Frame rust inspection

Has anyone else been told they will only inspect the frame once? I took my truck in last year around this time and was told that there were several spots that were bad, but they didn't technically fail because it was not completely through the frame. I was told to watch it and get it reinspected if it got worse before the deadline. This weekend I was washing my frame off from some salt and ended up with a pile of rust on my driveway from my frame just flaking away. I called the dealership today to see about having it reinspected and they said that Toyota only allows them to inspect the frame once. On this forum and on others, I have heard of people going to one dealership and it failing and the next week taking it to a different dealership and it failing. Or they had it inspected and then had it reinspected a year later and it failed. Now I'm pissed at myself for getting it inspected last year, I should've just waited until the last minute to have it inspected. My wife is looking at getting a new vehicle very soon and I am seriously considering trading my Tacoma in on her new car and keeping her 4Runner. I use my truck constantly, but am scared at this point that in another year or two when I am looking at buying a new truck it's going to be worthless because the frame is rotting. We aren't in a position for me to buy a new truck until we sell some land that we have for sale. Anyone able to get their frame reinspected after it passed the first time? I sent an email to the general manager of the dealership, but haven't heard back from him yet to see if there is anything they can do. Not sure where else to go at this point especially since my service department told me last year there were bad spots that needed to be reinspected.

 

Did you get anything in writing the first time ??

 

It should not be only once, have you tried calling Toyota corporate ?
If indeed they tell you there was one time deal I would sell the truck right away.

 

Unfortunately no. My dealer has always bent over backwards for us, replacing my wife's catalytic converter under warranty when it was out of warranty by about 5,000 miles and other things like that. It wasn't written on the official paperwork either. It was just when I picked it up, the service manager said there are some bad spots so watch them and bring it back in if it gets worse before the deadline. I did not know there was a one time inspection so I just assumed I could take it back in and have it reinspected.

 

I have not, I just talked to the dealer this afternoon. Service department said only one inspection so sent an email to the general manager of the dealership since he wasn't in the office and haven't heard back from him yet. If I don't hear anything from the, I will call corporate.

 

Sound incongruous (what ever that means) bending over backwards and now one inspection. Good luck to you with corporate.

 

Why not bring it to another dealer for inspection and see what happens? Can't hurt.

 

From toyotaowners site:

It appears that the dealer failed to follow Toyota's instructions. Call corporate and go to another dealer.

 

I asked him about that and he looked it up and said that if it passed inspection Toyota said there was no other action needed. He seemed to think that the corrosion prevention was only for the northern states and did not apply here.
I'm calling a different dealer tomorrow and seeing about taking it in there. If they will check it out, they probably just gained a new customer.
It pisses me off that my local dealer that my wife and I have spent $50,000 at, my parents have spent well over $50,000 at and I was likely to spend another $40,000 at in the next couple years won't inspect the truck and do what they told me they would last year.

 

I would just take it to a different dealer and not say anything about a prior inspection, just say you want to get the frame inspected and see what they say.
I just took mine in last week and the dealer said the frame was bad and they would talk to corporate and get back to me, called to check today and they said the new frame has been ordered.
From what the guy on the phone said is that toyota is not questioning the dealers that say the frame is bad, they are just sending new frames.

 

Hope U R successful and if so bring the receipt of your next $40,000 to the original dealer - on second thought if they gave a shite they'd probably take care of someone that spent $100,000 with them.

 

I called the other dealership near me and asked about getting an appointment and she asked for my VIN so I figured I was caught. Gave her my VIN and she said it looks like you don't qualify since you have already had the inspection. I told her I was under the impression that I could have it reinspected if my frame got worse. She said let me go check to see what we can do and then immediately changed her mind and said lets just go ahead and set up an appointment to have that reinspected for you. Might have to let them know that they'll be my first choice to buy from when I go to buy my next truck, if for nothing else their willingness to at least take a look at it.

 

"they'll be my first choice to buy from" sounds like a good idea.

 

Your truck find the holes.scrap tap punch the weld points etc..,Inside out like you were going to buy it yourself!!!

 

Had it inspected at the other dealership yesterday. They said they reinspect trucks all the time and were dumbfounded that my normal dealership wouldn't even look at it. Anyway technically my truck passed, they didn't find anywhere that the frame was completely perforated, but there is enough damage that the dealership feels it should be replaced so they are going to fight with Toyota to see if they can get it replaced. The service manager said sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I'm supposed to know by the end of the week.

 

Take a punch and hammer time that bitch then say hey look it's perforated duhhh

 

The dealership finally heard back from Toyota and they denied the claim saying that since my truck was inspected last year and passed, they didn't have to do anything.
So my next question is what do I do to my frame to prevent it from rusting out before I get rid of it?

 

That sucks!
Call Toyota Care file a claim.
What year is your truck?
Where are you from?
Seems it would have gotten the crc at least.

 

Truck is an 2005, been in Missouri it's whole life. I've talked to corporate, their response was that it was inspected last year, that was all they were required to do. I asked them about the rust preventative and they said that they only do that in certain parts of the country and Missouri didn't qualify for it. The dealership said they took it was far as they could and Toyota told them the same thing, even though the dealership says it should be replaced and sent pictures of it to them Toyota came back with, it was inspected last year, it passed, there is nothing that we have to do. Makes me think that Toyota is trying to pocket a lot of the lawsuit money instead of using it to replace the frames like they are supposed to.

 

Check frame yourself, but the best prevention you can do is probably what @Dagosa does. spray frame with biodegradable oil. Its not best thing for environment but it should keep your frame in pristine condition for years