Toyota doesnt want to fix their mistakes!!! READ THIS

I bought a 03 taco DC 4x4 from and individual from New York a little over a year ago. The truck was in great condition, low miles the only problem was the frame had rust on it, mostley surface/pitting. I got an outstanding deal on the truck so I took my chances and bought it. Later on, I found out toyota was doing a service campaign on 95.5-2000 tacos because of frame rust either replacing the frame, re-spraying the underliner (if the frame didnt qualify for replacement), or buy the truck back for double or triple the amount it booked for. The catch was it had to be in one of the specified states to even get the frame checked.
So I buy this truck from the guy in NY that bought it from a dealership, brand new, in NY (im the second owner). After reading on the toyota website about the 95.5-2000, I give toyota a call even though its an 03. Seeing as how the truck has spent its entire life in NY, which is one of the qualifying states, I thought Toyota would do the right thing and atleast re-spray the undercoating.... WRONG!!!!
They told me because the truck wasnt in NY anymore that they wouldnt pay for anything involving this issue. I asked could I atleast take it to my nearest toyota dealership and get them to check it out free of charge and they said they wouldnt even pay for that to be done.
I know I bought the truck knowing the rust was present but since this has been an issue that toyota has delt with in the past with their tacoma's I would figure they would at the least let me bring it in and get it inspected.
They claim to CARE so much about their relationships with their customers, and their customers safty but this is a prime example that they DO NOT at all.
This is my third toyota, and my dad has had countless toyota trucks but this will be our last one ever.
A company that big and nation wide known should do the right thing but I guess "doing the right thing" is a thing of the past. Instead of moving forward, toyota is moving backwards.
So to anyone that is thinking of buying a tacoma or any toyota for that matter, keep this post in mind. I will post this on every toyota site I know not to bash Toyota, but to warn unsuspecting, hard working people that this is the way that you are treated by one of the largest automotive companies in the world when it was their faulty material that caused this issue in the first place. I understand people make mistakes. Bottom line, Im pissed about Toyota not fixing their faulty material and leaving myself, family, and other families around the world at damger for driving one of their vehicles. Thanks for reading

 

Ouch man, sorry to hear that. Are there any other posibble route's to get Toyota's attention....maybe corporate venue?

 

Sorry to hear about your issues man. Bummer.

And I'm sorry that you bought a truck that you knew had rust issues, and tried to get Toyota to fix a problem for which your truck does not qualify. Sucks that Toyota won't fix YOUR mistake for you...

And not for nuthin, but Toyota may or not care about its customers, as you claim, but this is irrelevant. You aren't their customer- you bought the truck from someone else.

Just sayin... Good luck with your issue.

 

Call Toyota Customer Service and explain the situation to them. They should give you a claim number to take to the dealership. Down in GA, they may not be used to dealing with the frames like they are in NY.

 

if you called a dealership of course they wont want to check it out because thats money out of their pocket.. all dealers are full to the brim with bullshit and i would actualyl go into a local dealership and be persistant and if they dont give in then file a report with corporate and they will usually change the tune of the dealership

 

This

 

so you bought the truck from a private seller, from out of state, knowing it had rust issues, and are upset at Toyota because they wont do the rust frame recall on your 2003 that was in place for all 95-2000 models?

 

They don't care about people that buy their shit from the dealer, they just pawn it off and don't do much except make a half hearted attempt to fix a problem. Then when it isn't fixed, throw up their hands and say "we don't know what the problem is". Corporate is no help, you might as well run as hard and as fast as you can into the nearest brick wall.

I reached my last Toyota in February, when they gave me a tug job over a persistent noise in my wife's Corolla. Three days later, we had a new Honda. When this Tacoma outlives it's usefulness, that will be the end of Toyota in my household.

 

sounds about right....

 

your first mistake was buying a truck from ny. your second was knowing it had rust and still going for it anyways. theres another stipulation to that buyback.. ownership. you have to have it for a certain period of time if im not mistaken. you cant just pick up a rusted yota and expect to triple your money by hawking it to toyota... not saying that was your intent.. but some people tried.
it should be the dealers responsibility.. not toyota though. you didnt buy anything from toyota. you bought a truck that spent 7 winters in salted roads from a dealer who knew that. hell, anyone living in ny knows that. youre from ga, so that kinda sucks for you. sorry for your luck, man.

and besides.. the buy back was for 95-2000. you clearly dont fit into that category.

 

OP, just re-read what you were trying to do, scratch calling Toyota, they'll just tell you what Pudge stated. You should have inspected the truck better before purchasing. Get yourself a wire wheel and go to town!

 

Bummer. At least you got a heck of "deal" on the truck knowing it had rust issues...maybe with the money you saved you could get it fixed instead of expecting someone else to do it. You got a "deal" all right. Chances are if it's just surface rust they wouldn't cover it anyway. Just take the money you saved and get it fixed or do it yourself.

 

The rust recall is in effect for his model year as well, and he should be absolutely be covered. It has nothing to do with him not being toyota's "original customer."

I would give corporate a ring.

 

Is it his mistake that toyota made a frame that has horrible rust issues? And his truck is covered by the recall. This is an issue that Toyota will and should fix. Every car manufacturer knows that when they sell a vehicle that the person that buys it will not own the vehicle for the entire life of the auto. He is still a toyota customer whether he bought it from toyota or not.

 

Shouldn't have bought the truck if you knew the rust was there and could be an issue. You're not a Toyota customer if you don't buy the rig from Toyota IMO.

Why would you buy a rig from NY if you live in Georgia? Wouldn't Georgia rigs have far less, if any, rust issues?

 

tell them you just moved from ny or find someone who has a hook up at a dealer in ny or nj to help you out

 

X1000
Not ever customer is worth keeping.

 

First of all, Toyota did a great thing owning up to the frame issues tacomas have. That being said, IMHO your truck should be covered; it shouldn't matter where the truck is now. Logically, if it spent a significant amount of time in one of the covered states and exhibits rust issues it should be covered. Of course this is just my opinion.

 

First, there are flaws with your title/statement.

Second. All the people giving you shit are 2nd gen'rs who (i'm assuming here) have little experience with the frame recall issues of 1st gen's. But are mostly just giving you hell for your attitude (which does appear to be a little 'entitled' but maybe that's just because this is the internet.)

Flaw: You're trying to get them to cover the wrong problem, you're not going after the 95.5-2000 recall, you should be going after the 2001-2004 recall in which many of the frames are REPLACED, the vehicles are rarely bought back and crushed.

Flaw: It is no where near 2 to 3 times KBB/NADA. It is 1.5 times excellent condition TOPS. For instance, my friend with a '99 SR5/TRD got approved for recall, but since his ABS was broken and a few other things were mechanically amiss, he only would've received non-SR5 excellent compensation (A decent difference$) unless he paid to have them fixed. So instead, he manned up, declined the check and is cutting out the rot and welding in reinforcement plates and will drive the truck until the wheels fall off.

It also does appear that your southern location is a hamstring for you. Dealers south of belt have little experience with rust and their related recalls. Go directly to corporate and answer only the questions they ask in polite tones, maybe you'll have better luck.

Finally, please use the search feature and do some research. You're clearly ill-informed on how this recall works.