2015 rust bucket

Carol King said it well.

And it's too late, baby, now it's too late.....

 

Just an fyi. This truck barely gets driven. I bought it with 44k on it in 2019. I was made aware of the recall FROM TOYOTA. I followed the directions they gave me and brought it in for inspection in 2022. It had 75k on it. It passed inspection, was steam cleaned per their protocol and coated with their wax based rust inhibitor. I was given zero further instructions as to future frame care. At no time was I told that anything else needed attention or future attention. I have 4 other cars. All with way more miles than this and get driven way more frequently. I have a 2009 Hyundai accent with 249k on it that is my regular commuter car that doesn't look anything like this underneath. To even suggest that this condition has anything to do with negligence on my part is insanity. I didn't make up the recall. This type of failure should not be normalized. I appreciate all the input but geez. Nobody south of New England, mass., vt, n conn., is fluid filming over here. It's just not a thing. And honestly, you really shouldn't have to. These company's know exactly what's being put out on the roads and should take whatever steps to combat that. I guess my options are to slowly fix each problem or dump it. Is what it is I guess.

 

Toyota only coated inside the box section of the forward frame as part of that service campaign. They didn't do anything to the rest of the frame and that would have been apparent just by looking under the truck after they performed the service. Sounds like you don't do that all too often? (no judgment meant here, but this didn't just happen over night). You are "venting" about something that happens to all of us in northern climates. Rust in any climate with salt is inevitable.

It's hard to imagine that a 2009 anything driven 16 years in salt area has a subframe that's not rotted, just look at any youtube mechanic channel from any northern/midwestern state. floor boards and rockers on your car may appear fine, but I can't imagine the subframe is rust free.

 

That might be part of the problem. Is it kept in a garage that's above freezing?

 

Don’t feel bad OP, I live in NY also and most people don’t know they need to protect the frame. I also see people driving on the roads near the saltwater bays at high tide and blasting thru the salt water puddles . The place that does the yearly inspections was also clueless, they tried to tell me I had an oil leak because my frame looked all greasy. They had 3 guys under the truck looking for the cause. When they brought me back to the bay to show me my problem, I explained to them about corrosion and how crucial it was to protect the frame. They were appreciative and I could almost see them thinking I was a genius.

 

I would look in to the warranty enhancement program, NOT A RECALL about a frame replacement. if yours is a 15, you just might get in and have it replaced under that. https://www.tacomaworld.com/attachments/11-17-frame-customer-support-program-pdf.5426747/

be prepared to be nice and call corporate if your dealer wont help. Doesnt hurt to ask especially if you had the dealer complete the inspection and add the white goop 3 years ago

 

^OP states the frame passes inspection.

 

how??!!?! Theses no way...Id hit it with a hammer once, bet it doesnt then....

 

^The frame looks like it doesn't have rust holes bigger than 10mm, which is Toyota's service limit for frame pass/fail.

The severe rust appear to be with non-frame items like front driveshaft, carrier bearing, CV joint, and brake lines. I can see that adding up to $10k paying full retail on OEM parts. Brake lines require dropping the fuel tank to replace, etc. Again, nothing out of the ordinary for upstate NY.

 

9 year-old GMC Canyon in NY for comparison:

 

@Johndl58 - sorry that some members are bashing you. There’s a few that after reading a number of their posts on various threads are real asses. Now no one asked, but I will: are you physically fit enough to get under the truck with a ball peen hammer? Use the rounded end and hit the inside of the frame near the converters. If you don’t go through the frame, you still have some life left. Not much, but some. I’d then soak the hell out of it with Woolwax. Get inside of the frame too although you’ll have to remove the plastic covers the dealer installed at the last treatment. You can put them back on if you want. It’ll at least buy you some time.

 

Another CA person who has never heard of needing to undercoat your car yearly. I'm sure mine would look the same as OP if I lived in salted road areas.

 

imagine mechanics here in MA, wrenching on corroded rust and wet for 6 months/year around??
he told me he uses the torch all day

 

I woolwax and fluid film but like I said I’m in a part of California where it’s one of the most dry areas on planet earth (inland empire) I’ve seen California beach trucks that live near the ocean with rust flaking off the frame

 

I've lived in the Rust Belt all my life, and the best advice I can give is that it's up to you to be proactive regarding preventative rust protection. My brother-in-law just replaced the entire section of his frame under the driver's side of his 2012 Silverado Quad-Cab. Because I've been proactive before the Toyota inspection, my frame is in good condition, not perfect, but knowhere near what yours looks like. I've seen an older Colorado where the top of the box was hitting the cab, and you could tell rust had gotten to it. It is not only a Toyota issue, it's anything with a frame under it issue. Yes it can be prevented, but at what cost?
I installed an aftermarket rear bumper on my 2010, had it galvanized, and after about 3 years it's still rust-free. I'm sure it'll outlast the truck. The cost to have it galvanized at the time was about $375 plus a few cans of aerosol paint to paint it flat black. I went this route because of my past experience with powder coating, and my experience with having to inspect powder-coated parts.

 

It’ true. Rust never sleeps. Even in the milder PNW I spray bombed my Tacoma with CRC rust inhibitor. I also wand spray at the coin-op car wash the frame after snow/ice events.

https://youtu.be/i6RZY4Ar3fw?si=P6rV82f9QpX7nDwf

 

I live right on the beach and have minimal rust on my 07. That was what confused me

 

Perhaps the takeaway for all of us is that regular visual inspections of every part of a vehicle is a good idea. Shouldn't matter where you live or how you drive. For every rusted frame story here we probably have stories of mice chewing the wiring.

And for the thousands that any legit vehicle costs, it costs pennies to crawl under one twice a year to look at it.

 

what do you think?

 

With a boxed in frame it is possible to drive the salt deeper inside when you do a bottom flush where it sits and the humidity works on the metal year round. I'm looking at getting the NHOU undercoating done. It costs about $500 and then I will do the yearly touch ups with Blaster Surface Shield. I had a 2011 Tacoma shipped up from AZ that spent it's whole life in Albuquerque. The frame is spotless and I'm hoping they will do a better job undercoating it with a lift than I could.