Tailgate rust below door handle......Anyone else having same issue?

Started to notice some rust on the outside of my tailgate found a large piece of fiberglass causing it. Anyone know why Toyota did this?

 

Fiberglass is not causing rust, you can put fiberglass in water for eternity and it will never develop rust IE: surfboards and boats etc ...Your problem is water intrusion in your tailgate that got between that insulation and the tailgate skin.

 

No. But I have always wondered why that pad is there. I assume it has to do with noise/vibration dampening, but who cares way back there?

 

Actually, sound insulation in a bed is very important because the bed is like a magnaphone for road noise etc...especially if you have a camper shell and then all of that noise comes into the cab.

 

That makes sense, I spend alot of time at the beach here (Daytona Beach) and leave my tailgate down. Sounds like saltwater was soaking in the foam adhesive not the fiberglass.

 

Wow, crazy that it would go through like that

 

Yea didnt know it was rusting till it was too late, my coworker owned a 2014 Tundra and his did same thing

 

Yup, I used to live in DB Shores and spend every day on the beach between the PO Pier and Ponce and over to NSB. Back then you could drive the entire coast from Ormond to Ponce before the turtle nazis took over. I had a T4R and kept the entire chassis covered in WD40 and power washed it all the time...and reapplied the WD. The old timers figured out that trick way BITD, the salt stays on the surface of the WD then rinses away easily...Driving on the beach in truck death unfortunately.

 

Yea I surf ponce all the time(not really its Florida) I try to park in the park but beach driving soo nice. Ill have to try the WD40 method Thanks!