2001 rust hole came out of NOWHERE

The underbody and frame of my truck (considering age and 236,000 miles) is beautiful! It has always been very well maintained and washed thoroughly after each snow storm.

But I was got under the truck to do regular maintenance and noticed a large rust hole just above the front mount of the passenger leaf spring. So I took it to the dealership and had the inspection done. They said that I am 49 days outside of the replacement coverage window and that that Toyota will do nothing..

I tried calling Toyota myself and they relentlessly told me that I am out of luck.

I am hoping that someone might have any ideas about what I should try and do next? I feel like if I am able to get a hold of the right person at Toyota that I might be able to make something happen but want to make sure that I am fully prepared with as much info as possible.

Any thoughts and advice would be extremely appreciated, thanks.

 

The warranty covers 15 years from the date of purchase/manufacture (not 100% sure which one but think it's purchase) so it's all up to the dealership/Toyota how it's handled.

 

The rust doesn't come from no where. It's been eating at the inside of your frame rails for a while and just got through. Oil it all up in and out to slow it down. 15 years and 230k is a good run.

Good luck with toyota

 

wow that sucks dude, your warranty is 15 years from mfg date so even though most people think its 01 + 15 = coverage until 2016, a lot of 01 trucks were made in 00 so check your door sticker to see when it was made.

if it says it was made in 01 then I think you might have coverage but as you can imagine, Toyota wont do it unless you force them to and that may involve a lawyer at this point but it all depends on the date on the door sticker

 

The drawback of a boxed frame: it rots from the inside.

If this is the only hole, you can take it to an independent collision shop and have them cut out the rot and weld in a reinforcement plate. Less invasive and obviously less costly than a frame replacement.

 

You have a few options !!

Sell your truck !!

Fix your truck!!

I chose to repair my truck I turned down the buy back from Toyota As I already had more $$$ then they were willing to give.

It now has a warranty till I no longer care to work on it.

I am sorry you waited to long you had to have known about the frame issues .

It was just a question of when you had a issue you could see.

Crawl under with a hammer I venture you find quite a bit more damage then you see now.

 

Rust.
The closest thing I have found to a top notch ninja.

 

I wish you the best of luck but it has been my experience that Toyota will not budge once they declare a truck no longer covered under the frame warranty.

If you love your truck and want to save it like me with my 01 DCSB, you will have a lot of work ahead of you.... Otherwise, sell it and move on.

 

I find this BS too. Even if you're 49 days out of replacement, rust doesn't just pop up into a hole in 49 days. That was brewing for a while. Have you ever had Toyota inspect the frame before?

 

that is exactly the way it happens and people are just not in the habit of crawling under the truck to beat on the frame with a hammer every month to test it.

its very common for a frame rust through hole or crack appears out of no where just like magic on a frame that "from the outside" still looks solid. you have been on this website long enough to know this.

 

Mine did the same thing, i also bet if you look on the inside of the frame rail by the gas tank its all rotted out as well. I welded a CBI frame plate over it since i found a few more holes after i did some grinding over some rust patches. I also tore a rock slider 75% off my frame due to rust and there are holes all behind those plates as well. Cut out the rust and weld a patch on there.

My trucks WAY too modified to deal with a replacement.

 

Based on a letter I received from Toyota corporate when I purchased my truck, it is 15 year from date of purchase, not mfg date.

 

The last letter I saw the dated from the "In service" date, that is, original purchase. All warranties I know of use that date, not the date it rolled off the line. Otherwise all the 10 year whatever warranties out there would only be 8 or 9 in actual life.

 

I find it hard to believe there is 0 zero evidence of rust then 1 day there's a hole, but my point is I would argue with Toyota that rust doesn't appear in one day. Obviously there was bad rust 49 days ago

 

Thing is if they say Ok we will warranty it.

Then they pretty much have to take on anyone who is outside the date.

I must say I was under the truck every oil change and just like that I had spots I knew it was only a matter of time .From the inside out

 

1. They told me that they go off of the "first date of use" i think of what they called it. So I guess that would be the same as the date of purchase. But regardless apparently my truck was one of the earlier ones built and purchased when the 2001 models first came out in 2000 which is why it is was already out of the extended frame warrantee. BUT COMMONNNNN, 49 DAYS!! REALLY??!?

2. I do have a good amount of experience with rust and understand that it came from the inside and that it must be pretty bad in there. By saying that "it came out of nowhere", I was just trying to express my surprise considering how familiar with and how well I care for the underside of my truck, just as many many other Tacoma World members are and do. There is barely a hint of surface rust let alone bubble rust on the frame or anywhere underneath this truck, but yes of course the key thing is what you CAN'T see.

3. I honestly assumed that the frame rust test had already been done since I have only owned the truck since 2010... which was obviously a mistake to do. I never received a letter any outreach from Toyota about my vin not being tested or anything. I think that the first I heard about it was while looking around this forum years ago

Ultimately I made a mistake and I should have made sure to look into everything and call the dealership a long time ago instead of just relying on my own biased confidence. Hindsight 2020, I am where I am and it is what it is.

I was just hoping that there may be someone else that has had to battle toyota on the phone over this issue who might have some tips for me on what to say or about who specifically I should ask to talk to, etc..

 

I agree I will probably try that, I am guessing they would reply back saying they would need the proof through an inspection though.

 

Sorry, just saw this post. That actually is exactly what the dealership told me from what I remember

 

Man you are really terrifying me right now... Sounds like a nightmare. I know what you mean though, I love my truck and have way too much invested as well: mentally, physically, and financially.

 

Well thanks for the straight forward advice. I still don't want to give up this easily at least though. What all did you try with them??