1st Gen Tacoma Frame Recall

I just picked up a 2002 with 50K miles (I am now the 2nd owner - original is deceased). Who exactly do I contact to see if this frame was ever inspected / serviced? Do I call the dealer or corporate. If you have been through this recently and have the actual contact info, I would be VERY grateful to receive it!

 

Go to a Toyota dealership with proof of ownership and they should be able to tell you which location it was brought to and what was done, if it was brought in at all

 

Go where? Admin? Parts? Service? - who has actually done this?

 

I did. They printed off a report which told me the frame was inspected in 2010 and they prepped the frame and did the protective coating.

I went to the Service desk.

 

Just bought an 04 last month and I was well aware of the frame problems so during the inspection I crawled under it with a hammer but couldn't find any real problems..Fast forward to yesterday I find a spot about the size of a quarter that I punched through.I went to our local Toyota dealer,they ran the Vin an said that truck was on the limited recall list and the frame was coated in 2010 an there was nothing they can do,so I called Toyota an was basically told the same thing (tuff luck),but on the bright side the small hole is on the side of the frame by the rear wheel an the metal around it seems strong so i don't think theres much of a problem fixing it or I could use a dremal an make it look like just another small "vent " in the frame..

 

What is "limited recall"? I'm not familiar with that term and the 15 year extended frame warranty. How does it figure that your truck, properly undercoated, is not covered by the warranty? Please explain.

 

Well,Toyota told me the limited recall was to EITHER replace the frame or coat it ,if it didn't need replaced "at the time" an she reminded me that it was done in 2010 an this is 2016 which really pi$$ed me off and as far as they were concerned they met their responsibilities of the recall,so she did ask if I wanted to trade it in an I said NO but since I was sitting in the dealership parking lot talking to TOYOTA on the phone,I started thinking so I ran back into the dealership an asked about a trade in.Their response was they would "give"me a trade in value of a Tacoma with a bad frame…So NO help there

 

Wow, that doesn't match any of the experiences I've read about here. Quite the reverse actually. There are any number of people who have reported they got new frames only because they had the undercoating done back in the day by Toyota, not either or. Something really doesn't seem right with their response. The warranty notice from Toyota says that the undercoating was required to keep the frame replacement warranty in effect for the full 15 years.

My dealer has done hundreds of replacements. I've no reason to see them just now, but you have me wondering what coverage I have on my undercoated '03. They have inspected the frame 3 times since 2013 and have never made that statement. Actually, I think they would like to fail it, as they have the replacement job down to a science, and they probably make money on it.

Based on the reported experiences of others, and the warranty notice, I don't think I would accept the "either or" answer.

 

I was talking to a guy I work with now who used to work for that dealership only on the FORD side an he says "Toyota must be running low on money because they never used to have a problem with that recall,he said they would allow 40hrs for a frame replacement." For me this is not the first time I had problems with Toyota (and I don't know why I'm still a Toyota fan) I bought a 98 4runner a few years ago that was totaled because it was hit on the drivers side an deployed both air bags,wasn't really that big of a deal,I bought a set of used air bags,drivers side fender an bumper, painted to match an I had good vehicle for the kids to take to college then after about 3 yrs I was going over it getting ready for a state inspection an noticed both sides where the front of the springs attach was rusted through(bad).There again I called Toyota an was told that" that there was no frame recall on 4 runners an it had a reconstructed title anyways " so again TUFF LUCK I ended up selling to someone in Ohio"who has no state inspection for $500

 

From what I understand they're starting to replace some on the 2005 up also,I just bought some tires & wheels from Craigslist last week an the women told me her 05 just had the frame replaced an it was at the dealership for 2 months, that was near Somerset Pa. I don't imagine my local dealership has from Frames laying around..I wonder what a frame replacement would cost if ya had to pay for one

 

Interesting.......

I just talked to my dealer regarding my '01 Tacoma.

My Frame was coated in 2010. He stated that the warranty extends 7 or 10 years from the date it was coated. I'm getting it inspected tomorrow to see what the dealer says.....

I'm wondering if I could still get a frame :O

 

Anyone know a) if you can buy a complete frame like this from the dealer and b) how much?

 

You sure those aren't 2nd gen frames?

 

so i'm back to being "super intelligent". maybe. good to know. i'll put it back on my resume.

 

I can confirm to those that are unsure that the warranty is 15 years from the in service date(when it rolled off the lot) if the undercoating was done in time!

To the fella that had the undercoating done and was told you wont get a replacement. Something isn't right there?? Either the undercoating wasn't done in time or the 15 years is up, otherwise you would be covered. It's not a one or the other type thing, meaning you either get a new frame or you got the undercoating. Thats not how it works. If your frame was protected in time and it has failed withing the 15 year period you are covered for a replacement...beings you have an 04 it would be covered till somewhere around 2018/2019, again depends on the date it was purchased and rolled off the lot.

 

Since you have an 01 your coverage would be up really soon if it hasnt already, sometime this year depending on the in service date. So if it were coated in 2010 at most it would only be 6 years from the time of the undercoating. Not 7 or 10 years.

Its weird there is so much mixed information on this subject, heck ive read on here there have been a couole instances where the dealer didnt even know about the warranty...and where dealers have told people all kinds of weird shit as to deadlines and this and that...

 

I'm hoping you're right BTW have you undercoated your Taco with FluidFilm for the winter yet?

 

It's beyond weird. I could see it when a cold climate truck relocates to a warm climate where a dealer does not see extensive rust. But there was a guy here who did just that and he didn't have half the trouble getting a new frame as some cold climate guys have had.

In some cases the way the dealer is acting you would think the cost of the replacement was borne by them, when Toyota actually provides the parts and compensates the dealer for warranty work.

 

I have seen them for around 2,800 new. Can't remember the source and not sure if this is dealer price or not. Labor cost is what will really hurt.

 

I think $2800 would be a pretty fair price,but I wonder what would come with that price..I just took my 08 DC in for the recall on the springs yesterday an I agreed on the $75 front end alinment but caught a glimpse of the total bill for the new rear springs(under that recall,they been replacing the 3 spring stack with a 4 spring stack) and it was over $1200