2004 taco still eligible for frame replacement?

judging by the minuscule # of original 1st gen owners that have popped up on TW it could be speculated that a fair amount of new vehicle buyers have no intentions of properly upkeeping their vehicle other than run it through the car wash occasionally then just trade it off in 5, 7 or 10 years for example, and get something new. Those that are located in the salty road states just pass the future problems on to the 2nd and 3rd owners when these issues have already manifested due to lack of proper care.

the one totally devastated Taco i found this summer was on its 3rd owner (carfax check) at the time it probably collapsed wide open on the road and was abandoned for dead.

I don't know what policy Toyota has or had set forth in these circumstances where there have been multiple owners and any 'neglects' of the prior title holders of the Tacoma

 

The inspection is very rudimentary, they use a ball peen hammer and hit frame in multiple locations with medium force swinging from a 1 foot distance, if they perforate the frame it fails. Usually weakest point is just forward of rear wheel section where frame curves, where road salt accumulates most

 

Toyota does their due diligence in trying to contact the owners if they are known, but it's not perfect since it's typically the responsibility of the dealers to contact the owners. But when you buy a used vehicle, of which you are the 2nd, 3rd, ++ owner, it really becomes YOUR responsibility as the buyer/new owner to find that out. Toyota doesn't hide the information. All you need to do is google your make/model + recalls, etc...

 

This is precisely why when I buy a 2nd hand vehicle I contact the manufacturer to be added as a registered owner so I can be notified of recalls, etc

 

but still the BS and utter confusion i remember getting at my local dealer in late 2010 where i bot my truck is still a MAJOR sore spot that has yet to be rectified to my complete satisfaction
had i not heard from an online chatroom that was not automotive related i probably would never have known to get it checked and my relatives '98 would have split apart on them at some point like I just uncovered at the local salvage lot twice so far this year

 

Face it, you won't ever be satisfied. You got screwed by a shitty dealer that's been giving you unsatisfactory info for many years. I can only assume you aren't continuing to take your truck to them for service, since you're so unhappy with them.

People also tend to screw themselves by never looking under their trucks and thinking "I wonder if that giant rusty hole is normal" and upon hearing an answer they don't trust they don't take it to an independent mechanic for a 2nd opinion, or spending 2 minutes on google to see if this is a common problem.

 

i will be satisfied if/when i get the needed assistance to properly maintenance my truck so that i no longer have to worry and fret so much!
there is only just so much I can do with the one-man army here in the cornfields

 

When I bought my 99 and found a hole in the frame a year later, the only reason I found out about the 15 year warranty was because I googled how to repair rusty Toyota frame. After they bought it back I found a 2000 tacoma, frame looked solid; however, after a couple years found a hole on it, rusts from inside out. Had a hassle with warranty because it was US truck in Canada, finally got it bought back. Then I found an 01, frame seemed good, after couple years I decided to do the hammer test myself because 15 years were almost up. Made a hole first swing, took to dealer, they did test and told me frame was good. Had to fight back and forth with management that it shouldn't matter who made the hole, fact is frame was thin from corrosion. They finally agreed to replace my frame after threatening to get a lawyer involved.

 

You've already gotten that assistance from the 100's of posts you've made about it, and the advice that been written about it here. YOu just need to act on it.

You're not going to get any help from Toyota. That ship sailed.

 

KMN

 

Hmmm.... WTF is this whole discussion about? The frame extended warranty from Toyota for the firs gen Tacoma ended at the beginning of this year. Any responsibility for frame condition in these trucks is solely owner's problem. Pushing blame, wining or cursing does not change the thing. Your truck, your problem. If you don't want or unable to take care of it just get rid of it or drive it to the end and get something new.

Trying to blame Toyota for the lack of maintenance is like you would never do and oil change because you never get a "Service reminder" lamp lighting on your dash, and then blame the manufacturer (or dealer or PO) when the engine dies prematurely. Some people don't know how to maintain a vehicle (and frankly don't give a $hit), so they treat it as a "consumer item" and that is OK with me as long as they take ownership of that. Very easy to search around to point at a guilty one, but it's hard to turn that finger and point at myself.

I got the letter from Tacoma about the extended warranty for the frame (with the option of buying back if truck qualifies) so I checked the frame and was wandering what the whole thing is about (California truck). But I did check the frame and every year I was looking at it thinking that unlike in Poland nothing rusts in Sacramento area. Treated wood deteriorated faster than that. After 2010 when the terms of warranty expired I still checked the frame every year. I was not on TW then. I joined TW much later when I was looking for some other answers (I wish I did it earlier because I would do more to my truck while in USA) and I still didn't know about "Tacoma frame problem", but I bet I would know right away if I was in cold states then.

Now after exactly 3 years of driving in "cold climate" (Poland) I still see the frame in condition like it just left the factory in Fremont. And the guy at the inspection station is always asking: "Did you just replaced the frame?". There are rust buckets in Poland everywhere, especially trucks and SUV with frames - many failed the annual safety inspection this guy said. The brand is all over the map including Toyota (Hilux and Land Cruiser), Nissan, some Fords and Dodges brought from USA, even British Land Rover is in that group. Modern unibody cars are in better shape because the the whole thing is galvanized before painting, and otherwise they would be turned to mesh in few years. Still as soon as a rust buble shows up on unibody car, the thing is basically done and ready for crusher.

So the bottom line "I didn't know" it is not a magic excuse from taking responsibility for my own mistakes. I did not know, now I know. I will do better next time and deal with my wrongdoing now.

 

The 15 years is based on the day the truck left the lot, so if an 04 was purchased in June 05 it is still covered as long as it was inspected by Toyota in 09 when they were applying more undercoating to certain trucks

 

The frame corrosion is not simply from lack of maintenance, when Dana manufactured the frames, some of them weren't properly cleaned of oil residues before being corrosion treated and the coating didn't adhere to the metal properly.

 

I think they stopped making 1st gen mid year 2004 and really not many were left on the lot in 2005. But you are right - the date it was first sold.

 

Finger pointing game. Just so the name of Toyota was clear - Dana's fault. Dana did not make frames for 2nd gens or 3rd gen, they did not make frames for Nissan that were sold in UK or Hilux sold in Europe. Blah, blah blah - same'ol same'ol.

No recalls or extended warranty for frames in Europe, but in US Toyota is fighting for the market competing with domestic trucks which are much better in functionality and comfort. So Toyota wants to win US market by "fantastic quality and reliability" which domestic trucks are lacking. For Europe pickup market is small so there is not much money to fight for. On the other hand Toyota is pushing very, very hard for Hybrid market in Europe seeing that small diesel market is slowly being killed by air quality regulations. Most of cars in local dealer lot is Hybryd, including RAV4 for example.

 

The only reason Toyota offered the 15 year frame warranty was so their name wouldn't be tarnished with a recall. Once Toyota realized the number of rusty frames was higher than they thought, then they made it mandatory for your frame to be inspected before 2010 and more undercoating applied or your 15 year warranty was voided. Basically they wanted to apply a bandaid fix so the frames would last 16 years so they could avoid some buybacks.

 

Just picked up a 2004 Taco TRD.

Any success stories of people still getting these frames replaced?

 

Only if your doing it yourself or paying to have it done.

 

So, nobody knows of dealership still doing the repairs for $0?

 

First the Truck needed inspected and sprayed back in 2011 then you had 15 years from the in service date which was up back in 2019.

So it is on you at this time.