Tacoma 1st gen frame Rust Recall extended

I dunno what it's like in Canada but here in the US, if you fall outside of the strict warranty restrictions then Toyota won't even give you a second glance...they say no and that's that. Sounds to me like they're trying to sell you on a truck and you're likely to end up with a $15k paper weight.

I'm biased living in the southwestern US where rust is practically a non-issue, but I know enough about these trucks to know that there is absolutely no such thing as a "lucky" frame that is resistant to the rust issues every other Tacoma frame is subject to. Don't fall in love with this truck just because the rest of it might be in great shape..if the frame is bad or about to become bad then its worth next to nothing. I'd keep looking.

 

177000 km. That other one was from a private seller. Is it worth paying a few thousand more for a rust free first gen. I've seen a couple at dealers but between 16-19k

 

Thanks everyone for their input! I'm going to keep looking for a rust free first Gen. I know they're out there but pricey. What's the most you would pay for an 03-04 V6 under 200k km?

 

I found my 04 TRD 4x4 v6 with 24k miles on it and paid a little over $20k (US) after taxes and fees and such. That was 2 and a half years ago, been a great truck ever since

 

Wow that was a good find. Seem more common in the states. Just found 03 V6 Auto crew cab with 124k km @ a used dealer. They're selling for $17899.

I'm also considering trading in a crv. So depending what I get for that 17 might not be that bad? If it's rust free that is..

 

You know you won the first gen lotto finding that one...

Good for you - you'll be happy you decided to keep looking. Its out there. What's the most I'd pay? Really just depends on condition and if its exactly what I am looking for...

For me, if it was a 1 owner 02-04 Limited 3.4 DC, White paint (4WD of course - no more runners) and low mileage - QUITE A BIT.

 

So I just came across an 03 V6 Auto 4x4 crew cab with 124k km @ at used dealer for $17899.. If the frame is rust free is this a fair price? My current car's trade-in value is approx. $2000 so let's say $15899 + tax

 

I'm not too familiar with Canadian currency but from what I think I understand, that sounds about right for what a dealership would charge (on the high end but expected from a dealership). Try to talk them down a couple grand or more if you can...especially if there's any sign of frame rust. If the rust looks bad or about to become bad then walk away from it...but a little surface rust is treatable as long as it isn't terrible.

Depending on mileage (not all that familiar with KM's), make sure the appropriate maintenance has been done including the timing belt, if it hasn't or they can't prove it with documentation, then use that as a big bargaining chip because they're going to hope that you aren't the wiser. Should be pretty easy to get them to come down a little on the price since it is an older vehicle and they always command premium pricing esp at dealerships

 

How does this frame look? Looks solid

 

Would anyone from Toyota feel safe driving this? They don't care. This is just 2 pictures of my truck. The recalls were taken care of, but they did a really bad job of the undercoating. The truck (2001) only has 53K miles, never drove in the snow and look at the cheap metal Toyota used. The Service Number 1=800-331-4331 number wasn't helpful and the supervisor Maria Puliti was extremely rude and kept trying to interrupt me when I was talking. All she kept saying is "there's nothing we can do." I asked to speak to her supervisor, she said NO, I asked what her supervisors name was and she said NO. This was as far as I was getting and it stopped with her. Speak of someone on a power trip. Is this the service Toyota gives to people? I have 3 Toyota's and by the grace of God, there will never be another Toyota to grace my driveway. My 89 Toyota that I drive in the snow has no issues with the frame that I bought new.

 

what 89 Toyota do you have

 

Your expectations are/were absolutely far fetched from reality. Not sure how you came up with whatever expectations you had when you called customer service. Frame campaign for 2001 model year Tacoma ended in 2016. Where ya been last 4 years?

 

15 year extended frame warranty from date of first use. Your warranty expired YEARS ago.

 

you should show some courtesy to a new TW member
he probably got the same BS runaround i did when i called the customer support # trying to get some good answers
this could be a botched job by the dealer tech, what can be done about it?

 

Cruiserguy, pictures don't lie and I resent your smartass comment. Do you work for Toyota? I don't normally crawl under my truck and do an inspection that I deem not necessary because I trusted Toyota to have quality products. So for the last 4 years, I've been working long hours from 0 dark thirty to 0 dark thirty. Maybe you can lend me some batteries for a flashlight after I get home in the dark so I can inspect my truck. Next question...............

 

Ultimately its up to the owner of the truck as to how their truck meets its demise. Does no one ever take a peek under their truck and see that its rotting away? Or ten years ago look under and fix the minor surface rust that ended up evolving into the rot? I cant help but feel unsympathetic to the people that this happens to. Take care of your things and it wont happen.

 

The frame rot that these trucks experience would come from the inside out, without any outward appearance. My frame looked really good, until I poked my thumb through a soft spot. For the most part, Toyota went above and beyond what other manufacturers would have done.

 

Either way, if its rusting on the inside its got to be doing some rusting on the outside. Whats in that pic above didnt happen over night, or on a few months even. That took time.

 

Yes, that is at the extreme end of the rust scale. I'll say you would have been hard pressed to find any rust on the exterior of my old frame, and the breakthrough area wasn't more than about two inches by a half inch, in the usual spot at the spring hanger.

 

from the way JoeinMaryland is explaining it, he states that he took it in to get checked and sprayed in that special undercoating stuff they used, maybe twice
and apparently did not inform him of further preventative maintenance that needed to be done to upkeep it
it even looks in the one pic that the drain hold was completely overcoated over!!! which would explain the water build on the inside with no place to properly drain

more pics would be helpful