Shortage of 2011 Black (and Apparently Red) Tacos

Feel free to post a link to the original thread and lock this one if this has already been discussed on here (didn't see it when I searched) but...

Apparently there is a fairly severe shortage of both black and red 2011 Tacomas (and other Toyotas and Fords). What I hear is that the earthquake in Japan knocked out the single supplier for the pigment used for black and red paint that Toyota uses. I actually found out the hard way when I just went to buy a new 2011 DC TRD Off-road, and I wanted a black one. The dealer said that not only did they not have one, but they couldn't order one or get one shipped from another dealer per direction from Toyota corporate due to said issue.

So I searched online... and the closest one (that was a DC TRD OR) was ~300 miles away at a Carmax. Went there a week ago and picked up my new baby...



I just wonder if anyone else has heard similar things or ended up in the same place when trying to buy a new black taco. If you do a google search with terms like "toyota" "earthquake" "paint" "black" ... you can find a ton of articles on it.

BTW... this is like my 3rd post, so HIHIHIHIHIHI TW!

 

like a virgin....

nice man and welcome to TW!

 

Nice looking truck. I haven't heard of the shortage, but I got my black one back in April. Welcome to TW!

 

Got my black 2011 :-D

 

Yes there is a shortage , Not just Toyota. Just this week Ford cancelled Tuxedo Black altogether. It was on hold since the week after Japans prolem started.

 

Heard about it, all they had in my area was blue or white

 

This article corroborates the story:
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/05/spied-toyota-tundra-paint-mules.html

Toyota is testing new pigments on Tundras:

 

i recall reading that the "black" changed for 2011 models, from the metallic black seen in other toyotas (mica?) to a true black. is this the case?

 

Yeah it's been Black Sand Pearl til 2010, which is the metallic black. In 2011 they introduced Jet Black, which is a legit black, and looks absolutely AMAZING when it's waxed. I get jealous because I have a BSP truck, but they are both great colors!

 

LOL if the debut of the "true" black tacoma lasted a whole 2/3 of a model year.

Looks like I'm craigslisting my taco in a couple years for more than I bought it for! ... and/or unable to find touch-up paint...

 

Well it looks like I got mine at the right time. We got ours a week after the quake, and was built in Feb. Black doesn't seem to be a big colour in Nova Scotia, and the dealer only had one when we went looking. Silver and speedway blue seem to be the big sellers.

Frank

 

I love those wheels

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=black+taco

 

Silver is 1st around me, white being 2nd. I see as many pyrite mica as speedway blue (well except for one particular speedway blue, the one in my driveway).

My local dealer (Erdman Toyota) has a black double cab T|X in stock, or did yesterday when I stopped by.

 

I just purchased the Barcelona TRD off road on Memorial Day. Had my choice of black red or white. The black in the middle TN region is more available than the red.

Etced

 

I see alot of Black and Pyrite Mica's in this area

 

Had the same issue when I bought my '11. The dealer was trying get me to buy the white one on their lot but I really wanted black. They pissed and moaned about it but finally 4 days later they came up with one. When we were doing the paperwork another employee told me that the spec I wanted, and in black, was very difficult for them to find. After reading this thread i'm glad I made the choice I did.

 

Thanks, they are the gulf coast extramile aluminum wheels that came with the truck when I bought it. I picked the truck up while I was TDY in Mississippi. Now I just have to convince the wife that I need a lift and bigger tires on a truck that only has 2500 miles on it.

 

heard it is the same situation for manual transmissions at the time being for similar reasons involving electronics (chips or something).

 

Might help explain my ~300 mile drive for the taco... not only was it black, it was a 6-speed...