2017 tacoma frame rust at 4000 miles

Hit it with a wire brush, spray paint on it, problem solved.

 

I agree with one of the previous poster, Don't try to fix it since the vehicle is under warranty. If this turns into a serious problem, they could turn you away.

Having said that, it isn't abnormal especially where I'm from in the rust belt. I see it on all vehicles with a frame. Fluid film it for peace of mind and forget about it for a while. If you saw the rust I had on my last truck's frame you would probably shit yourself, but it was par for the course living in upstate NY.

 

So are you saying you have Fluid Filmed your truck and still had rust? Just trying to figure out if that is worth the application. Varying opinions just like dietary supplements. Some swear by them, others wind up in the hospital. Compound this with the admission from Fluid Film themselves that it will affect some factory treatment. My truck has this coating they put between some seams at the factory. Really leery of touching it with anything.

 

I also made a post on this issue. There are two problems here, lack of prep after the weld causes the paint not to stick. You can typically see gold not rust at welds and surrounding splatter. The other is Toyota don't care about quality control anymore. So...
Wire brush the area's affected, paint then apply Fluid film. Good luck!

 

Thats surface rust and not anything unusual

if your concerned have your truck under carriage sprayed yearly. Late summer (mid september) is best when its still warm out and the spray can migrate into crevices. I dont know where you live but i live in southern ,Ontario, Canada. Between winter and road salt, spraying is a must.,. I got the underside rust proofed 3 days after i bought it and for $70 bucks ish a year my concerns about rusting are gone. I have sprayed every vehicle i owned for the last 20+ years and when i sell then the under carriages are free from any serious rust and no rust damage at all.

 

PART OUT!

 

show the dealer so it's on record, if they say "normal" then scuff it & paint it.

I see them new at the lots with the same thing. it's just surface rust.

 

Looked under my new to me 2017 with 35000kms last week and there’s rust all over. She’s gonna get her first yearly oil spray shortly.

 

Yes

 

2016 4runner after one north east Canadian winter. Rust checked, no rust



Fwiw, I work for the government and we have lots of trucks, old and new. Ford, GM and ram. None of their frames have rust after a couple of years

 

Coincidentally I was under my truck yesterday checking out rust. It's only a month old at this point but i've driven through three storms which involved heavy salting of the roads. I try to wash my frame after each storm but don't always get all the salt off.

I noticed a few spots that looked like surface rust which was disappointing but nothing close to the scale that OP's first picture showed. When it is warmer I will take care of those and fluid film everything.

I did want to say, that I noticed the factory applies some sort of rubberized (almost like a thick bedliner or putty) to a lot of the weld seams and parts of the frame. What is that exactly and would that be better for me to apply to the surface rust areas instead of fluid film?

 

Fluid film does work, but it needs to be reapplied at least once every year. I fluid filmed my 2017 4runner shortly after buying it, after a nice winter of snow, ice and salt, no rust anywhere and looks new. I’ll reapply in the next month, then again in the fall. It’s not hard to do, and no worries about my frame rusting in half anytime soon.

 

Do you put fluid film over the entire bottom of the truck or just frame? IE do you cover the bottom of the tranny, exhaust, etc? Do dealers get pissed when they go to work on your truck and its all greased up?

 

Sorry for the confusion! My previous truck was NOT fluid filmed, thus it rusted. My current truck is fluid filmed and doesn't have any rust.

Fluid film won't affect the coating they put on from the factory, and it's not permanent. It's just an oil barrier to keep moisture out. Given the cost, it's well worth it if you do it yourself. Most people use 3 cans on our truck, and they can be had for under 10$ a peice at lowes.

 

Does fluid film inhibit rust from getting any worse if it is already present? IE would rust get worse thats already there? I just have small spots of surface rust now, not sure if its worth it to take it all off before applying the FF

 

Spray liberally, in every crevice, over everything. People even drill into their doors and spray in there. It won't harm rubbers or plastics, and is safe to spray in electrical components.

Never once had any shop say a word to me about it

 

LOL. I know about Lowes. Actually had five cans purchased then returned them after reading a thread where someone had sprayed it on some initial rust and it made it worse. Can't find the thread now. I have sprayed down my driveshaft but hesitate on the other parts. Toyota took effort to ecoat the frame and throw some coating between seams, currently my thoughts are not to do any harm.

So your truck has gone through how many winters with FF?

 

Get an oil undercoating. I live north of boston and I have zero rust under my truck after 40k miles in 2 years and lots of snow/slush/salt driving.

 

The frame on the 3rd gen has these channels that just collect mud. Keep that in mind

 

Yes, that rubberized material is what has me worried about throwing anything on it. Fluid Film explicitly states that it may cause problems with some. And I have read on other truck sites where their factory coating came off in sheets. Now whether Toyota uses the same material is not clear.