Is A Paint Recall Coming?

My ‘15 MGM has it too.

Asked the dealer last time I was there for the frame inspection and the service guy tried to tell me that the door had been repainted at some point….

Been meaning to reach out to Toyota, but at this point I kinda just want it fixed… so will probably just take it to a local body shop.

 

Most likely. I believe 040 was a color option on every available 2nd gen model year. Other colors were only available select model years. There’s a chart on here somewhere that shows all colors and years available. Can’t remember if other colors were also available for every model year.

Also probably doesn’t help that white doesn’t have clear so rock chips and paint dings break through the paint easier.
Both of my problem areas started this year coincidentally where rock chips originally were. The chips were both extremely extremely small and were touched up a couple years ago. Don’t know if the impact breaks the bond between paint and primer or if it’s exposure to environment. Guessing it’s more of the latter. Either way that’s my theory.

Im lucky both of my spots are on the front doors in the exact same spot. Forward facing b pillar. I intend on wrapping the pillar similar to what the 3rd gens look like in an attempt to contain the issue. No way I’m spending the amount of money it cost to repaint the truck. I fully intend on upgrading to either a less problematic colored 2nd gen or 3rd or 4th gen in the next couple years. If the hood, front fenders and roof goes before then I’m SOL I guess.

 

So odd. Rock chips though wouldn’t explain inside the hood. I never heard of the white paint being less durable for those who don’t have this terrible problem.

 

Ya the inner fender one is a head scratcher and obviously doesn’t prove the theory unless it started at the exposed edge of the fender at the hood line and worked it’s way from there. Same with the door jamb peeling. And your right it’s not every white Tacoma that has issues, lots of guys have had great luck with theirs on this forum but lots have not. I highly doubt paint is more or less durable on said 040 truck to the next. I believe it’s mainly paint care and partly luck. To many variables: Garaged, rock chips, paint maintenance, uv exposure intensity, daily driver or weekend warrior, pavement princess or off road, etc etc.

I honestly have no idea and am rambling out my … Paint damage being the most convincing culprit to me but again I don’t know jack about paint so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

 

It’s a mystery. I’m sorry about your luck with yours. At least it seems you’ve gotten many miles out of the truck already.

 

Honestly, a fix is most likely not going to happen, but the more people that harass Toyota corporate, the better. They should know that people are not happy with the quality of their paint. I feel like Toyota cares maybe a tiny bit more than other auto manufacturers, since they have a reputation to uphold. But..... They also know how much repainting a few million trucks is going to cost them.

 

Right. But you’d think that once they figured it out they’d fix it… been an issue for years. What this tells me is that 1% or so of trucks are affected and it’s cheaper to deal with those people (or ignore them) on a one off basis than fix then paint issue en masse.

I was looking at my 2010 Mercedes E550 paint job closely yesterday and it’s seriously high quality. Blows away the thin taco paint. I actually had a driver bash my E class open door (the lip of the door) with their front bumper and one tiny paint chip came off from the impact. The German paint is just thicker and screams longevity. Wish toyota paint were half as good.

 

And your Benz cost how much more than your Tacoma?

 

A bit more, but I don’t expect to have to pay luxury car prices for decent paint. All the German cars I bought (including VWs) have vastly superior paint. Also, my Toyotas have always lasted longer and been more reliable than my German cars overall, despite being cheaper. My 2007 4Runner has given me way fewer problems and the paint is holding up. So I just expect a little more from the tacoma paint job is all I’m saying. I haven’t had issues yet but I’m worried based on the posts here. Check back with me in a decade

 

I recall my Super White II being complete sh!t. So I DIY'd a fix.

 

rattle canned it?

 

My 2011 is still fine. These posts make me want to wash and wax my truck haha. However I am in SoCal and I can't because of water restrictions. Nearest car wash sucks bad so going through some "waterless" stuff.

 

Without going though this entire thread (sorry), has Toyota fixed the paint issue and if so, on the start of what model year?

 

bingo!

 

Victim to it and I take care of my paint!

 

No.

 

I don't buy the "paint chip" theory as the factor that starts this failure. I have a 2014 that has the usual nicks on the surfaces facing the front (leading section of the hood, windshield pillars and leading area of the roof. There is no indication of any peeling issues. The pics posted here are (IMO) showing problems in completely random areas, including some in places where rock chips aren't a big problem: like the sides of doors, under-hood fender edges and door pillars and near the rear tail lamps. And don't forget: Toyota is shelling out for for a repaint on their other (every?) models that are having this problem. AND: it's happening on other colors too!

My theory is surface contamination, faulty surface preparation and/or primer application. The paint holds on for a while and then after normal aging just starts to let go. I don't have any hint of paint failure on my [040]: YET. And I shouldn't have to worry about the truck having this issue either, until it is at least 15 years old. My son's 2005/247k has some clear-coat failure going on with the roof (that only started about two years ago), but the original black metallic paint is still holding on tight to the sheet metal underneath. YMMV

 

The paint guy I saw said what you are seeing is the environmental coat (tan color). The E-coat didn't bond with the primer coat. If you look at the back of a paint chip you will see the primer and not white paint.

 

No offense, but I believe your paint guy was blowing smoke up your skirt. In all my years in the metal finishing business, I've never heard of an "environmental coat." The "E-coat" you are referring to is electrodeposition primer. This is the process where the body goes through a "river of paint" if I gloriously oversimplify it. (There are numerous preparation steps prior to the actual primer application.) Most modern vehicles get three coats of "paint." The first is an E-coat primer followed by a sprayed-on color coat followed by a clear topcoat. Toyota Super White however is a single stage white and has no clearcoat.

Is there a bonding issue between paint layers? It sure looks like it. It is between the environmental coat and the primer? Nope.

 

2006 White SR5 - No issues
2015 MGM TRD - Looking good and I should wash it someday
Picking up a White 2022 Trail in an hour and hoping for the best