2021 Tacoma Extensive Frame Rust All around on Welding Spots

Low quality steel provided by the lowest bidder possibly? Vs expensive (relatively) steel from Pittsburgh.

Several years ago, there was a scandal with Nissan and one of their suppliers, where they had been falsifying quality reports for their steel. Something about the requirement for perfection (common in Japanese culture) incentivizes people to lie instead of address issues.

When this came out on the news, I wondered if that's also why Toyotas seem to rust so easily.

Or maybe it's because the steel is much thinner today to save costs. Toyotas from the 70s would also rust out, and compared to American cars, they were like tin cans.

 

I wish my 1979 4wd frame was like that, I needed to buy a new toyota in 86 due to the safety inspection when taking it for emissions claimed the frame unsafe to drive on our roads. Even my 78 wolverine I sold to a fellow worker a year later was totally toast at nearly the same time. Seemed the 80's frames were a bit better, but not the rest of the sheet metal.....especially starting with the beds

 

I guess one thing nice about getting older is you quit worrying about stuff like this. If rust ever gets the best of my Taco's frame (which I highly doubt it will), I'll either be a demented old circus monkey by then or will be pushing up daisies.

 

Going in I knew Tacoma's had frame rust issues so when I was looking for one frame rust was one of the things I checked for. I found a 4YO rust free example back in 2010, pressure washed the frame, touched up a few minor spots with rust converter then hand painted the frame and the painted suspension components with POR15 Frame paint as well as I could with a brush. That was 13 years ago, today there's basically zero rust on the 17yo frame. I've seen new trucks with more surface rust then mine has on it. Granted I'm in a dry climate but it sees some salted roads ever winter.

 

OP, you are a weekend's work from not having any issues. Read the cosmoline/fluid film threads and choose what works best for you. You could probably fluid film it every year as is and not have any issues. Or clean the welds, paint , wipe down the frame, and cosmoline it. Or if you are near a NH Oil they can do it for you for $. Several options.

If you are going to DYI it is a weekend, but to set expectations it is a messy nasty weekend. Be sure to get a bunch of disposable towels and a $5 pillow you can lay on and toss when done.

No, this shouldn't happen. But no, truck isn't doomed. Just need to take a little corrective action here.

 

He's known this since day.hes just choosing to troll and waste everyone's time

 

What kind of loser would do something like that?

 

First day , car did nothing but parked in dealership. They took of plastic covers in front of me and car had barely 10 miles when I purchased it. Its crazy how parked car got rusted, it was not painted there.

It was only surface rust, but I don't want single dot of rust on my truck after I lost my beloved 2003 4runner due to chassis rust , no other problems on perfect car. Took me 20-30 min to get it all off with sandpaper. Its crazy really.



What I do now is always sandpaper that rust slowly off welding areas. Then I paint it and after few days I fluid film it. I also pour fluid film in frame holes, tail gate, basically in any area where salt or water can get in and sit hidden from my eyes.

I also use rubber covers on my bolts, I don't want no rust on my frame.





But I usually check them every every 2-3 month or so to make sure its not trapping moisture and rusting from inside.

 

If you mean rubber undercoating don't do it man, it will trap moisture inside and frame will rot inside out without you even seeing it.

 

Just when you thought you've seen everything, something new like this pic above comes along.

 

That’s taking it a bit far. If you drive your truck it’s going to get some rust.

 

what are you going to do about the bolt shanks themselves?

 

No, NHOU is a mineral oil based undercoating. I know better than to Ziebart it. Thats what Toyota did to my 05 Tundra when it was recalled.

 

I’ve never seen a steel weld that’s exposed to the weather not rust.

 

I could not find anything for it, what I will do for those in winter is fluid film. I was thinking painting maybe but not good idea probably. I also had idea for water proof tape, that I will be reapplying time to time.


I have packs of fluid film to pour it inside frame holes, places I can't reach to check and so on.

The good thing on rubber for bolts is that you can remove and see, on rubber coating you can't really remove the paint.. so it will rust inside without you seeing it, however on this rubber covers, its removable and its rubber, its not paint. Moisture can not get inside it , neither water nor salt


Its pain to look under your truck everyday during winter and without garage but I will be doing it. What I did with my 4runner was to get chassis/frame picture from wherever, then use simple paint tool on PC to color rusted areas in red, surface rust in yellow, and non rusted left blank. I will do same with Tacoma, and hopefully I won't have to put red or yellow on any parts.

Its just when I purchased 4runner it was already rusted bad, and in my hands it lasted still but it was becoming hazard, I did not want to sell it to other person so just traded it to dealership, they took it apart.

It got so dangerous that when I was pulling out from driveway I heard this " cold water on hot metal sound " when i pressed brake.. Next thing I knew was that brake line was long time rotted and just exploded.. if I was on highway I would have crashed probably.

Its insane that there was nothing wrong with that car other than rust, over 200K miles. AC working, engine running smooth 19MPG without eating any oil, just insane.

 

Fluid film ~ black for the areas that show and regular FF for the areas that don't show. They will both stop and inhibit rust but the black looks good on control arms, CV's, leaf springs etc. I use 5 cans every fall on my S10, 2 cans of black and 3 of regular. My Tacoma is staying salt free for as long as I can keep the S10 running.





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You make a good point. I'm getting an extension on my pole barn and a new roof, my buddy asked if I'm getting steel on the new roof. I replied, ""why bother? At this point 30 year shingles are going to last longer than I am."

 

Sorry @TacoFranz but it sounds like you jumped into a pot of boiling water that you were already aware was boiling. Toyotas are known for rust more so back in the day.

But I wouldnt let your paranoid thinking get the best of you.

Suggest you go in parking lot to inspect the sruface rust on other vehicles before purchasing if you are worried about this.


But without sarcasm- and for what its worth. Steel can still perform as intended even with "rust" or corrosion.
Please look up "weathered structural steel" structures all around the globe.

Not apples to apples but the point being steel is incredibly resilient and can endure atmosphere without hindering its performance.... And under much more considerable loading than your two little C channels and their welds.

 

There’s a big difference between thick structural steel and the garbage sheet metal that Toyota uses on their frames. Same with old vehicle frames. A frame from the 70’s sitting in a field will have surface rust but still be structurally fine. A Toyota’s will turn to dust.

 

Would be great if out truck frames were made from weathering steel, but unfortunately thats not the case. Weathering steel is engineered specifically to only surface rust made for high structural needs.