Do You Have Rust? West Coast...

Revised: 12/12/15

I don't like having to post this, since I love my truck & actually still want to get another Taco, after all is said and done...
So, my truck's got the sickness... In September I had it inspected by a Toyota dealer tech, and he marked a few places on my frame and said it was too much rust for a 2011, suggested buy-back, but he can only make suggestions. Toyota turned it into a Lemon Law claim, and denied it citing "salt air" as the culprit. After that, I sent an email directly to Toyota CEO Jim Lentz, showing pictures of my rust. In November Toyota's Corporate office sent a Toyota factory field tech to inspect the truck. He went well beyond even my OCD, and he concluded there was too much rust for a 2011, I did have a valid claim, and it couldn't be repaired to original spec. Although he said that, in the end Toyota Corporate made the ultimate decision. Toyota called me yesterday and stood by their "salt air" defense.
Toyota is in breach of contract by not honoring the 5 yr. Corrosion Perforation Protection Guarantee. I reminded them of their legal obligation, and they said "good luck with your future endeavors, James" ... Toyota did however, offer me $2k if I purchased or leased a brand new Toyota. I bought my truck new in Huntington Beach, CA. I've been up here just over a year, and is still under the useless extended warranty...

My rust isn't the worst, but if your 2nd Gen. is just as bad or worse, you need to file a claim with Toyota, or the NHTSA. It shouldn't just be a normal thing to have a less than 10 yr. old truck with rust everywhere. My attorney said I had to make a quick call and file a complaint with the NHTSA & the FTC. Less than 5 min. for both, to file a complaint to try and get an actual official vehicle buy-back or recall in effect. And you don't have to have actual holes going through any part of the vehicle for the 5 yr. Corrosion Perforation Protection Guarantee, to be valid. CORROSION, is my truck's main issue, not perforations. And there shouldn't have been any Lemon Law claim filed either, as that expires after 3 yr. 36,000 mi.
The requirements for the current frame rust recall on the east coast do not apply in any way to the west coast. The west coast would never suffer that much rust damage, as we do not salt our roads. My point is, if my 5 yr. old truck is starting to rust without salted roads and just "air", then it's of absolutely no surprise the salted road states trucks are turning into scrap...


Thanks for reading, TW!

Last resort... If you feel Toyota hasn't done enough to fix your truck or believe it's unsafe, call the below #'s.
NHTSA: (888)327-4236
FTC: (877)382-4357

 

I think most new trucks on the lot up here have almost as much rust as that

My truck looked like that after the first winter

 

That's scary. That truck is only 4 years old!!! No truck is safe. I thought this wasn't an issue anymore?? Sad.

Paging Volcom!! Why is this happening???

Actually I will be inspecting the frame methodically after this winter. If I see any rust,, going to complain.

 

Yeah, my 2011 is about the same. Yours looks a little bit worse, but not by much.
I am on the right coast. Not salt spray from oceans here, but from salt from winter road treatment.

 

I hope my truck looks that good in 5 years! my 13 was worse then that after 2 winters...

 

My brothers 2009 is a disaster, 10x worse than yours. he lives on the coast near San Francisco. Salt air is brutal. His LEER shell handle is rusted over as well. I told him to get the frame checked.

 

Ok, I already said my rust wasn't the worst, here... Having that said, anyone with worse rust and a newer truck should be having Toyota fix your rust while it's still under warranty & 5 yr. rust perforation protection guarantee. It's not something to just live with. I know full well that others here have 100 times worse rust, and I'm trying to get people to realize there is something Toyota needs to do about it. I paid for a product that came with a guarantee against rust, and Toyota illegally broke that term when I made a legitimate claim of a "Toyota verified" rusting product.

 

Agree. Cheers.

 

I live in a small town in Central Ontario, outside the Greater Toronto Area, where heavy sand and road salt is applied to the roads 6 months of the year. Sometimes the vehicles are so heavily encrusted with salt that you can't even tell what make and model they are. I hope my truck looks as good as yours in 4 years. I don't see anything in the photos to be concerned about from a safety standpoint. One thing that we do around here is oil spray vehicles, sometimes 2X/year. My truck is dealer rustproofed, extended rust warranty, and I plan to spray it with oil. If I can get 10 years out of it, even if it looks rough in its last 5 years, then I"ll be ready for a new one, and it won't owe me a cent.

 

I was born in Detroit, I am fully aware of the menace of road salting... The point I'm trying to get across, is that my truck was deemed "too much rust" by a Toyota Factory Field Tech. If that's the case for me, then surely, it's going to be the case for much more severe rust issues on other TW members & the general public's trucks. Your new truck comes with this guarantee upon purchase. I don't know how Canada handles these issues...

 

Strange. Your frame is almost bare. My 2007 has a sticky, waxy black coating sprayed all over it and no rust at all. Spending a 5 years in New Orleans and the rest in Virginia Beach by the ocean.
I have surface rust of suspension components but nothing else.

Fritz

 

I don't think you understand what the word "perforation" means.

None of the rust you've pictured looks like it's even close to rusting a hole through your frame.

 

I type out responses, but I know it will have no impact on certain people (dense), so I just delete them and shake my head. My perforations Vs. "cold state" perforations are not the same. Everything the factory tech documented, supported the fact my truck needs body and frame repair. Regardless, of TW member opinion...

 

I'm relaying my encounter with Toyota. By their standards, there is a verified problem with my truck that they are choosing to ignore. Weather or not you agree with my stance or me in general, is not my concern. I'm trying to help anyone else out who is having issues dealing with rust in general.