Frame rust recall

Oh boy, since those guys are pulling out those wire harness like spaghetti that should be fun. Engine codes for next couple years.
One thing I got from today's conversation is a feeling that this is a last Toyota recall for frames and nobody else after us will get them replaced (Thank you NHTSA for stupid ruling)
I am happy I can drive my truck and once I get new frame I will deal with any of their screw ups on my own. Just want new frame.
I asked them if my frame can get extra coat of industrial paint before installation in Toyota body shop.
That should get that frame to last. My first thing is going to fill frame with ATF fluid to the brink. I am surprised by POR-15 apparently did not do squad inside the frame. So I need plan B which is ATF with maybe few drops of Acetone.

 

Good luck, I've been waiting since August for a frame.

Was told I'd get it in December, which turned into January, which was then February, which was then "Spring, probably May or June"... So much for using my truck as my wedding vehicle in 1.5 weeks.

 

Stuligan, I thought I had a long wait at 5.5 months. You may have the longest wait of all. Maybe there will be a prize for this?

 

Can you elaborate on that?

 

No doubt! I'm taking my truck back June 1st. Don't care if it's done or not. That would be 4 months even for me.

 

I did that a couple of weeks ago. If it's going to be sitting, much better off sitting in my garage, than in a busy dealer's lot. I was able to install my new stereo while it's been sitting idle.

I'm coming up on 8 months now, and still have no idea when it will be done. Originally I was told in December that my frame was in, but was waiting on wiring harness. Last time I talked to the service manager, he told me the frame was not in. Which I'm OK with, considering the choice with getting a frame that's fresh off the truck vs. one that's been sitting in a salty parking lot for 4 months. I've been pretty patient, I want it done right when it is done, and not so much concerned with when it's done. I have been starting to go through Taco withdrawal as of late though, so I hope it's not too much longer.

 

Sure, That happened during conversation with Toyota rep when I pointed out this is my second Toyota truck that is dealing with the frame issue. Also pointed out I have Toyota luxury vehicle rusting through... which is ridiculous for money spent on it.
I pointed out I just had to replace fuel doors on it because hinge rusted and broke off and have a panel rust .
I got usual that its NorthEast and all cars rust. Excuse me, not all of them rust 5 years after the purchase. It seems only Toyota gets major rust literally in less than 5 years, and I pointed out at GM. What I got is that GM is now telling its customers exactly what NHTSA ruling was (wash your vehicle its your responsibility) and this is something that probably all manufactures will communicate.
hence the feeling that this is going to be now used as the excuse to not do any more recalls. So 2009+ trucks may be on their own. To me this is another reason to not buy Toyota anymore. IF they can't figure out how to paint vehicles no reason to buy garden ornaments.

 

Toyota does have a storage guideline they recommend for 1-6 months.. Wonder if any dealers are following it? Place I took mine did not. I drove by a few times to see it sitting on a flat tire.

 

If it goes a year... which it's on track to do... I'm going to trade the truck in for an Audi S4 or something. The prize will be a fast car... used obviously... but I should be able to come out ahead of I get the right price for the truck and sell all the parts that have been sitting in my garage for the last 5 months waiting for the frame to get done.

 

Thanks! Sorry I was completely ignorant of the recent NHTSA ruling on a brake line rust recall on GM vehicles. For others as ignorant as me here's some info to help you find it.

The NHTSA Action Number is EA11001 and you can get the report from their site.

The start of an AP article on the ruling gives a good summary:

A key point in the NHTSA finding was that when sorted by age and region the brake line corrosion problems on the GM vehicles in the complaint had failure rates in line with the failure rates for other manufacturers. Thus they determined there was no defect, rather this was the expected service life of the type of brake lines being used during that period of manufacture (these days most lines are not steel and thus less susceptible to rust).

There is one key point here - the point wasn't just "wash your car" though they did offer that warning - it was that some corrosion is expected at some rate for some components and regions that use more salt make it worse. If the rate of corrosion is "expected" in the sense that all manufacturers have the same corrosion then it isn't a "defect". That implies if frames on Tacomas corrode faster than other vehicles in the same region then the NHTSA would still consider that a "defect" in the future. But I get BlueT's point - any enterprising company or service manager is going to point at this warning from the NHTSA as a way to transfer responsibility to the owner.

Maybe in addition to saving oil filter receipts for warranty documentation we should be saving car wash receipts too?

 

Audi? I have heard the European cars hold up to the environment better.

 

Yup, I completely disagree at NHTSA suggestion.. There is no way to wash a car at anything below 0F which is January-February in my place. Unless of course there is some non-freezing liquid that is also biodegradable . I dont know any that will remove salt with out removing paint or causing more rust.

All those problems could be avoided if manufacturers used better paints. We don't see holes in bridges after 5 years. New ENgland bridges I believe are on 12 year re-painting interval and those are exposed to elements 24 hours a day.

Next Philosophical question is: do you buy a vehicle that you know most likely will become a garden ornament in couple years?
Resale value on Tacoma is great, but resale value on Tacoma with frame full of holes is $100. You can't drive it, you can't sell it. You can junk it for $100.
Since I am about get new Truck I am not feeling like buying another Toyota. My truck served me well and I love it but after second rusted frame I feel like driving Russian Lada.

 

Their bodies do.. Electrical connectors are different story.

 

Parts waiting to be installed on my truck when I get it back:

Depo Black LED tail lights
New sway-bar
Sway-bar relocate kit
4 extra D-rings for the bed
Bed side bottle opener
Blue seas fuse block
Cree LED pods for aux reverse lights
Bed rail mounted fishing rod holders
Stickers

Taco withdrawal is a real thing.

 

It is interesting that actually the worst corrosion is for garage stored vehicles. When it gets extremely cold (0F) corrosion typically stops because you need liquid water or at least high humidity for corrosion to get going well. So surprisingly those carefully garage storing their cars can end up with frames and other components rusted faster than those parking on the street or in the driveway. Those with garages park in a somewhat warmer and more humid garage where temps run in the 30s perhaps and it is corrosion central. If the vehicle is left outside to be frozen solid the temps and humidity are wrong for efficient corrosion.

And I completely get what you mean about car washing just not being a viable option in some environments. We don't get anywhere near as cold down in the mid-Atlantic but still there are multi-week periods where a car wash is not an option. Oh, and better still, the first thing to freeze and last to thaw at the car wash here is the undercarriage washer...

Fortunately for me while I live in the suck-ass mid-Atlantic my truck lives in the desert southwest - so I was able to feel good purchasing a Tacoma despite knowing about all the frame rust problems.

 

I'd rather have electrical than frame rot. I can at least replace all the electrical myself with better wires and connectors, and I can get the wiring and connectors for pennies. I don't have the facilities to do a frame change myself, and the parts are much harder to get.

I love my truck, and always thought I would replace it with a double cab when the kiddies start arriving, but waiting the over 8 months for a frame to only be told I would be another month or two at the earliest... Toyota's customer service is making me look elsewhere for a toy/daily driver. What happens when if I get in an accident with a rotted out frame when they could have replaced it in December like the originally said they would?

If I could I would just buy a 2011 DCSB and move all my custom parts over to it and call it done and forget this frame rot thing and have a family friendly truck.

 

I hear ya. Electric connections are easier to fix, most just will need a scrub, European car makers tend to put no dielectric grease on them and they are not as sealed as lets say Toyota connectors.
yeah I don't know if 2011 will be any safer bet from rust. They all have that stupid frame design that makes them rust from inside. (origami frames)

 

Might be able to prevent a lot of bad rusting, to the point where my '05 is right now, if you can catch it early enough.

Only reason I'd consider up to a 2011 DCSB is so that all my parts can be transfered over to it so I don't take to much of a cost hit.

The dealer in my area should just get their act together and swap out my frame. I was hoping to have all my mods done before my wedding in a week and a half, because the truck was supposed to be done over 4 months ago, but now I need to find a different vehicle because my lift and all my other mods are still sitting in boxes in my garage.

 

I am going to stay clear of Tacomas in future unless the frame has already been replaced and price is cheap. I think old Chevy/GM with 350 from out west is my next truck. Who knows.
So Stuligan, you have contacted Toyota corp about this insane wait time? When I contacted Toyota corp they "escalated" my concern a few levels and I think all they did was call the dealer and ask what was taking so long. Dealer skipped the wire harness replacement and salvaged old. I would continue to call and email Toyota Corp and dealer weekly.

 

I was told by my dealership that corporate said no to salvaging old wire harness.

EDIT: Dealership states that my original wire harness is in perfectly good shape, but I have to wait for a new one, otherwise it would void out all the insurance money and dealership wouldn't get paid, and no warranty on any of the new parts...