2002 Tacoma Rusted Frame

Dealership will charge you 2 Techs 40 hrs each (flat rate). Although they do it in three days.

 

this makes sense with a couple of TW members repair order pics I have seen on here

when do they have time to sleep during those 3 days?

 

Okay, I once read somewhere on the internet, so it has to be true.

They traced the frame problem to the coating line at the frame factory. the frame was dipped in a coating ( paint but electrically charged ) that was supposed to be electrically attracted to and bond with the frame. Basicly the frame ran down a line that dipped into the coating, that part of the line was connected to the power supply to give a slight charge to frame. Well they found out the connection was loose, pretty much every frame that ran down the line had a faulty application of the coating. If its a sprayed coating its called electrostaticly applied, like powder coating, dont know exactly what its called when dipped.

The coating stuck like a paint, but not like it was designed to do. This did two things, one the coating was not as "tight" to the metal as designed, two not as complete of a coating. Both of these allowed water/salt to get to the metal.

better description with pics of the process ( not toyota )
http://dearborndeuce32.com/32/index.php?main_page=page&id=3

 

They skipped washing the frames after machining and welding. Sent them straight into the rustproofing bath, contaminating it. Each frame made it worse and got less rust protection.

 

what year did this process start?

 

Don’t really know but I would assume starting with the 2nd gens. But 1st gens had rust issues. But so did my 95 Ranger(Ranger was worse than the Taco)

 

Started in 95'. The 95' - 00' models were bad. Those were the ones that Toyota took possession of and paid 150% of the value to the owners.

05'-11' we're horrible too.

I just got my 04' back from having the frame replaced. Just squeaked into that "within 15 years of first use" window..... and had all other qualifying factors as well.

 

do you have the actual #s model years and #s of those bot back and perhaps locations,etc.?

or know where they are published?

 

No clue where to find that info. But that buyback deal was when it first started happening.

 

Came across these pics once. Taco jail.

 

so far on TW i have seen huge majority of bad/questionable frames pics from 2oo1-2oo4, not so many from before this time period for comparisons

 

Yes, I second what you just said. I had my 03 Tacoma frame replaced by Toyota (under recall last year), and they forgot to tighten up the transmission mount to the frame!! All 4 bolts where loose. Also they replaced the lower ball joints at the same time, as they had not been replaced under the lower ball joint recall. Well on one side, 1 out of the 4 bolts where gone!! Then the other side, lower ball joint, 2 out of the 4 bolts where gone also!! So one side had 2 bolts holding it, the other side had 3 bolts holding it. Like Toyota forget to put them in when they where replacing the frame. Either way, I am happy to have a brand new frame on mine!! Makes it tight again!!

 

do you have more deets to support that in bold?
all I have seen on TW are those 2oo1-2oo4 time period, the vast majority of them with posted pics anyways

 

My buddies 98 got bought back

 

and so did my relatives '98 in 2o11
my '97 however checked out 0k so I am very curious about the frame re-design which occurred between the two model years that I have recently learned.
Wondering what the change in materials or process might have been going on then and got really bad in early 2000s from the pics i have seen

 

I'm just going off all of the TW info out there. I've talked to a lot of people dating back to my first Taco when the coating bulletin came out...08' perhaps? I drove a 2000 pre-runner for 15 years, got scared when I got the bulletin, but I had lived in Cali most of those years and my frame was perfect. Still got coated though.

This 04' just opened that can of worms again for me. I drove to NC to get it because the miles were so low 73K. I verified the frame was coated, but didn't do enough homework.

A VIN search told the story.... It lived a long life in Vermont and Maryland. Under all that CPC coating, she had the cancer.

 

I never got the bulletin in my location, had to hear it in late 2010 from a paltalk chatroom from a Tacoma guy in Indiana that told me about what was happening.

took quite a bit of pleading with the dealer to get it checked, they never heard of it and didn't know how they were to be paid for checking! ... as far as i remember (its been over 8yrs now)

my truck still feels like it basically only has 50k miles on it so mileage is a weird issue sometimes it all depends ... just throwing that # out there i have no clue

i have YET to find much TW info regarding trucks pre 2000s, it's sporadic unless a deeper topic search is required

 

www.autorust.com

Has all the frame patches. You can order and have your local body shop install.

 

my 03 replacement frame has the right rear spring hangers welded in the wrong location, causing a permanent crabbing of the rear axle (I'm having to move it to the correct location). I'm assuming Dana Corp made these frames as well?