2003 Frame Replacement

All,

Long time listener, first time caller. Grateful to this forum for helping me recover from what was a disastrous purchase. I paid premium for a low mileage 4WD 2003 Tacoma that seemed to be in great condition but ended up having a rusted out frame (the rust was thoroughly hidden due to a new undercoating applied by the seller). Luckily, the truck qualified for frame replacement, and I am currently going through that process with my local dealership. The dealership is saying it may take 6 months to get a new frame (but they don't know for sure). In the meantime, they worked with a rental company to get me a subcompact to drive.

Questions:

-Has anyone had a 1st gen frame replaced recently (don't see any very recent threads)? If so, how long did it take?
-Has anyone been able to get the dealership to get them a truck while they await frame replacement?

Thank you all.

 

In the frame replacement on my truck, the dealership paid for a rental car.
I don't know how long it took for replacement, because I didn't own it then, but I have all of the paperwork from the Toyota website that shows warranty coverage for the rental car. That was Mid-August 2016.

 

It all depends on the need for frames it seems the vendor just can`t keep up with demand

Then it seems some dealers have more pull and get frames faster then others.

It might have to do with your dealers back load of frames on order.

There is all kinds of time some take months others take weeks .

If you really need a Truck work that out with your dealer I know some people got them

You own a Truck it is down not like you can haul your goodies in the trunk of a car

 

Just finished up with my replacement here in upstate NY, and my frame was delivered in about 4 weeks from the time that it was approved for replacement.

 

I had my '04 done earlier this year. When I dropped it off I was told 5 to 8 months to get a frame in. It arrived in 4 weeks. The dealer was as surprised as I was. Nobody seems to have any idea how the new frames are allocated to dealers (including, apparently, dealers). If you are going to get parts for the dealer to install during the switch, get them lined up now. You might not have time later if the frame shows up quickly.

As far as the rental, I told them I needed 4WD or AWD and space for my tools and equipment bins. They offered me my choice of a brand new Tacoma, Tundra, or RAV4. The rental agreement needed to be renewed every 30 days, and they said I could switch vehicles at the renewals. I was going to take a turn in all three (they said it would be no problem), but the frame came in before the first renewal.

My rental was through the dealer, not an outside rental company. Toyota allows a certain amount to the dealer for the loaner. I think I remember reading it is something like $65 max daily. I hope your dealer isn't trying to put you in a $25 car so they can pocket $40. They make a enough on the frame swap. $65 daily is $1950 per month. If you walked into that dealership as a new customer and told them you wanted to lease something, for $1950/month you could get new Tacomas for your entire family.

Of course, all dealers are independent and yours can choose to handle things differently. Nobody knows what exactly is included in the new frame "kit." Some get brake lines, some don't. Some get e-brake cables, some don't. Some people were allowed in the shop to photograph the process, some were not. Some folks here have had dealers do all additional work for free, and some have had to pay for all additional work (mine was a negotiation for each part, with some parts free labor, some reduced-labor, and some full labor cost).

Try to spend some time with your Service Rep. and find out what they'll do for you. You probably won't get everything you want, but you might get more than you thought. Also, be aware of the current condition of everything else under the truck. When the frame comes in and they take the truck apart, they'll call and tell you you need new skid plates, shocks, squirrel defibrillator, etc. It's easier (and cheaper) for them to torch out the old and put in new parts than to carefully remove and re-install the old parts (plus the profit on the new parts is a nice bonus for them). You don't want to buy anything you don't really need. On the other hand, if you do want to replace some of that stuff, doing it now with the free or reduced labor makes sense. Or see if they will install aftermarket stuff if you buy your own parts elsewhere. Many people have reported they were allowed to do this.

Good luck!