Frame rust recall

I was on the phone again last night with my case manger, or as I like to refer to them as a "redirection specialist", and didn't understand how I was told the average wait was 150 days and my dealer hasn't seen a part in 3 months. I told the guy I know that at least 1 truck has been sitting since November 2014. I know because I've been going to the dealer every week and nothing has moved. He also told me that the worst was behind us as they were really swamped and didn't expect such big numbers of trucks but that they had quadrupled production and the number 160 days would most certainly be getting shorter. Total BS! Those that are new here, don't buy in to what they tell you about the wait. I told the guy that it's not the wait that hurts, it's the dishonesty.

 

First Toyota told me 6-13 but that did not happen now they say 6-22 I will believe it when I get the call to bring my truck in.

 

As stated previously, it took me 6 months, 3 months with a loaner RAV4. Picked it up last Friday, noticed a slight shimmy in braking, took it back today, rotors had some rust after sitting for 3 months; there are machining them at their cost. Bennett Toyota (Allentown, PA) has been great. FWIW, I never had service my Toyota with them until I brought in for an oil change in December and they informed me about the recall on my Tacoma.

 

I've said before that, if we're to bash the stealerships when they fuck up (and we should!), we also need to give them props when they nail it.

I had an 0815AM app't this morning at Hudiburg Toyota here in OKC to have my frame inspected.

I pulled in at 0755 (I'm always early) and find there's already 7 vehicles queued up at the serive bay entrance. I was a bit surprised, so I went in (which noone else had apparently thought to do) and a young fella came hauling ass up from the bays. "Sir, we'll be opening up the doors and getting people processed in in about 5 minutes." He's already pointing back at the door I came in.

I asked him, "I've got an appointment for 0815. You're going to process the whole queue (which went up as cars 8 and 9 pulled in while we spoke) and get someone looking at my truck on time?" Being the grumpy, snarky bastard I am that early on a Saturday, I added "Or do I misinterpret the whole 'appointment' thing?"

A wee grin flashed over his face and he says, flat-footed "Yes, we will"

I smiled, nodded, thanked him, and went and got in line. I'll be honest, in my head I was just waiting for him to fail at this point.

0804 hours he personally is working the line along with the intake folks and runners. He actually looks a lot like Matt Leinart when he came out of ...was it USC?...and get drafted by the Cardinals. Anyhow, nice enough kid, idle chitchat....give me the ticket, does the writeup, sends me off to the waiting room.

...

A *very* short time later, he comes in and gets me from waiting. I said aloud how pleasantly surprised I was at the speed they ran things through ... he says "Yea, we've actually got this whole appointment thing figured out"

*OUCH!*

He's laughing at me now, which I'm totally OK with as I'm laughing too. "Yup, I deserved that. How'd the testing look?"

He start off with "Well, there's a procedure where they look at the frame rail sides..."

I broke in again. "3 pound sledge and a crowbar, right?"

He audibly snerked. "Basically. You're in a Texas truck. Frame's basically brand new. The whole underside is. Sign here and have a good one"

0833 on the dash clock I pulled out and headed home.

Gotta give credit where it's due. Fast, accurate, and on time. Can't argue trying to do it better than that. Hudiburg's service department gets a +1 on this inspection

 

Took mine in for the undercoating recall and they called and told me mine had a hole in the frame and Toyota deemed it unsafe to drive. I said WTH does that mean? The service writer told me, "Don't worry, Toyota will be replacing your frame and give you a loaner car". I said how much is that going to cost me? He said, "nothing, Toyota picks up the total bill". Never saw an Authorization Number, they kept my truck that day and a full tank loaner was given to me to use (did not have to refill it before returning it either). Well after five months waiting on a frame driving a 2012 Camry LE my truck was fixed at a cost of $15,844. New frame, LCA's, brake lines, and a new 4 leaf pack to replace my 3 leaf (I told them I had bottoming out issues when loading the truck to less than factory specs).

 

You must have had several holes... and was pretty bad to render it unsafe to drive. That sucks!

I hope you didn't pay anything....

Theyre telling me 3-5 months. The hole isn't that big..... I guess if there's one hole... There could be other thin spots.

Curious... By the time a frame comes in, wonder if I can use this as a bargaining chip to buy a 2016? We'll have to wait and see what happens.

 

I did not pay one red cent!

 

I took my 06 n last Monday they took pictures to send to toyota and by Tuesday afternoon called to say I get new frame and leafs.i ask how long? they told me 2 weeks to order frame.will they give me new upper and lower a arms? I am going to replace outer tie rods and sway bar links. Should I replace anything eles?since they are doing alignment.

 

two weeks...hahahahahah. sorry. plan on 6 months.

 

I called my dealer re: pending updates on my 07 access cab tacoma. Seat belt, frame corrosion and rear springs. Was told that the manager had closed the frame corrosion update due to high demand? They suggested calling a different dealer who may or may not still be preforming that work. The spring update still did not have a remedy and I must wait for that. Seat belt, no problem they said.

 

Since when does a dealer have the right to refuse warranty work?

 

Finally took my truck in to the dealer yesterday(Frame finally arrived) 6-23-2015 for the frame replacement not bad??? had it inspected on 9-18-2014 they told me it should be ready next Monday or Tuesday we will see?

 

Mines been in 2 days for frame replacement. On day one they called with things they said needed to be done in addition to the frame replacement. I was originally told that they may call and offer to replace things free of labor due to them already tearing the truck apart. They quoted me with labor and over 2000.00 worth of work. what a joke. Over 400 bucks to replace the front pads and just turn the rotors? I told the guy the letter says I get the frame replaced, at no charge to me, and that's how I would like it please. I know its the dealer on this one, but I for one am done with Toyota. Time to try American company again. I called the main offices of Toyota after 6 months of waiting for the frame, and they just don't care.

 

Here's the unfortunate problem you'll find: The American company dealers have the same shit/not shit ratio, roughly. It has nothing to do with the name over the door.

 

I live in Maine and have an '04 Tacoma that did not pass state inspection this week b/c of the frame. I emailed a business associate who happens to own a Toyota dealership and though my frame was spray-coated in 2010, I was told that TMC will likely approve the replacement of my frame (153K and change on odometer). Hopeful that's the case. Lost my wife to cancer in 2013 and I cannot easily afford replacing my truck right now. Runs like a top!

 

is there any news on them extending the recalls to 2010, mine is rusting, very low miles, 20,400

 

Purchased my 2002 Tacoma December 2014 from reputable Toyota dealer. It was a one owner truck with 100k on it and pretty clean. When I asked about the frame he said it had passed inspection and had been coated and it was under "warranty" until late 2016. The salesman assured me that it wouldn't last more than a year. I took a gamble and bought the truck. Took it in for state inspection yesterday and low and behold it failed for a hole in the frame! NW PA winter must have done it. Toyota approved the new frame and the dealer patched the hole for me so I could still drive it during the 3 month wait for the new one.

 

ours is also a PA truck, but such low miles and dealer serviced, they basically told us to wait till it rusts through and hope they extend the recall

 

Front cab mount, driver's side, pictured from below the door, correct?

That won't actually fail, you aren't structurally compromised in any way. However, your picture describes a very serious need for frame maintenance.

That part of the frame is extremely vulnerable, since it is in the path of salt spray from the front wheels. You need to keep it clean of rust, and coated heavily with multiple layers of paint and tar.

But there is an additional difficulty in keeping that area clean! The problem is that the hole for the mount bolt and rubber bumper has a lip around it, that basically directs salty water into the seam between the bottom plate and the side. That means that the attack is more from the inside of the cab mount than the outside.

A second problem with that part involves the frame rail itself. If you look up inside the cab mount with a flashlight, you will notice that there is a big ugly hole in the back of it, providing access to the inside of the frame rail. Now imagine what happens when you drive through salty slush! It splashes up into the cab mount, coats it thoroughly from the inside, and shoots through the big hole into the INSIDE of the frame rail. This is why these frames are rotting from the inside out near the catalytic converter(s)! Not because of heat, but because they are subject to salt blast from the inside.

So what you need to do right now to fix it, is;

1) Clean all that rust off.
2) As much as is humanly possible, clean the rust off the inside of the frame as well.
3) Paint everything. Lots of paint, multiple coats. Inside and out. Sprayers help a lot for the inside. Brush is good on the outside.
4) When the paint is thoroughly dry/hard, tar it. Lots of tar, thick as you can, inside and out.
5) Block off the cab mounts and all other access points to the inside of the frame rail! Just make sure that you don't block the *drains* near the rail.

 

I just got mine back after 8 months of waiting.. Yes, 8 months.