(2016) - Rust on Battery Clamp and Hood Clamp

2016 Tacoma TRD Sport DCSB MGM

I tried searching but was only coming up matchable items...

The battery in my 2016 died, and as I was opening the hood to remove the battery, I noticed quite a bit of rust on the battery clamp. And then I started looking around and noticed rust on the hood side of the latch that keeps the hood closed. Has anybody else had this issue on a 3rd gen? It seems super early to even be developing rust.

I also noticed some rust in the bed of my truck where the two screws are where, I believe, a tonneau cover would probably mount. I've never had any screws in there, and never mounted anything to it. I don't have pictures of it, but I do of the other items. I did also notice a bit of surface rust under my driver seat when I was running wires for a ham radio...

(Is this a warranty-addressable issue? Doubt it, but worth asking...)

 

Trade it in for that Toyota Sienna you'll eventually need

 

It's best to keep after the little things yourself .

 

I know I can find replacement battery clamps, but is the hood latch (not the mechanism, but the side attached to the hood itself) replaceable? I didn't think about looking at it, and from the pictures I took I can't really tell.

 

If you want to wire brush and sand paper and a little paint but no need to replace .

 

My hood latch pin is rusting in exactly the same spot. Really annoying, because my truck is a 2019 picked up almost exactly one year ago today, I came from German cars and can't believe that there is already rust on the truck.

It's an area of the truck that definitely rubs on other metal, and moves a little bit during driving. I would have expected them to use higher-quality metal there.

 

Just brush it and repaint it.

 

The hood latch hoop has enough material that rust won't eat through it over the next decade. Never seen that hoop fail even on the oldest 2nd gens.

Remember most Toyota owners don't open their hood...

 

I say brush it and coat with grease / fluid film. Repainting is kinda meh

 

I think that makes the most sense, and the fact that they rely on the paint to prevent rust is probably exactly why they rust. BMWs don't even have paint on those parts, see the pics below. I think they use aluminum.

 

Battery clamp on my 2016 had the same rust issue. I wire brushed it, scuffed, sanded, and then painted the little thing and boom back to normal. Just as everyone else has stated.

 

Just hit mine with the wire brush and covered with Bel-Ray marine grease. I think mine was actually worse than the OP.




After:

 

I take it back. Cosmoline would be best!

 

Or Toyota could have used, you know, the same plating as the door latch strikers. But they figured the typical owner doesn't open the hood...

By the book, you're supposed to spray the hood latch, door latches, and door hinges (including the fuel door hinge) with lithium grease. It's the "lube" part of lube, oil, and filter.

 

Except the door latches are bolt on.

 

Ah, didn't know that, thanks. I have plenty of that, I'll wipe it down and do it over.

 

No need to redo.

Of all the grease locations, the only critical one is the fuel door hinge. Rust binding can cause the thin wire hinge pin to bend.