Another frame thread...

First I currently own a 02 X-Cab 4x4 (frame has been treated)that I bought last year and have been looking for another first gen. Tacoma for my son. So I find a real nice 02 double cab 4x4 in NH from a used car dealer. Everything looks great,low miles, except that the frame is original and that it doesn't appear to have been sprayed or replaced.Being Saturday there was no one available to give me an answer on the frame warranty.

Salesman give me a 800 number to call Toyota. He thinks the 15 year warranty covers the trucks from the day there put into service. So I call Toyota on Monday and give them the trucks vin number. They tell me that the frame recall goes from a case by case deal now. They assign me a case number and tell me someone will call me in 24 hours.

Next day I get the call from Corp. Toyota. They tell me the truck in question has not had the frame treated and the dead line for this was last year. They no longer offer the frame rust proofing.So with that being the case if the frame was to fail inspection the fix would be out of my pocket because the truck was never brought in by the previous owner to be inspected and treated by the deadline.

Now the dealership has offered to bring the truck to the local Toyota dealership and have the frame inspected for me. Even if it passes now what's to say it fails next year? In which case I would have to pay for the repair.

The price is right and the truck looks mint except for some rust on the back of the frame. Could just be the usual surface rust from a 10 year old truck.

So would you take a chance on this truck knowing Toyota will no longer warranty the frame?

Thanks Rick

 

Not a chance, unless the price is rediculously low. I passed up numerous 1st gens, two of which were amazing deals, because the frame had not been inspected. AS much as I wanted to buy a truck it wasn't worth risking all kinds of money for a frame, that more likely than not, would fail down the road.

PS. If you are looking for a clean, 1st gen dc 4x4 trd, I have one I am thinking of selling. Full service records since new, and frame has been inspected. PM if you are interested

 

Absolutely NOT!

It will fail if its been in the northeast long enough and you will be stuck with a bad frame. My 2000 failed and my 2004 is about to even after the treatment.

 

When i got my 02 the frame was mint! and it was one of the first ever to have been sprayed. Rusted out this year. Sadly its a timebomb.

 

Well the dealership calls me today and says there tech has found some rust at the back of the frame and there welding a plate on it. It seems that is the fix these days for the trucks that didn't get inspected by the deadline.

Really is a shame. The truck was in great shape otherwise. I can't believe who ever owned this truck didn't know anything about the frame till it was to late. Obviously they saw some rust and found Toyota wouldn't fix it so they traded it in and then the truck went to auction. The truck only had 89000 miles on it.

 

If the rest is still solid i would undercoat it myself and get them to coat the inside It may cost some $$$ but its better than the alternative.

 

Mine was treated in 09 and it failed this April. The truck only had 50k miles on it. Now I have a new frame and rear springs...happy as hell. New Hampshire weather is hard on metal!!