Frame rust recall

Thanks. I read through it and the wording you are directing me to is easiest to find under the FAQs section #4 and I'm quoting here " If any perforation in the frame is found to be 10 mm or larger, then the frame will be replaced, as well as all applicable parts and service items incidental to frame replacement." From all 190 pages of this thread I've understood this to mean hardware and brackets. If someone here has gotten toyota to cover the rack I've missed it. I'll go to the dealer today and see if I can get something in writing and call corporate on monday but I'm not getting my hopes up. I wanted to call anyway to make a complaint about them trying to charge me labor on swapping in new parts.

 

Not the steering rack, but my brakes were covered when my frame was done. Dealer found seized parts, called corporate for permission, and covered it.

 

Ok so for some reason in my previous post, the word "ancillary" was cut out. Here's a page from Toyotas internal memo sent to dealers reguarding replacement of ancillary parts. The power steering rack itself is listed, not just the hardware nuts and bolts etc....

There's many more threads on this and it's hard for me to keep track of where I saw things, but there are others on this forum who have had their rack replaced for free by Toyota during the frame replacement process.

 

Thanks. Good for you on the brakes. My dealer wants to charge me $200 to install my provided new rotors and pads. I don't recall anyone in this thread saying they had a rack covered, but I do remember reading that some were at least able to negotiate parts prices with the dealer. I just got off the phone with the dealer and am going there now.

 

It continues to amaze me that the dealerships and techs have no idea what is covered and what isnt. Then people get pissed off that they paid for parts that should have been covered, and Toyota WILL NOT reimburse you after the fact. Same thing happened to me with my power steering lines. I found out 4 months after the frame swap that I paid $400 for something that should have been FREE. Then Toyota told be to go pound salt after I asked to be reimbursed. I even had pictures of the rusted out line, AND an invoice that stated "replaced power steering lines, very rusty, may leak."
Take a copy of the frame settlement with you, show him the ancillary item list, and ask him WHY IN HELL do you have to pay for it!

 

Thank you. This is the most promising document I've seen and will contact the dealer Monday. It will be great to have the the Toyota doc # so they can look it up.

On to my trip up to the dealer. I got nowhere with them. I was either misled or lied to by a service mngr that definitely isn't a mechanic. When I asked about the labor charge for the rack he said it's because it doesn't get disassembled. It stays with the suspension and engine in one unit. What an idiot. Then when I get taken to the truck in service, there's the rack lying there by itself. I took a pic and told the service writer that I should have recorded their mngr lying to me. They won't budge on the $200 to swap in my new rotors and pads. I had asked to have the carrier bearing replaced. When I looked at the work order I misread a price as $113 and thought that that was it. Re reading it at home it says propeller shaft for $1131.31. When I looked up propeller shaft on ToyotaPartsDeal it's the front half of the drive shaft. And even with the drive shaft already out they still add an hour labor. Will have to have that clarified. She misquoted the steering rack at $1700 but still want $1300 + $270 in labor. Oh and my a/c condenser (the a/c radiator mounted to the engine radiator) is "sagging" and will eventually leak. $319.75 for the part and oddly no labor to install. The best was the $3417 they want to replace my exhaust which is supposedly leaking. One plus - I had purchased my own tsb springs and a wheelers progressive aal and installed it all myself. They're going to reinstall those and just give me the new spring set and shackles. Tech said he'd leave it in the box and put it in the bed. I'll either get a new aal from wheelers and install the new stuff in the spring or just hold on to the new leaf springs.

 

Got my truck back with a shiny new frame. For the most part everything seems good. I do have a violent shake from the steering wheel when braking from highway speeds. I am wondering if they put the rotors on opposite sides when reinstalling. They def put my coilovers on the wrong side and I will need to adjust the ride height on the driver side. The other thing I’ve noticed is condensation is dripping on my passenger side floor mats and when I have the ac/heat on when the car first starts up there is a crazy noise coming from below the glove box. Sounds like someone is rustling shopping bags together, any thoughts?

 

Leaves in the blower motor? Pull the cabin filter and check inside the housing for leaves and other objects.

 

They probably over tightened the lug nuts and warped the rotors...That is what they did to mine. Mine were replaced less than 2000 miles before. Of course the dealer denied that it was their fault.I needed an impact gun to take the wheels off.

 

Re quoting your post to thank you again. As posted, I got no where with the dealer. I actually forgot to mention that after the manager told me the rack stays in and finding it out of the truck when I was taken to see it I got a different answer from the tech. He said that there is a labor charge because with a new rack he has to assemble it, re center point the steering wheel, and do an alignment because of the new rack. As if those things wouldn’t happen anyway. I mean really, he’s going to reconnect the steering and install new lcas and hardware and not do an alignment. So I’ve given up hope on the dealer and called corporate this morning. Explained the two different labor cost explanations, gave them the bulletin number. They agreed that the parts could be included and they are going to contact the dealer on my behalf so .

 

The dealer makes all the difference. Once mine realized I'm not an idiot and do a lot of my own mechanical work they installed parts at a reduced cost or no cost (rear shocks)

The dealers really make money off these frame replacements, they get 40.5 hours to do one (at a corporate labour rate) and it took them 2 days to complete mine, plus additional labour for upgrades

 

Well that’s awesome... so because I accidentally made one hole due to how rusty my frame is but admitted I did it, that disqualifies my frame from the program even though it has a second one that Ive not touched. At least Toyota Corporate finally said I can still have the frame inspected, but no corrective actions will be taken. gee thanks... and they’re very sorry I feel that way. And yes I realize the settlement agreement is the real reason they finally said I could have a reinspection.

The one I did is the one with the square around it.

Cheap steal is cheap steal. Guess I’m done.

 

How did you make the hole? How do they know you made the whole?

 

Thumb.... yeah I know how it sounds but there’s a pretty good chance I’ll make a video of me “inspecting” the other one with my index finger. Not saying it was a gentle push, just completely didn’t expect it to pop/crumble like it did. Because I’m an idiot and straight up told them “I put a hole in my frame.” What’s funny is that they treated me like a crook trying to rip them off when I straight up admitted I f’d up and did that one before they seen the truck. That’s why there was chalk around it before they seen it! I literally marked the spot I did. Toyota’s stance is the frame is a single component so by me doing that one, I ruined the entire frame. The guy at Toyota corporate that gave me the final verdict literally tried using an analogy of damaging the screen on your infotainment system.

And that was me trying to minimize my ranting and just answer the question asked. Happy to share the experience if it helps someone else.

 

We feel your pain. Toyota doesn't give a shit about any of us. I have a feeling corporate isn't gonna do shit for me and my dealer issues. When my truck is done I'm going to the local Dodge dealer, I've been getting flyers in the mail for leases for $199. My friends' is beautiful and hes' had no issues with it. I'd never buy one, but to lease for 36mths @ $199/mth I could be swayed. Turn it in before problems begin. A Ridgeline would really suit my needs but no good deals on one around here. I'll check KBB and Carmax. I'd take a couple grand loss to sell to carmax and avoid C/L tire kickers.

 

Wow that is fucked.

 

Trade it into the Toyota dealer let them deal with the shitty frame.

 

Then I’d have to get a Toyota. I don’t want a 3rd gen. I’d consider a rav4 but won’t give this dealer a dime.

 

Yeah, I wanted another Tacoma just not the frame issues. Now pissed at Toyota and don’t trust they fixed this, but would probably do business with the second dealer (Cain) I was talking with.

 

Just got truck back this evening from frame replacement and $0 cost to me.
They worked with me to reinstall the rcd lift, front and rear steel bumpers and the winch. They even cut the welded on rock rails off the old frame. They left out the front diff because they would not cut the new frame, which I was ok with. I left with the new crossmember and lcas that they did not install due to the lift. Trailered the truck home and will commence the cutting next weekend
I have to admit when I took the truck in I was ready to do battle due to all the aftermarket parts and mods the truck had. It actually turned out to be the most pleasant experience I have ever had with any dealer service. Service manager and tech were awesome to work with.
to Palmiero Toyota in Meadville, PA.