Frame rust, dealership shenans, and Saf-T-Cap install

Please do!

 

I spoke with a Toyota "Executive" Customer Service rep on Wednesday or Thursday last week. She went over my initial e-mail, asked questions, took all the details, asked for photos, and said she'd call the old dealership as well as the one I scheduled an inspection at to "investigate what went wrong". She finally asked what my major concern was (there's no emoji for the face I made at that question...) and, realizing she probably just needed something for whatever form or format she's required to use, I settled on explaining that having the CRC applied incorrectly was worse than nothing at all, and that what I was quite sure would happen is that the frame would pass the inspection just inside the coverage window (closes November) and continue to rot underneath the CRC, ultimately killing the frame within two to three years.

Well, surprise... Truck came back from inspection yesterday with no perforations, and the fact that I can pick chunks of the gusset plate out like saltine cracker is not considered to be of importance. The Service Manager who gave me my truck back said it looked like I'd be ready to buy a new truck in two or three years tops. Shocking.

Anyway, for those of you who care, the CSR is going to review the inspection report and call me tomorrow to discuss what Toyota is willing to do. At this point I'm morbidly curious to see what exactly they'll offer me.

I've already got some new wire cups and POR-15 on order because I seriously doubt it's going to be anything I care to take them up on. Looks like I have a couple dozen hours of mineral spirits and wire wheeling in front of me to get all the Toyota CRC off of the rust, and the rust off of the frame.

 

I went to a certain dealership who told me I didn't need a new frame then never called me back about the frame coating. Went to a local jiffy lube to get an inspection a month later and the tech told me to get a second opinion at a different dealership because he figured my frame would only pass for a few more years.

went to another dealership and sure enough they found a perforation the other dealership "missed". I'm waiting on Toyota to approve the new frame.

 

Ah man, I'd personally file a BBB complaint and NHTSB as mentioned earlier. I've had great success using BBB against companies. Be thorough, use pictures, etc. If for nothing else, it's still building your case should you choose to pursue it. If not, just get a Bronco lol kidding. kinda.

 

Just had my third or fourth followup with Executive CSR after the inspection, review by technicians, review by Toyota engineers, review by the regional field rep, and an offer of review by a factory rep who will be in my area this week.

All that, and the answer is... Toyota washes its hands completely of the matter and invites me to inquire again in the future if there are issues with the frame outside of the coverage window, which in my case ends next month.

Furthermore, there is Z E R O comment on the faulty application of the CRC TSB procedures. They have been exceptionally careful to dance around and deflect regarding that matter.

In other words, lots of talk and the appearance of action, absolutely nothing of substance... Surprising exactly no-one, I am sure.

Looks like I'll be scraping the frame once I get my project camper shell out of the way and keeping this Tacoma running as long as possible, because I'm sure as shit not buying another one.

 

I am so sorry. That absolutely sucks. Only thing I would suggest from there is a social media campaign, posting photos and the story on the dealer's pages as well as Toyota's until someone does something.

 

Doing an overhaul of the truck and doing a lot of wire-wheeling and prep for POR-15.

8 months outside the replacement window and what do I find this morning underneath big flakes of Toyota CRC...





Oh look, it's EXACTLY what I knew was going to happen.

 

Dang man, super sorry to see that. Makes me angry at how Toyota and/or the dealerships at large continue to handle these frame issues.

 

I think at this point the lesson learned is spray your frame with rust protectant from day 1 off the lot to avoid all this mess.

If not, and you qualify for frame spray campaigns, get it sprayed, then take a hammer to your frame once a month up until your extension on frame warranty expires. Hopefully if there is a true hole you find it, let it rust up a bit to look natural then take it back to toyota to collect on your new frame. Toyota is out to absolve themselves from all of this. And that’s why we see rolling frame spray campaigns on even current 3rd gens. Toyota is walking the line between actual goodwill replacement and fucking customers over with incompetent dealerships not doing due diligence.

my 2 cents

 

Hey, I'm sorry if this breaks rules here on the forum, and feel free to hit me with whatever hammer is necessary if it does...

But my last hope is basically to social media shame them into doing something. I absolutely cannot afford a comparable replacement vehicle right now or really probably for the next few years. I can try to weld this up but inspections here are fairly strict, and the cancer has already started inside so there's only so much that can be done even with patches.

If you have time (and Instagram) maybe check my most recent post there and help me get a little attention there. I've tagged Toyota USA and the dealership that monkeyed the work up to begin with, but I'm pretty much a nobody, so I'm not gonna attract a ton of attention there and Toyota won't even notice without more points and comments. My insta handle is @deaninvermont if you can spare a few minutes to find me and jump on the dogpile.

 

Get online and see what Carvana will give you for it. You might be surprised what they offer. I don't know what kind of inspection they do. I've seen someone selling their car to them and it was just a lady walking around the exterior, looking inside and took it for a test drive. Then their tow truck showed up and took it away. I don't know what happened before or after that. Your truck is only going to get worse from here and getting Toyota to do anything out of warranty, good luck.

 

Dump my problem on some mark? No thanks. I don't understand why people always reach for that answer.

I'll plate the frame up and fill it with cavity wax before I do that.

 

Not really they have a responsibility to check vehicle before they purchase it.

 

Yep. People get rid of cars all the time because they have problems. I don't see the big deal

If carvana wants to buy cars without looking at the frame that's their problem

 

I know it doesn't help you but this is a very honorable thing for you to say. I can't say for sure that I would think the same thing if I was in your exact situation but it lets me know there are still good people around. Good luck in your efforts.

 

I hit up a friendly dealer service manager about this and learned something interesting about the inspection process:

"... if we as a dealership had been that aggressive to find those holes, meaning any evidence of hammering, scraping, etc, the claim would have been denied. This is per Toyota. The holes have to be visible with zero external influence."

Most people seem to think that the dealer inspection involves taking a hammer to the frame and seeing if it goes through. It would appear that that is not the case, and that as long as there's a thin layer of black goop holding the rust in place, Toyota calls it good.

 

Same, which strikes me as odd that Toyota wouldn't want to take that dealer to task.

At the least, you can hopefully make sure others don't get the hose job from this dealer. Same thing I've done with a GM dealer a while ago. I don't have Insta or I would be on there

I think I can answer that one, or at least my educated guess. My wife had a 96 that was bought back, at that time the hammer was being used. I'm not sure if her particular truck needed that or was bad enough as it sat..nor did I want to even look at it when we went back to pick up her rental car.

My 2010 just got reframed, found an exhaust hanger falling in April. The bottom and outside of that rail had 10-13mm sized holes (pics in my album). The outside one, I pushed with 2 fingers and it caved in to a 1x2 inch hole.

 

I'll second you, I won't be buying another new Tacoma since they closed their California plant. Mine says "Made in U.S.A." on the door plate!

 

If you work the numbers, I think you can afford to buy a replacement. Work with the banks. Some can offer a low down payment and 84 to 96 months financing to keep your payments low.