06 Frame Rust Only 10,000 miles and Garaged!

My 2006 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 has only 10,007 miles and has been garaged since purchase. I've already changed the oil 3 times with Mobil 1 and waxed the engine compartment twice--I'm that kind of person. I noticed rust on the frame this past weekend. I looked more closely and found it to be prevalent: at all the joints and all the ends and all the attachments--it's pervasive. At this point it is surface rust. I took it to the dealer today and they confirmed it to be "bad" but they don't have the equipment or treatment Toyota has been promising to send them for months. I called Toyota Corporate a few hours ago and they assigned me a case number. At 63 I intended this to be my last truck. I have had two Prius and an 86 Toyota truck--none with any problems so I'm very dismayed about the rust!

 

Hi JRP and Chris,

I really like my 2006 Tacoma 4x4 4cyl man: Decent power, fuel mileage, looks, handling. I was planning to keep this truck until it no longer ran. I was hopeful for 300K +. However, looking at my pics with only 40K on the odometer, the frame may rust out before then (way before then).

Toyota dealer just said to spray some wd 40 on those areas. "nothing to worry about." They also said the warranty would not cover damage treatment as this is "only" surface rust. Right now it is, but rust does not sleep. I thinks Toyota may have another frame rust problem on their hands. I am calling corporate this week and filing a complaint. They must do something about this or I will not buy another Toyo truck ever.

 

wow.. do it. that sucks.. my 05 with 40,000 on the clock still looks perfect. sounds like a defect to me.

 

Michael, welcome to TW

Your truck's undercarriage looks like my truck's undercarriage.
Mine's an 06 w/ 36k & only 2 winters. Build date was Aug 2006.

 

Apparently it is caused by waxing your engine compartment. Don't do that.

Sorta scary how the worst blooms are all on welds, eh?

 

Wow. Did you take it to the dealer. What did they say. Our truck should not look like this with 40K.

 

Is anyone using rustproofing/underspray, repeated annually before the snow/ice/salt starts to hammer their trucks?

 

My brother-in-law had the same rusting frame problem. his truck had over 180,000 miles. he took it to the dealer and they would not even let him take it back off the lot. gave him a rental, and toyota had someone come inspect the truck. he ended getting about 12k for his truck.. research this site for the paperwork.

 

mine was pretty rust, but not so concentrated on the welds. recently got it undercoated and will be doing this religiously from now on

 

I heard about several different types ranging from oils to rubberized. Any opinions?

 

Well...it was at the dealer on Thurs....they were doing a warranty repair....I did'nt think to say anything for I am with SS .... frame swap more than likely. There were 3 trucks in bays having it done on 1st Gen tacomas. I do the power wash spray as much as I can & my friend jay is going to oil spray it this fall. It does make me

 

i have been told that oils and rubberized can actually do more harm then good. i'm not sure how true it is but i saw enough evidence that i stayed away from it

**this is my opinion, i do not have the evidence to back it..

 

this is why i got mine oil sprayed within the first 3 months of owning my truck. mine will look like that by next year otherwise due to the calcium spray they use on our highways over winter. that stuff is nasty!

 

10K miles on an '06. There's your problem, it's just sitting in the garage rusting away! Get out there and drive it!

Seriously though, that sucks about the frame rusting already. I should probably crawl under mine sometime and take a look, or maybe I'm better off not knowing.

 

its not just taco's. My mom had a 2004 landcruiser and by the end of one chicago winter her engine bay looked worse than my 1997 pontiac. I have never seen a metal so prone to rusting before. I'm seriously considering having my new taco undercoated/treated before its first winter here.

 

I did exactly the same, used Krown after seeing the warranty they offer and hearing good things about it. It's an annual thing, must-do for our area.

 

hey OP, does your truck have one of those electronic rust inhibitors???

i have saw evidence of those causing similar issues to what your pictures show. causing rust to accelerate at the welds. i could try and get the info for you if you like but i will need a few days