1998 Toyota Recall Frame Rust Buy Back Offer! 2012

I have a 1998 taco xcab limited, w/ only 115000 miles. It has slight frame rust but has a 3" hole near the back leafspring. Could i stop all the rust and patch the hole and be able to pass state inspection for years? I haven't heard back from Toyota with a buy back offer yet but i don't want to get rid of this truck. The 98's are my fav tacomas and this one is loaded w/ sunroof etc, a luxury truck! What would you guys do? Turn down Toyota's offer? Keep it and get to work on it? How much do you think it's worth in " Excellent Condition? I have to make a descision soon

 

I have the exact truck, LOVE IT! I don't ever want to get rid of it, add to my Tacoma collection, maybe, but never get rid of it.

I guess it would depend on the offer they make you. You could always do a frame swap if you really wanted to.

 

Toyota paid nearly $12,000 for my 98 with almost 250,000 miles on it. I feel you would be fighting a loosing battle trying to keep your 98 safe. Take the money and run.

 

This. Take the money and look for a CA/AZ/CO/FL Taco. They are out there!

 

I keep looking at used trucks and would only buy another tacoma but cannot find another truck like my 98 limited anywhere! This truck spoiled me. I just want to be able to keep driving this and keep it safe for cheap!

What do you think of 2001 models?

 

i love my 02 with 265k miles

 

I have an '02 and freacking love it!

 

ill just leave this here.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacoma-marketplace/192759-wts-wtt-1998-tacoma-4x4.html

 

Good idea. Not sure if you would find one with such low miles though.

 

I feel like that's not very much for a truck that will last for many more years if the rust isn't bad and you can stop it from spreading right away. I spoke to a Toyota mechanic who said he would prob try to get my 98 limited patched and keep the truck after seeing 99 out of 100 failing frames. Some people are taking the money and buying a newer toyota and helping Toyota sales figures all in the name of "safety". I mean, that's a serious subject but a good way to get you to buy a new Toyota too. When i bought mine i never planned on selling it and said it would take $20,000 to pry it from me. I have the Original sticker price and it was a $30,000 truck in 1998. That's the porsche of a truck. Just sell it to Toyota for roughly $12,000?
Seriously how hard is it to fix a small 3" hole and stop rust from spreading. What tools would be required?

 

I just bought mine 6 weeks ago with 75K miles. Bought it in Colorado Springs. Like I said, they are out there!

 

I thought we were all pansys and don't deserve to own such a "mean truck"?

Don't endanger yourself and everyone else on the road by trying to fix it with non existent welding experience. Be a "sucker" and sell it, its just a truck.

 

No offense dude, but this ain't a one off Bentley. This things are available, for not much than 12K.

I just paid 14.6K for mine, so if you take the 12K and finance the rest, you pay like $50-75 a month for a newer truck!

With whatever you decide, good luck!

 

Agreed.

 

Maybe this is a dumb question but would one be able to buy a used 98 for a few thousand (say $5000) then go about taking the buy back from toyota and profiting on $7,000?

There's someone I know selling a 98 on my street and curious if this would work? or is there alot more to it than that...

 

I think you have to have owned it for a set amount of time (1 year???) not sure.

 

First thing they ask is: how long you had it?

 

With this said...

If they offer you this ^ than take it!!

 

Colorado uses salt on the roads, right?

Me? I am going to have my frame's rust acid removed, repaired, and I wish I could find a company that does liquid powder coating (where they dunk it in a water medium with powder coat mixed in so the entire surface is powder coated?) That or I could do that after I swap out the frame for an 04 frame

OP: Take the money and run. Because you won't have a truck anymore so you'll have to run!

 

So it seems like everyone agrees to take the money if it's $12,000? What if it's $9,000?

I have never gotten stuck in this truck and was in 3' of snow in a field! The only time it didn't start was when i left the dome light on!

I need to find a replacement factory original 1998 tacoma xcab Limited manual trans truck within a few weeks! Everything else is an inferior truck. Tundra's are way to big, however, the T100's are sweet too. Does anyone know if they are close to the Tacoma 6 cyl on gas?