A True Frame Rust Story

Did I ever tell my epic frame story? You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be amazed. OK, not really, but you might find it mildly amusing. It even has a happy ending.

I bought my 2007 Tacoma used in 2014. I was not really even in the market for a Taco, and I wasn't clued to the frame issue, so I gave it only a quick look - seemed OK. I was in a hurry for various reasons... anyway, it ran great, had low miles, and was in pretty good shape, so I bought it.

A year later, I got a notification from Toyota that there was a frame recall - this was the original factory recall, not the settlement of a class action suit. By now, I knew that my frame was toast. The time limit for the recall was May, 2016. In April, I said ah ha! I won't wait until the last minute! So I gathered up the paperwork and all, and in checking it out I noticed that, sure enough, the time limit was... OMFG... MARCH 2016, not May - I'd misread it. And I'd missed the cutoff!

After a couple of weeks of deliberating which method to use to kill my stupid and useless self, I heard about the class action suit. I joined TW in 2017 to stay informed. All sorts of rumors flying around and whatnot, but finally it was resolved. I got the postcard - I had a second chance!

I brought my Taco to the dealer for the inspection in May 2018, and they wouldn't even let me drive it home - "your frame is swiss cheese" the guy said. They put me in a brand new, top of the line, double cab Tacoma - same color as mine. What a subtle upsell! Anyway, I drove around in that thing for 2 1/2 months, telling people I'd traded up . Took me the whole time to figure out half the gew-gaws and whatnot. I was pretty happy when I figured out how to operate the radio

Anyway, I got my Taco back, new frame and all. They did a great job - it was like a new truck.

So that is why I tend to jump in on frame-rust threads and encourage people to get the frame replacement if they possibly can. It's why I try to state the facts (as I understand them) when sometimes people seem not quite informed. And it's why I really feel bad for people who missed their cutoff date.

THE END