Frame coverage for 2011+

2017 Tacoma owner here. I got the CRC letter about 2 months ago and finally was able to set up an appointment today after the necessary "back ordered" parts have been received. The dealership rep told me that the CRC Application is not necessary for my truck because the frame has already been rust treated on the inside. He said all my frame needs is to be plugged up. And as far as the outer frame and surface area rust (if any), he said the service campaign doesn't cover that. He said my appointment will only be an hour, but I told him I heard it can take anywhere from 8 hours to 2 days for the service to be complete, and he said that amount of time is not necessary for my truck. Mind you, my truck hasn't even been in yet for inspection. He talked really fast and it felt like he just wanted to get me off the phone quick and get my appointment done quick. I feel uneasy about this information. Anyone else experience this, and/or is what he's saying correct?

 

Keep in mind that the Toyota service department has their best interest at heart, not yours. You should be able to tell if the CRC was accomplished based on the pictures posted on this forum. The frame plug kit costs about 30 dollars.

 

If it’s already coated then installing the plugs would take about 10 minutes.

coating requires cleaning and drying then coating. The drying process can take a day or more apparently.

 

Took my 2012 to the dealer today. Passed inspection just waiting for the coating to be scheduled. They told me 3 days and loaner is included. I will update.

 

Dealer said my frame looks good and I'll be getting the treatment at some point down the road. The service adviser said that they haven't started scheduling for it yet but I should be getting a call to do so in about a month or so.

 

Made my appt for my 15 to be inspected. I am anal AF about Fluid Film THOROUGHLY each year, inside and out on the frame (since new) and actually did the first application of Woolwax in October. My frame has 0 visible internal and external rust from what I can see @67k miles and 5 New England winters.

Knowing what I know about 'value engineering' and how it relates to manufacturing, I am sure the CRC is the product of a cost benefit analysis somewhere...and that Woolwax is likely better performing when applied internally.

At any rate I am hoping the inspection confirms what i know and they just hook me up with those sweet frame rail caps on the ass ends of the boxed parts.

 

I have a couple holes in the frame (dime size), and some perforation towards the rear. Still waiting to here back from the warranty department, but the Service Tech said they replaced other frames that were not as bad and he is sure it will be covered.

 

Mine looks exactly like that, 2011 with less than 50k miles. I wash the salt off thoroughly in the spring and even during the winter whenever there is a warmer day. VT is hard on vehicles.

 

Picked truck up from dealer today. CRC not needed as the Woolwax was doing a better job. In the words of the Service Advisor: "Toyota approved it!" RO confirmed email to Toyota Quality Compliance so it's on record. They installed the frame plugs. NOTE: the frame rail seals use a new hole drilled into the frame, get thee some fluid film on it post haste as it is a perfect place for the tinworm to make its appearance. Painting the thru hole might even be a better option.

I attached the Toyota procedure to the K0D service. Was a good read lol

 

Not followed this in a while. What's the consensus for having sliders welded on or a CMC? Did the dealer kick you out/call the fuzz/no issues and coated or replaced the frame?

 

I took my bolt on sliders off before bringing the truck in. They needed to be refinished anyways. However before I did so I asked the service writer and he asked the Toyota tech. He said it wasn’t necessary to take them off but the coating would cover more area if I did.

Turns out they cap the boxed section at the front and my sliders bolted into that area so I’m glad I took them off.

Weld ons shouldn’t interfere with the coating at all, but you know how dealers are. Every one has a different approach.

 

I have Apex sliders. I was going to do the same. Is the cap removable? will it interfere with re-installation of your sliders? Could you share some pictures of the cap and the job they did?

 

My sliders are Cali raised. They use a “paddle” with snap in nuts that you insert into the boxed section of the frame, then thread 2 bolts per side through the slider and frame into the paddle. The cap that you see in the picture definately interferes with inserting the paddle. The holes in the frame that are used for inserting bolts are plugged as well. Two per side.

I chose to leave the cap in place. I upgraded all the slider hardware and I’m confident it’s strong enough. In the future I might drill through the plug and the inner part of the boxed section and slide a long bolt through. For now the sliders are there for the occasional “Oooops. Ah fuck” vs constant crawling and scraping. So I think they are strong enough for now.

 

Looks like the cap i just bolted in and could be remove a put back after.

Whats the point of the cap? To minimize dirt in the frame that would hold moisture anf cause rot?

 

Keeps water and salt out and the CRC goo in?

You could remove it if need be for the slider install. Or modify it to accommodate the slider. Depends on how your slider bolts up.

 

I wanna know what this slime looks like in 5k, 30k miles. That cap thing looks like it will do the opposite of keeping things out, but in.

 

They also install a cap inboard of the cab mounts, internal to the frame (inside that huge 2" hole) and a few in the oval holes in the wheel wells (forward of the cab mounts). Also, a few other holes get plugged.

I can post pics later if it helps.

 

Called the local dealer yesterday and was told that the material is still on backorder and they have no idea when they might get some to be able to schedule the installs. After 4 months you would think they would at least have some idea.

 

I had the procedure done this week.

It went well enough.

This is what I had to say in another thread. I think it's an accurate summation.


"More study of the procedure and the limited area where the CRC is applied leads me believe this is less for the benefit of the vehicle owner and mostly to avoid liability by Toyota.

The front area of the frame where this is applied is critical for front suspension integrity and also to keep the frontal area stiff enough in case of a frontal collision for airbag function.

This is not actually much of an attempt at long term frame longevity, rather a way to assure the frame fails first in an area with limited impact to highway safety.

In other words, if your truck busts in half someplace behind the front suspension it's less likely to cause loss of control. The fact that Toyota 'did something' will look better in court.

And that's about it. I plan to have another inspection done shortly before 12 years time in service, evaluate the frame then, and plan my next vehicle purchase based on what we find.

It's disappointing. I was told prior to purchase that the frame issues were behind us. It is highly unlikely my next vehicle will be a Toyota."