My '09 TSB Fun Begins!

In preparation of my camping trip next month, I finally decided to put about 420 lbs of sandbags in the back of my truck to see how it would handle. To no surprise, it bottomed out a couple times. The next day, I went to the dealership to begin the process of pleading my case, in hopes that I could get the leaf spring tsb, even though technically it doesn't cover the 09's (yet).

Me: My truck bottoms out with less than the rated payload in the bed. I put 240 lbs in the very rear of the bed to simulate the tongue weight of the trailer I will be pulling, and 180 lbs over the axles. Add to this my weight, as well as that of my wife's and son's, and there was a total of 800 lbs payload. The truck is rated for 1295 lbs. (I purposely neglected to mention the 290 lb sticker reduction)

Service Advisor: Well, I'll need you to load your truck back up and bring it in so we can check it out.

Me: That's not necessary. All you have to do is have one of your mechanics look at the evidence of the bump stop having hit the frame.

SA: Okay, well I'll need to ask around, because I've never heard of this issue before. (he may have been telling the truth, as I later found out that he is new there)

Me: Let me save you some time. Toyota is fully aware that there is a problem with the springs on this truck, as they have issued a tsb for the problem. Toyota wouldn't offer to fix this for free if there wasn't truly a problem. My issue is that nothing has changed suspension-wise on these trucks since they were redesigned in '05, yet Toyota continues to put weak springs on them every year. On top of this, Toyota likes to make new owners angry by making them wait a full year before that model year is included in the tsb, and that's total crap. The question I have for you is how many hoops are you going to make me jump through to get this corrected.

SA: I hope not very many.

Me: I hope not.

The service advisor then went to get a mechanic, who came out to look at my truck. The mechanic seemed to know exactly what I was talking about, and agreed that nothing had changed on the suspension from year to year. However, he said that since technically the 09's are not covered yet, they are handled on a case-by-case basis. He said he call and discuss the situation with corporate to see if they'd cover me.

Fast forward to this morning, and I get a call from the mechanic.

Mechanic: I talked to Toyota, and to make a long story short, they consider the bump stops to be a part of the suspension system. Therefore, the fact that the truck may strike the bump stops, or even ride on them, with weight in the bed is considered normal.

Me: No, it sounds to me like Toyota is backtracking. They are changing the way they define things in an attempt to get out of fixing these weak springs, which do not live up to Toyota's stated claims. My problem is that I know for a fact that there are a lot of other '09 owners out there with this problem. About half are able to get the tsb fix without any issue, and the other half get the run-around.

Mechanic: You may very well be correct. I'll tell you what. Toyota won't take your case any further unless we actually open a work order on your truck and claim that what we did didn't fix it. This will put the ball in their court.

Me: Okay, so what do we need to do?

Mechanic: Let's make an appointment to bring your truck in... well, we already have all your information from when you were in the other day, so we'll just create something in the system so you don't have to make an extra trip in. We'll let you know as soon as we hear something back from Toyota, probably next week.

So there you go. I'll wait to see what Toyota says. Apparently though, they are now claiming that it is perfectly normal, and acceptable, to ride around on the bump stops with less than the rated payload.

 

Such B.S., and very frustrating. Good luck getting the TSB, sounds like you've got the right approach.

Personally, I had no issues at all. I called the dealership about a week after I bought the truck, had a 15 minute discussion, and next thing I know the springs were on order.

 

I got my 2009 Tacoma done with no issues from the dealer. The shop foreman came down and check it out and told the advisor to order the parts and that was it. Brought the truck in and asked for a complementary rental car and bammm, I was driving off the lot in a Corolla. Good Luck!!!

 

IMO, call toyota yourself and get a case number. tell them you are concerned about the safety of your vehicle bottoming out while under a load.

 

Tell them your wife is pregnant.

 

Okay, it gets better...

The service advisor just called to tell me he heard back from Toyota corporate (or whoever it is he's been talking to). According to them, the '09s have a different frame than previous years, and as such the 3-pack leaf springs are the only springs that Toyota designed these frames for. As a result, Toyota's legal department does not recognize the 4-pack springs on the '09. I asked him how it was that others were able to get the 4-packs on their '09s, and he said that those dealers were assuming the liability for their actions, whether they knew it or not. He said that until Toyota officially recognizes the 4-packs on the '09s, his dealership would not be able to do anything due to liability.

He advised I call Toyota myself and complain, but he didn't think anything would change until they received enough complaints. What's their number? He thought it was 1-800-Toyota (again, he's new), but that's not enough numbers.

It is truly amazing how many different stories we are all getting, and how much of a fight Toyota is putting up with new customers to get out of doing the right thing.

 

Tell them to fix it and you will bill them rental fees for another truck until they do. BS answers. Also try another dealer.

 

lol different frame my @ss

 

My local dealership said the leaf spring issue was only on 05 prerunners, not 4x4s of any year. I haven't pushed it further, kind of waiting to see if I get the JBL amp hiss TSB so I can go do both at once. So far - so good on that.

Why would they turn down free work? Toyota pays them to do this, gives them the parts. I don't get it. It's no skin off their back.

 

Go to www.bbb.org to file a claim. That's the way some of the other 09 owners went about things getting done.

 

Well as the story indicated earlier, if Toyota says no, then the delaer won't get reimbursed for the work....therefore the dealer is out the $1300 for the TSB repair work.

 

Any chance you are dealing with either the dealership in Wichita or Hutchinson? I've been considering stepping up to an 09 and would be curious to know the stance of one or both dealers.

 

Hell, just tell them, look, I'm the nice guy, don't make me get my wife involved in this or you're ALL gonna pay!

 

I'm currently having the same issue with my local dealer.I didn't have a problem with it bottoming out yet my issue was while trailering my boat on the interstate the front end was so loose traveling 60-65 mph that I had to slow down to actually be able to keep the truck in my lane.My truck has the towing package and my boat weight 2800 lbs.
My next step is this monday I'm loading my truck with 600 lbs of sand and drive through several pot holes and speed humps to see if it bottoms out, then I will be taking it to them so that they see what I was talking about 2 weeks ago. They gave the shit of my truck was excluded because my production line vehicle didn't have any issues,even with the same spring packs that are being replaced.

 

I hate to say it but this type of treatment by toyota is reallllly going to hurt them in the long run. I wouldnt be suprised if "new gm" gives better customer service than this.

 

lol new frame? Seriously? They actually said that?

I'm in the middle of my three way fight with Toyota and my dealer. We'll see what happens. Way I see it, in the worst case this will all be moot by early next year as the 09s will likely be added to the TSB. There's already scuttlebutt here and there in conversations with service managers and Toyota reps that this is indeed the plan.

 

Strrannge...all the Canadian trucks have 4 leaf springs. Reasonably certain the frames are the same as those in the U.S.

 

Uh... This is why I don't want to do the TSB. I hate dealing with these fockers. But I will get to it I think.

 

Wow.. Mt dealer said they had 12 people they could call at corperate till we got is resolved.
I had no problem getting it done on my 09..

the dealer may need to talk to different people in the Toyota chain.
Start telling them you want them to take the truck back. You bought a truck to haul with, And this is not the truck to haul with.

 

Wichita. I haven't talked to Hutch yet.