2020 Taco's with factory Roof Racks...

What pics do you want... it looks EXACTLY like the 2019 Fin except 1.5" further into the cab... I can post as many beautiful pics of my fin you want... tell me how many you like...

 

Everybody calm down... It's cold and I don't want to go outside, so here you go:

 

Actually, someone put a picture up on another thread. It's not the best, but imagine that without even seating the rear rack into the hole it's supposed to go into.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/oem-roof-rack-on-2020-hitting-antenna.643849/#post-22294793

 

Coming from engineering (unfortunately not auto, I'm in aero) this is.... Freaking amazing. Toyota plans everything so far in advance how in the hell...

 

Here are a few more photos

 

Wow, what an oversight. Do they actually test things anymore before releasing to the public?

 

And all they have to do is a slight mod to the rear cross member, that's it....

 

Shouldn't have to redo something that should have been caught pre-production. They rushed and didn't think about how changing something affects parts around it. That's bad business.

 

I try to imagine it:

1. Going from 2nd gen to 3rd gen:
- Lead Engineer: Well boys, that whip antenna is too old school. Could we replace it with with a modern looking shark fin?
- Subordinates: We can't place it in front of the rear roof rack because it'll look weird if too far from the back of the roof.
The problem with placing it behind the rear rack is that space is pretty tight. Especially on the inside of the cabin with the 3rd brake light.
- Lead Engineer: Well just put it behind that rear rack. Make it work. We're not re-designing the racks.
- Subordinates: After some consideration we found it tight with the rack and 3rd brake light, but made it work.
2. 3rd Gen release:
- 3rd brake light leaks are rampant
- Lead Engineer: We can't keep fixing 3rd brake light leaks, it's even worse than Gen2.
- Lead Engineer: Do whatever is necessary to correct the 3rd brake light leak in the upcoming 2020 refresh.
- Subordinates: The correction requires moving the %^#$ shark fin antenna.
- Lead Engineer: Well move it, do what's necessary to stop the leak.
- Subordinates: Assign a new Engineer that wasn't aware of the initial Fin/Rack issue to draw up the change.
- Next weekly meeting:
- Subordinates: The team designed a fix to correct the 3rd brake light leak. It's already drawn up, the shark fin was displaced 1.5" to accommodate the fix.
- Lead Engineer: See, that wasn't so hard. Approved!!!
3. 3rd Gen 2020 refresh release:
- Dealers: Shark fin + 15 year old non fitting roof rack design = Many angry customers
- Lead Engineer and subordinates: Currently banging their head against the wall and figuring out if it will be cheaper to re-design and replace the racks or the Shark Fin.

Or maybe they thought no one buys their roof rack

 

I originally did not want the factory roof rack and told them to take it off as it was a $400 option done at the depot.. the sales manager said just to zero it out as removing it would cost more in labor I guess plus the cost of getting replacement rubber gaskets up there. Now... well now I want them to fix it.. on principle of it being on my truck and not working correctly lol

 

In my case I bough them after I bought the truck. I had a GEN2 that had the racks and I guess I got used to them. I also didn't mind the old whip antenna. It was actually useful when going into parking garages with low clearance. The antenna tip was about 2-3 inches above the racks and would hit the ceiling as a warning if clearance was getting tight.

I also didn't install the racks on my gen2, the dealer did. This time around with my gen3 I did it myself and I have to say, it's kind of shitty. They place tape on top of the mounting holes and they paint over it. To mount the racks you have to perforate the tape. I still have the plastic inserts that come from factory where the racks go, but what are you supposed to do if you remove the rack? Place crappy tape over the holes again before reinstalling the inserts? I would have at least expected a plastic screw with some kind of gasket to keep water from accumulating inside the thread, not tape. I guess that's too much to ask.

 

Keep an eye on my original thread about this and I will update that thread as I get more info from the dealer. I checked in last weekend and they are trying to figure out how to do a fix.. they hinted at a new Shark Fin design (I believe that would be the most economical fix also for them) but as they are just the dealer I am willing to bet they are the last to get an update till it happens. However the Regional guy told me he would make sure my dealers Service Manager (which I been working with) will know as soon as they have a solution.

 

That's how the car business works, most people don't realize it until they've worked in a car mill. If this was noticed, it was by (according to what I read earlier in this thread) some contract guy at the port who either pointed it out to someone and was given the response "that's some shit, hope they don't overload it, ship it." or simply thought that and out the door it went. No one likes that situation, but when you start talking value added production, things get strange.

All that said, I'm very interested in the resolution. I really want a rack for mine. It's one of my favorite oddball features of the truck and the swing away bars are awesome.

Edit: or some engineer said "well, it clears in the cad drawings, it'll work." Nope. And that is a main reason I have the job I do, lol

And roadkill, you've been around this stuff, haven't you? That was pretty accurate...

 

I did civil engineering for 10 years. It's the same situation, but with a manhole, pipe or something even more frustrating.

 

I have a 2020 but it came with the JBL. I used these

$10 Metra 72-8104 Speaker Connector for Select Toyota Vehicles, MULTI COLOR

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BBP7Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They fit the back door speakers perfectly.

 

the whole taco roof rack design is off to begin with before the fin problem, if the rack is not installed in an exact way the roof will leak a lot, happened to me, a body shop had to reinstall it correctly as the dealer janitor who installed it did a hack job

 

Any update on this?

 

I was just there this last weekend and no update other then another 6 owners are on the list now of waiting for a decisions from Toyota.

 

Looks like it's going to take a while.

 

Hopefully they have it figured out by the summer. I need a way to transport my stand up paddle boards and I like the way the OEM rack folds away while not in use.