Frame Rust on a 2010

As the proud new owner of a 2010 TRD Off Road, I have been reading all of the frame threads with a growing feeling of doom. I am not eligible for any legal action (currently) as I purchased it after Dec. 2016. I figured it was time to bite the bullet and crawl under there and document how bad it is.

Is it bad? Is this normal for the rust belt?

As I see it, I have 2 courses of action.
1. Give it a light scraping and FF a couple times a year and cross my fingers.
2. The full deal. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/frame-restoration-did-it-myself.368199/
Air powered mini needle-scaler
Angle grinder + wire wheel
Klean Strip 'Prep & Etch' (phosphoric acid)
POR-15 Gloss Black !! IF YOU GET THIS ON YOUR SKIN, YOU WILL WEAR IT FOR 2 WEEKS !!
Box of Neoprene Gloves from Tyvek full body suit including hood.
Face shield + goggles
Respirator for chemicals (absolute must)

The pro's of option 1 is that I will stop the rust with minimal intrusion on the current frame. The con is that it is not a complete job and will just slow down the rust.
The pro's of option 2 is that it is a complete job that will stop the rust. The con is that Toyota will likely not cover me if there is any future litigation.

I hope to hear that this is completely normal and I can go back to dreams of mods and off roading rather than worrying about rust. Thanks in advance for any help. Oh one last thing, how the hell do I get that tow hitch off?! That thing looks like it is rust welded on. Any help appreciated.

 

that looks a lot worse than my 09

take a sledge hammer to the hitch a few times to knock off some rust and use some PB Blaster to get it to break free

 

Fluid film it as a temp solution until you find out more about the toyota frame recall situation. Maybe head into a dealership and have them take a look at the frame; you might find one friendly enough to say oh well maybe we can replace it? lol high hopes but go in and say hey look I was washing my truck and noticed that I got a lot of rust; Could I possibly pay for a inspection of the frame? Just want to make sure its safe to drive still.

You never know, they will probably inspect it; cost you a bit of money but you got it documented. A dealer can not say its safe and your on your way then come back after your frame falls apart causing some kind of damage to you or someone else; they won't hold that liability. Most I believe will just say it would recommend a replacement frame and has advise you of this. Boom now you got documentation; send that to Toyota headquarters and ask them to cover it under the frame recall. You might just get a new frame.

 

Did you buy from dealer or private sale? Some dealers around me have a 30 day period where you can trade back in for same money as long as you buy another truck from them. I would be surprised if with a little work with hammer and punch you would have holes in frame now. I would have left it where it was and found another. Good luck hope it works out well for you.

 

I would cry if my frame looked like that!

 

Looks pretty awful, My 2006 was worse but you're not far off. The real issue for me was seized fasteners. It made simple repairs very time consuming and expensive. The annoying thing is I didn't neglect it, fluid film, paint touch ups, regular washes and it still ended up rotting. Sold it and bought a Frontier. It's 7 years old now and still looks great underneath, All I do is drive through a touchless wash once a month.

Take a look at the inside of the frame rails near the catalytic converters, its where perforation usually occurs first. Make sure you can lower your spare tire. Also.. Doesn't look like that hitch is coming out anytime soon.

 

When I bought my 2010 last year I used a wire brush on the frame where rust was beginning to form and then painted it with Chassis Saver. (http://www.magnetpaints.com/underbody.asp) This paint is hardcore and was recommended to me by a family friend/master mechanic. Granted, my frame was not as bad as yours looks. But the final result is great, and a year later it looks like it was just painted.

This is what it looks like now:


The downside is that it took me 2-day and probably 8-12 hours of paining to fully paint the frame inside and out. I also got that shit on my arms and it took about a month to finally go away

Register your truck with toyota usuing your VIN and check for the frame recall. Mine was recalled but upon inspection it wasn't bad enough to get replaced.... so I coated it in Chassis Saver
(http://www.toyota.com/owners/)

 

Great, I'm filled with confidence...

 

Edit: I see someone else already mentioned where to look. These are the spots:





These are from my old frame (from an '05).

 

So you used Fluid Film, and still had your frame fail? Presumably from the spot by the cats?

How often did you Apply Fluid Film?

 

Mine never perforated but it was quite scaly. Being the 2nd owner I was probably too late with the rust prevention but it looked good when I bought it

 

No mods until the new frame is on or buy a Ridgeline (I hear they are pretty awesome)

 

I have no problem spending the time. I am a teacher and have a summer break coming up and have the time to dedicate to this project. I love this truck already but want to make sure I am spending my time/energy the right way. I bought used, private party, so I think I'm pretty much up the creek. I'm just looking for my best options going forward. I do plan on bringing it to a dealership and having it documented, but I'm not expecting much compensation and need to know what my best course of action should be. Thanks for all the encouraging words....

 

It's a little crusty but I believe it will clean up nicely with some elbow grease. The rear hitch takes a beating on all trucks,it catches all the spray from the rear tires. Anyways,remove the rust best you can and treat it with whatever you choose. What's important is to get up in the frame braces on the inside of the c-channel frame. Crawl under your truck with a flashlight and you'll see what I'm talking about. This is important,because salt and grit gets in there and has no where to go. It's tedious work but will definitely slow down the rust.

 

Can't believe you bought it looking like that

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rust-prevention-treatment-consolidation-thread.355928/

 

Bought my 2010 last summer, Also live in the rust belt & my frame looks nothing like that, a couple small surface rust spots. Go to your local Toyota dealer & ask the service dept if your trucks eligible for any recall's. They'll punch in your serial number & let you know. I just got a new set of rear leafs even though mine were fine, & new seat belts.

 

damn

 

WOW. Man that is some shoddy service. Sorry for your ordeal. Bringing mine in to a local dealer to have it inspected and documented. Plan on doing the full restoration myself. Take the bed off and do it right so I can put this behind me, hopefully...

 

Thats NOT good. The good news is you don't have to wait for future litigation, the issue has been settled and you are covered.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-toyota-settlement-idUSKBN1370PE