2003 tacoma frame recall

To add just a few more points to this conversation:

Do not refer to the frame issue as a "Recall". There was no recall on these frames. This is an extended warranty. If you start talking recall with some Toyota customer service person who has no knowledge of the issue, they will tell you there is no information regarding a frame recall. And they would be right.

What they told you about the program expiring in 2012 is partly correct. 12/31/2012 was the deadline for the Toyota applied undercoating for vehicles registered in NY. That date did not end the program, but did end warranty coverage for those vehicles not undercoated. Other cold climate states listed above by mwrohde may have had earlier deadlines. Tacomas registered outside of those states have been covered by the extended warranty without the undercoating requirement.

Sometimes the Toyota Owners site service records are incomplete. The early history on my truck is missing, but fortunately I have the carfax, which, while not perfect, does show all the registration and Toyota dealer data going back to the original sale. Your dealer may also confirm what happened during the missing time frame. Of course, they only have Toyota preformed service, whereas carfax usually has the non-dealer service records also. If the prior owner was a DIYer, you are out of luck unless they passed those records on to the new owner.

 

Try the Toyota owners site, or check with your dealer. It looks like you re in the PNW, which generally does not have the conditions which cause the rust, such as the use of road salt for deicing. If the truck originated in your area, it would not have been required to have the undercoating. It would not hurt to have it checked out by a dealer, and you can alway take your own measurers to protect the frame from rust by using a spray-on frame coating.

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks! It’s oroginally from Oklahoma, which I don’t know much about. I’ll research

 

Spoken with the previous owner. He had all his service done at the dealer but for some reason decided to get the under coating done at an authorized repair shop down the street from the dealer. I am waiting for a response from the repair shop but it looks like I am out of luck.

 

Call back. Get a different person on the phone. The number of people at Toyota that don't know about this is staggering. Use these words: "Customer support program warranty coverage extension for frame rust corrosion perforation on certain 2001 to 2004 models" and "CSP 01-04 Tacoma Rust"

 

Wow...

 

wonder if there was a 2004 Tacoma frame recall...........Toyota claims not so.

 

As previously stated in this thread, no, there was no recall. It is an extended warranty. If you ask about a recall they will look for recalls and tell you "no". Even if they know what you really mean.

 

Not all dealers did their own undercoating. Some farmed it out. I dropped my truck at the dealer and they drove it up the street to a body shop where it was sprayed. You may still have a chance if yours was actually done at an "authorized" shop and they have records.

 

Here's the Warranty Policy Bulletin for 2001-2004

 

Fantastic find!

 

That's a good document and one I don't have. I have the customer notice, and a few others. Thanks!

 

Stay with it. As KDT said, find out if it was authorized by the dealer.

 

Read through this post, or search the site for frame rust threads, and you'll find plenty of information. Remember, there was never a frame recall, so of course they said no.

 

This is a good consolidation thread on a lot of the frame rust issues.

 

Well I am out of luck. The frame was undercoated but not by a dealer or anyone authorized by the dealer. Previous owner has no recollection about it. Their seems to be a gap of about 3 years where the previous owner had it serviced. I don't have all the records. Thanks for all the help gentlemen! Looks like i will be doing some repair work in the spring. Fortunately my frame is not in bad shape so I consider myself one of the lucky ones.

 

That's a very disappointing end to this story. I'll never understand an owner passing on the free undercoating back in the day, unless this was done before the Toyota program began, and he or she figured they were protected.

Good luck with the repairs. There are some good aftermarket weld-on reinforcements available.

 

I stated this in the 2nd gen Rusty you frame thread.
You would not believe the amount of people who have NO idea about rust frame recall.
I moonlight at a small repair shop with about a dozen tacoma owners . When I inform them about any recall they are cluelessness.

 

This is correct