Need advice on 1st Gen Tacoma with Frame Rust

We own a 1998 Tacoma that was treated twice for the frame rust/corrosion issue. Now the frame has deteriorated to the point it is unsafe to drive. So far the local Toyota dealer has told us that the vehicle is beyond the 15 year limit so they are unwilling to do anything for us.

My son uses the truck for college and is devastated that his truck is no longer safe. We trusted that the frame would remain sound after Toyota provided the treatment twice with no buyback offer while the truck was still within their 15 yr limit..

Has anyone had a similar experience? Wondering if there are options for frame repair / replacement that we have not explored yet?

Thanks for any help..

 

Pictures go a long way toward giving some options.

The vendor of the new frames can not keep up with the demand for the warranty replacements so I was told no new frames will be sold to the public. To the warranty claims are all finished.

If you can do the welding and fabricating yourself the cost to repair/ replace your Frame is not to costly if you need to pay normal shop labor and materials it is pretty much a project of love and not cost effective.

I have repaired a few of these over the last 15 years.

Sell the truck as is and buy another one.

 

I have a very similar situation. I noticed this morning that my 98 taco is unsafe to drive. I called toyota corporate and they noted that I had brought the truck in for frame inspection on november 3, 2011, but there is nothing they can do for me. At the time of the inspection it showed no rust according to the dealer. My vin number falls into the category of those that are suspect which is why I took it in for inspection in the first place. I also called the dealer that did the inspection and they just told me to have it repaired. I really don't think the is able to be repaired but am looking for any other opinions people my have. I would also love to hear what others have done in this situation. This is really a financial disaster that I cannot afford to deal with right now as I use this truck for my work. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

It's almost 18 years old. They're great trucks but they don't last forever. My brother has a 1998 jeep. Long rusted out. Patched up a while back and rusted out again. It's gone now..

 

It only has 190 k miles on it and the frame should last 18 yrs in my opinion. Besides that, I took it to the dealer and had it inspected in 2011. So according to your reasoning the frame just rusted out in 4 yrs but was absolutely fine before that.

 

Where Do you Live?? Close to Allentown Pa ?/

Pictures are a great help.

Anything can be fixed !! The question is it cost effective for you

If you can weld and fabricate you would have just repaired it or built a new frame.

My 2000 was great for years keeping an eye on things rusting from the inside out you don`t notice till you can stick your finger through.

 

I have been trying to get pics up but don't have a third party service, can you recommend one? I live in western NC.
I really feel like I have been hung out to dry on this one. I did everything I was supposed to do as a consumer. Forgive me if I am sensitive. lol

 

oh dear!

 

And to think I was considering upgrading to a newer one, but I thought "nah" this truck will run forever. This is pretty serious for me as I am sitting out of work indefinitely without a truck. I have loved this truck and considered it unstoppable. After reading the multiple threads on here and seeing how many complaints there are with consumer affairs, etc. I don't see how I could buy another toyota. Even if I can fix this with a body shop I won't ever trust the truck again. I mean, if it is rusting from the inside out, I don't see the point.

 

Tacomas have frame issues, but so do many other vehicles, especially up north where they salt the roads. Don't let 1 issue slow you down. These trucks run. And keep running. A truck that's over 15 years old has definitely run a good life, and you can't blame Toyota for not fixing a truck that old. It would cost more then the truck is worth.

 

You can also still find another quality truck. I just found my 99 with 61k miles on it.

 

Did you check the vin number on that 99? Just sayin...
http://www.showstop.org/images/truck/rust_warranty/warranty-policy.pdf
They had the chance to deal with in 2011. When it was 13 yrs old and only had about 120k miles on it. They knew the vin number fell into the warranty extension.

 

Sue them in small claims court for the maximum jurisdictional amount and they will likely contact you and do something. That's just the way corporations work.

 

Mine does fall into that category. But my frame is spotless. That's one of things I went over with a fine tooth comb before I bought it

 

Mine honestly didn't show much either. Until this morning.
I was going to drive this truck until one of us died first. Now, I realize we may have died together if I didn't happen to see it while letting some air out of my tires this morning.

 

Was that truck in NC for its entire life or was it somewhere north of there prior? I don't recall NC salting the roads that much or needing to, but I didn't live in the mountains. If you had that treated two times, it sounds like it was a poor application job. That looks like a couple speed bumps away from snapping.

 

Ok, that was a bit dramatic, but seriously, I would have been driving an hour out of town with three exterior doors in it this morning and tools to install them.
I know it's an older truck but if you look at all the recalls and warranty extensions there aren't many years that they didn't have frame problems. I don't see how I have any option but to fix it and sell it or sell it for parts. If the frame is rusting away from the inside out, I don't see much point in fixing it. It is all about brand loyalty here if you ask me.

 

I am not sure as I am the third owner if I remember correctly, but mine was never coated. They said the frame was fine in 2011. It's unsafe in my opinion at the moment.
I have a fabricator coming to look at it tomorrow. But if he welds anything on to it, it voids everything. He saw the pic and sounded skeptical about fixing it.