How effective is the rust treatment from Toyota? What can I do from here?

Recently bought my '02 tacoma with 155k miles from WV and the frame seems to have a bit of rust and I believe it has been overcoated (unless that's the treatment?). After some troubles with the toyota owners website I was finally able to get in myself and look at my trucks service records. On 11/03/2010 the truck (at 101k miles at this point) seems to have had the frame treated by the dealership. Service records show:

Operation - LSC 90D APPLY WAX TREATMENT SSC
Details - LSC 90D APPLY WAX TREATMENT SSC ~|~FRAME RUST CORROSION WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ~|~RUST PERFORATION NOT FOUND APPLIED CORROSION PREVENTATIVE SPRAY TO FRAME

Is this the same frame treatment I've read about with the frame recalls? And how effective is it? Will they still inspect it and treat/replace the frame if it have further problems? I'm waiting on a call back from HQ from the people that I was told would be able to help me find out more but will take a day or two to hear back from them. I'm not worried about the frame currently but would really like to make sure this truck is still good to drive years after I'm done paying it off. Curious to see what y'all have to say about it.

 

It's not particularly effective, unfortunately it hardens like a wax and tends to allow water to get trapped behind it after a while. Plus the frames usually rust from the inside out and they don't have a way to treat in there very well. Luckily that treatment extended your frame warranty for a little while longer, so you'd at least get a replacement frame if your rusted through in the next couple years.

 

Extends it by 15 years, correct? So if it rusted through at 2025 I'd still be able to get the frame replaced?

 

I think so, but don't quote me on it. My truck is part of the years where they just bought them back and crushed them so I never had to do any real research on the subject. Luckily my frame is bueno

 

warranty is 15 years from the "in service" or more referred to as "purchase" date. Mine is 4/4/2004 purchase date so 4/4/2019 warranty ends.

Your 2002 Tacoma may already be out of warranty depending on when it was purchased.

Keep in mind if they inspect it, and up until the end of the warranty, if they deem it OK there is no frame replacement.

 

Yup, its 15 years from the date that the truck was put into service so 2002 Tacomas are the oldest model to still be eligible for a new frame today, provided they were inspected previously. After 2017 your truck won't be eligible anymore, and even now it probably depends on the month it was put into service

 

Well, shit, that kind of sucks. Hopefully the frame will hold up here in Texas. Really would like a solid 6-8+ years with this truck. I found the "date of first use" and says August 06, 2002; so I guess I have until August 6th of this year to have anything else done. Thanks for the help guys

 

To clarify though, the treatment does not extend the warranty?

 

Nope. The treatment is what gives you the 15 year warranty from the in service date.

For example, my 04 had never been inspected nor treated so it is ineligible for the warranty/frame replacement program. If I had gotten it inspected prior to the inspection deadline a few years ago, it would've been warrantied through 2019.

Fortunately I live in the southwest and rust is a non issue here, frame still looks brand new.

 

I think the best thing to do for your frame is to get a fluid film applicator gun and drown the inside of it once a year. Google it and you will find are lots of info and videos about it, and places that sell it.

 

That Toyota band aid is crap, the frames are rusted. They don't clean them very well then apply the goo on the exterior and interior through the frame holes. Hopefully if its going to fail your still within the warranty period.

 

OP I got my 2003 Tacoma treated once it was available. it didn't last long before my truck got a hole about the size of a dime on the rear wheel well in 2015, took it to Toyota for frame re-inspection and they smacked the pointy ball pein hammer on the frame and created a 3" hole then told me its going to be about 8 months to get the frame. My 03 was garage kept since new and was never left out over night. That coating is a band aid just like Brianz said.

 

Went through the treatment process about five years ago on my '04 DC. Was doing my annual cleaning//painting of the underside of the truck the other day, and found areas of rust through on both sides of the frame, just in front of the spring mounts at the rear. Took it back to the dealership today, and got the "good news" that I will be getting a new frame.