2005-2012 Toyota Tacoma Rust Stain Below Outside Door Handle – TSB

Do you have some unsightly rust under the exterior door handle of your 2005-2012 Toyota Tacoma? If so, Toyota has issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) to fix this issue.
Do have rust under your outside door handle on your 2005-2012 Toyota Tacoma? If so, this TSB should help address this issue.

The TSB (T-SB-0181-12) covers all 2005-2012 Toyota Tacoma trucks that have rust under the door handle. It seems the culprit is the door handle nut. Replacing that nut will take care of this issue.
Like all TSBs, this repair is covered under the Toyota Basic Warranty. This warranty is in effect for 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s in-service date.
The TSB applies to all vehicles built BEFORE the Production Change Effective VINs shown below.

The repair consists of using an assortment of tools including a plastic pry tool set and a T30 Torx Socket wrench to remove the insides of the door. After the insides of the door are removed, then you can access the exterior door handle and remove the nut.
For anyone wanting to do this repair themselves, the plastic pry set should come in pretty handy when removing the power window and door lock buttons. Plus when removing other door parts like the door handle. The complete removal of all the interior door pieces is required to complete this repair and should be removed cautiously and with a good understanding of how to reattach the parts.


Copied from TacomaHQ.


Frank

 

While I appreciate the fact that you found our TSB so helpful, I'd like to request that you always include a link back to our site if/when you copy our content.

It costs money for us to write up these TSBs. We have to hunt them down, someone has to read them and understand them, and then we must write them up.

SO, please, please, PLEASE do us a favor: Cite us properly. The link for the article above is here:

http://www.tacomahq.com/2443/rust-stain-below-door-handle-tsb/

Thank you.

 

@highland logan - TSBs are just a "heads up" for the techs that work on your truck to help them find a fix.

While this is clearly a defective design, it's not something Toyota is willing to warranty. It's more like "If you see this problem, here's how you fix it," unfortunately.

 

how do you tear the exterior door handle off? I removed the door panel and the torx bolt but the handle still seems secure

 

my 2009 is way beyond this warranty, I am at 155K, I am just starting to show the signs of this rust under my door handles. Drives me nuts if I see rust color start to run down my white doors. Does anyone have the information to replace this rusty hardware myself ?

Looks like if I have the replacement bolt I can remove the door handle and replacement the old part fairly straight forward.

Thanks,

 

I have the replacement part numbers for the bolt and the nut in my truck. However I will not be back at my truck until next week if you can wait.

 

Please post up the part numbers when you get a chance ! That would be very helpful. Did you replace your as well? Thanks for your help.

 

I have a double cab. so i bought 4 of each. I did the screw and the nut. I think the nut is what rusts but i wasn't taking a chance of the screw rusting.
here are the part numbers
90084-14005 (screw)
90179-05118 (nut)

hope that helps

 

Mission accomplished. I followed the posts with step by step directions how to remove the door handles and some you tube videos how to remove the interior door panels.

Here are the part numbers I ordered at the local Toyota dealership;

90084-14005 (screw)
90179-05118 (nut)
90084-38006 (bushing)
4 of each.

each door got a little quicker for the disassembly.

Maybe 2 hours tops for all 4 doors.

Took lots of photos.



here is what i found behind each door handle



The screw head broke off all the screws, so after the screw broke from the inside of the door. I had to carefully lock a vise grips on to the nut to pull it out.



here is the new hardware installed.




With the door handle all re-installed.



Thanks again for your help

 

I'm in the same boat.

 

Do you guys have a product you use to remove the rust stains off of the doors?

 

Clay bar !

 

Great I've got some, thanks!

 

@wayne73 - Wayne, can you confirm those part numbers please? The Conicelli parts website shows none of those available at all for a Tacoma, and your part numbers are for a '12 to '15 Scion. Thanks.