Dealer serviced truck with frame issues.

A friend of a friend has a very nice 2004 OR extended cab 3.4, 5MT with 270k miles. He noted some strange handling the other day and realized the front leaf attachment point had separated from the frame. I took a look today and it does have rust-through on the bottom of the frame tube in that area as well. I didn't go banging on his frame and didn't see any gaping holes. He is 3 months past the frame warranty. This truck has been dealer serviced for the last decade and evidently they never bothered to look at the frame.

I told him to keep after Corporate and exhaust any chance of a goodwill replacement before looking at repairing or trying to find a buyer. I feel the dealership let him down.

I wish I had time for another project.

 

That's really unfortunate, and shitty since no one advised your friend.

What concerns me more is that your friend never looked over his own truck?

 

He certainly isn't an Enthusiast or off-roader as his interests are more in sail-boats and travel but I'd bet he's not alone in depending on the dealership to keep things in check.

 

9.5 out of 10 people have no idea what anything is under there. Hell, 5 out of 10 couldn't get under it.
Evidently a percentage of techs. don't know what their looking at either.

 

you're in Iowa?

 

Affirmative.

 

as far as i know Toyota corporate still does not consider Iowa (or my state NE + others that border) to be a 'cold climate' state, even though IA borders 3 cold climate states (MN WI IL)
the dealers and mechanics most likely have very little training about the particular problems, at least that is my experience locally.
to my knowledge, nobody outside of the 'cold climate' states were sent official letters to have their vehicle inspected!
I remember first hearing about the problem in 2o11 in a paltalk chatroom from somebody in Indiana whose Tacoma frame was bad. I then proceeded to ask my local dealer if they could check mine and they had no clue what i was talking about or whom was going to pay them to do this! since I did not have the official letter it was a real sticky pain in the rear to get them to finally inspect my truck and my relatives truck, a '98, that was found to have perforations.
certainly the 1-800 customer service will be inclined to help with your friend of friend if explained that no notice was ever sent to them!