Stay away from Gen1's ???

This is my first post here. I'm looking at small trucks and had decided on a Gen1 Tacoma due to price range. After finding this site to do research on them i am very dissapointed to see they have serious frame rust issues.

Is everyone staying away from used Gen 1's? It seems from the threads i have read while searching that they all have rust just some are worse than others. I live in Iowa so better area than some but worse than others. It would seem even if i found a decent one the rust would become an issue eventually.

Is this the general consensus?

 

Not all 1st gen Tacos have frame rust issues. My '99 doesn't because it's been in SoCal it's whole life. Just find a truck that's been used in non-snow regions such as the Southwest. You just can't generalize and make a blanket statement the way you did just by reading a few websites on the internet.

 

I bought my first gen about 6 weeks ago. It's been in PA its whole life.

 

Any first gen can be winterized as well, so that (barring any prior damage) they won't rust in winter snow/sand/salt road conditions.

The problem that people have been running into - Toyota should have made better precautions to protect the frame from rusting under these conditions. There are number of shops in snow hit areas that can do an undercarriage treatment that will help winterize any vehicle.

Don't let this scare you from the 1st Generation Tacomas. They are superior to any other mini/compact truck in off-road ability, handling, quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction (which is why we are here).

Toyota isn't perfect, but they are closer than any other manufacturer I have driven (and that's a ton of vehicles).

 

You've got a point... it is a bit 'scary' shopping for a first generation truck with all these rust issues out there.

Your best bet is to do some research and talk to previous owners who had the rust issues. Find out where the rust is generally located. Then - when you shop for a truck - inspect the frames with a small hammer and paticularly where you seen it most occur (rust that is). If you find a truck that you believe to be 'good' - request the seller (or you) take it into the dealer for a full inspection to make sure it won't PASS the recall. Then - talk to someone at Toyota and find out if there's something you can do to prevent further rusting.

It all depends on what you're looking for, what you find, how long you plan on keeping it..and how much the truck will cost to purchase - whether you think it's worth the purchase and not having to worry about the issues several years down the road.

 

Thanks for the info guys.
Sounds like there is some decent ones out there. I have looked to see where the rust is occuring so i'll know where to check.
I think i'll look for used ones farther south than me and maybe can find a good one.

I just wanted to make sure i wasn't looking at models i shouldn't be.

I only plan to have it 2-3 years and hope to get a brand new one then.

Thanks for the responses.

 

007, can said shops "rust proof" the inside of the frame?

 

Short Answer: Yes, to an extent.

LONG Answer: While some shops can spray the inside of a frame (even fully boxed), nothing that is made out of a corrosive metal can be "rust proof".

However, you can do your best to stop it. Even my 2nd generation Tacoma could rust if it isn't taken care of properly. That being said - the undercoating will prevent most kinds of rust. It will not be effective if you high-center the vehicle and scratch it all to hell.

Let me clear on one thing that I wasn't clear on last night...

Once a vehicle has rust (that isn't just surface oxidation) the only way to remove said rust is to cut it out. Rust is still considered car cancer. It can travel through metal under paint where you can't see it. Also, just because a vehicle has a smooth painted surface doesn't mean that the other side of the metal isn't rusting.

Have ANY vehicle you buy inspected!!!
Even a new one could have been trashed on a test drive - you should know about that from the get-go.

 

I was feeling around inside my frame (through some of the holes that are supposed to be there) and I could pull out some thin slices of rusted metal. Is it possible to "clean" out the inside of the frame from all the surface rust then spray the inside...easily?

 

you should be able to do that..........probably easiest way would be to use a high power pressure washer or something to the inside parts of the frame, so that the high pressure of the water and whatever cleaner you use will do its job,a nd get the residual rust outta there, then im sure there are products out there you can spray for the frame insides to rust-proof it.

 

Find one without rust.

The 1st Gen are tough trucks.

 

I always heard here that frame rust was mainly narrowed to the '99's? I know my '01 has not one hint of even surface rust-so I at least know it wasnt an '01 issue. Right?

 

your's is safe, ridge!! i think the rust problems only go up to the 2000 yeare model, i could be wrong, but im pretty sure thats what i read.

 

That would be an affirmative....

 

Don't forget that Toyota is warranteeing the 95-00 Tacoma fames for 15 years now that they have discovered the frame rust problem. Now THAT is customer service!

If there is a problem, they will fix it or buy your truck for a premium like they did mine. I had a '95 with 160K miles worth $3500, and they bought it for $8500 and gave me a coupon for an additional $1,000 toward a new truck. That is why I have an '08.

So instead of wondering whether to buy a 1st generation Tacoma, I think the right choice is to buy all of them that you can find, and make a profit selling them back to Toyota!

 

Ah thanks you guys

 

Here's the letter:

 

So i assume the 15 year frame warranty covers all owners in that time period? Meaning if i'm the 1st or the 10th owner the truck in the time frame i'm covered? I didn't see anywhere in that posted letter where they made that clear.

Thanks for the info and posting of the letter!!

 

I`m in S.E. Nebraska and have an `01 Tacoma, (original owner), I had rust protection from Ziebart put on immediately and also hit the car wash on warmer winter days. The frame is solid / no rust. The box has a spot of rust about the size of a quarter on the floor thats not through though. Bottom line, just shop around and find one thats been taken care of.

 

I just got done taking photos of my '01 Taco 4x4 frame and I'm mailing them to Toyota today along with a letter giving vin # and mileage (44,000). Truck is rust free with exception of frame. All the factory undecoating is peeling off. Yes, I had it winterized with the oil based sprays at a cost of $100 per year for the past 3 years.