with Toyota. Then I'll post photos of my truck frame and photos of the dealer letter that says the frame is A-OK. I'll bring my camera to the next "frame inspection" and take a picture of the way they inspect truck frames. They didn't even take it in the building and put it on the lift! They sent a kid out to the parking lot with a hammer he crawled under it to tap the frame. I'm not kidding you. You want the dealership name? West Herr Toyota in Orchard Park NY. The service desk was a bunch of young kids text messaging each other and wondering what they were going to to get for dinner. I had trouble even getting their attention as they were so busy with the phones and the dinner stuff. It sucked.

I doubt this is a cash cow for the dealers.

 

Try talking to Ben about it.

 

Thanks for the suggestion about "Ben" but I have no idea who this guy is or how to contact him. I'm just a guy who has a low mileage Tacoma that is rotting away. Toyota sent me to the dealer last year, the young guy crawled under the truck with a hammer.....tap tapp tappp. Frame is good to go. One year later and the rust is horrible.

You guys make this frame rot/rust issue with Toyota sound so easy! It's been a nightmare for me. Can someone post the INSPECTION PROCEDURE that Toyota dealers use to check the rusted frames on a Tacoma?

TOYOTA TACOMA FRAME ROT/RUST INSPECTION PROCEDURE FOR DEALERS:

(Insert here)