FYI- Frame Failure

Good morning Tacoma world! I was walking down the driveway yesterday and noticed an 11inch long perforation on the side of my 2nd Gen frame. I participated in the 2017 recall where my local dealership deemed my frame sturdy and sprayed their CRC undercoating on it. Just got off the phone with corporate where they told me there wasn’t anything they could do for me since the recall ended in September of 2020. I filed a complaint with NHTSA. I honestly feel pretty f’ed over as I’ve continued to maintain the vehicle diligently and as expected, it runs and drives like a top. Has anyone else had their frames fail after participating in the recall? Sound off! Feel free to provide a sticky or I missed a similar post when I searched.

 

How much are OEM frames?

 

I think they ballpark for $7k+ just for the frame itself, not including any labor or supporting parts needed to do the swap. Far far more than the current value of the truck.

 

Weld a steel plate over it and continue to drive it. These truck frames rust out before the drivetrain.

 

Bummer. Next truck apply the coatings yearly or expect the same result. Rust doesn’t sleep. Put your drive train in a western states high mileage part out. That rust will be everywhere in yours.

 

Sucks man, Id repair the frame and fish plate it.

Buy a Cummins, leaks so much oil the frames last forever

 

In Toyota’s eyes they did their part by coating your frame in garbage, not sure if you got the old school noxudol trash or the newer cinnamon roll icing. The part the end user has to hold up to is be aware of the expiration date on the frame coverage and thoroughly check the frame over tooth and nail prior to that.

Frame rust sucks.

Th NHTSA isn going to do much of anything about it for further coverage.

 

This is what we did to my bud @Nic S frame. Used the safety Cap frame repair kit.

 

It was an extended warranty, not a recall. IIRC 12 years from first in service date of the vehicle.

Since you did have it inspected and treated by Toyota, there may have been an extra bone tossed in. Read the entire paperwork you received at that time looking for any nugget to help you out.

Keep in mind when you call Toyota Corporate, you're reaching tier 1 call support who have to work from a script. You may have more assistance from the dealer who did the inspection and spray.

Good luck.

 

I agree, at this point since its out of warranty. If its still a good truck all things considered I would get with safety cap and find a good welder that has done this work in the past. They'll get you sorted and drive it for a few more years.

 

This is it

 

Wow, that's really rusty. Glad I don't live back east!

 

The problem is that if it is rusted out there it is rusted out elsewhere. And it is impossible to weld to rusted metal, it just crumbles away. So, in sime cases repair is possible but in many it is not.

Toyota needs to step up again on the frames because they are DANGEROUS as is the head gasket issue not only expensive but potentially DANGEROUS--TOYOTA Corp!!!! If I had been run't over hiking down the road from my exploded engine my widow would have sued your axxxes. Same when a frame breaks in half, it could cause a serious crash.

Most dealers were telling people their frames were okay. My work bud took his badly rusted truck in and they said it did not need a new frame. I took a hammer at the shop and knocked a hole through it and it crumbled away. He took it back and then they gave him a new frame, the rust was on the INSIDE! My Taco is rust free, sort of, within what even a rust fanatic like me would consider normal but I go under the truck twice a year and scrap, blast, convert, prime, paint, Fluid Film, to infinity and beyond!

 

Toyota is not the only vehicle in the rust belt with the issue. Take a close look at the rocker panels and then eye the frame.
This vehicle is still being driven.
If I ever get back to where it was I'll sneak a look at the frame.

 

So what is everyone using for their undercoating? I have salt in the air not on the roads.

 

Where do you live?

 

Alot use fluid film, I know there are a few products but the biggest thing to remember is being consistent in applying it.

 

Thanks for the input, guys. I’ll try to answer everything at once.

I live in PA, which probably rivals any state in the county for road salt, fluctuating temperatures and corrosion.

when I called Toyota, the customer service representative elevated my case and transferred me to some kind of resolution specialist. The dealership that did the work wouldn’t even take me in to look at it and instead told me to call corporate, so that’s how much ownership they took for their inspection work.

In the past, NHTSA had forced Toyota to reimburse customers for out of pocket frame repair expenses, so if anybody has an issue, it IS worth reporting it.

I decided that with the current state of interest rates and severely inflated vehicle prices that I am better off repairing, so right now my truck is at the local fabrication shop that specializes in building custom race car frames, but supports itself with rust frame repairs. Quoted $1800 to make it right.

 

Thats awesome man, keep driving it and see if they can show you underneath when they throw it on the rack. Cheap in the grand scheme but still sucks a little.

 

Reimbursement for frame repair? The only info I’ve ever seen on reimbursement was for people who paid for frame replacement and then later were eligible under the class action lawsuit, which really isn’t NHTSA making the call.

I had a 4runner safetcap repaired and it held up fine to the day I sold it. Plenty of people running around with patched frames, get it fixed and it will have years of life ahead so long as rust is limited in extent.