Toyota Frame Settlement Postcard

Your info panel says you have a 1996 truck--the Toyota initiated CSC (Customer Service Campaign) for the 1995 to 2000 model years extended warranty of the frame for 15 years, and provided a "buy back" option--but 1996 + 15 = 2011--I.e. some time back.

The current class action suit being discussed here includes just 2005 through 2010 models.

As to the "R" title, the states each have their own nomenclature; some are "S"alvage, some "R"ebuilt or R"eclaimed, and I believe a couple others--all the same thing though. For rebuildable vehicles Florida first issues a "Salvage Rebuildable" title, then after repairs a "Rebuilt" title must be requested; it comes with a window sticker indicating the rebuilt status that must be displayed permanently.

A crashed vehicle that is not rebuildable gets a "Certificate of Destruction"...

 

I have a 2007 SR5 Tacoma now.

So if it was totaled and then rebuilt (by toyota) and now has a Rebuilt title where do I stand?

Thanks for all the feedback @cliffyk

 

If it has a rebuilt title it is excluded by the terms of the proposed agreement--however as appeals to the final order have been filed (which I honestly did not believe possible in an out-of-court settlement) nothing is concrete nor is there any timeline as to when there might be some finalization--it is once again up to lawyers and the court to iron things out.

It took over two years (3/21/2015 to 5/21/2017) for them to hash it out the first time 'round, so who knows...

 

thanks

 

Are 2012-2015s going to get any satisfaction? I'm getting some initial flaking on parts of my 2012, and I can't imagine much changed in the frame process at the end of the 2nd gen.

 

I was told that there were some changes made.The frame plugs are one example.Unfortunately I was told that the 2009 and 2010 frames were done by a different vendor and were supposed to be good!

 

Not unless (in increasing order of possibility):

Toyota voluntarily initiates another CSC (Customer Satisfaction Campaign, as they did for the 1995-2000 and 2001-2004 years) to cover the 2011 to 2015 models (yeah, right);

-or-

'Tween now and when the Brian Warner v. Toyota USA (BWvTUSA) is finally finalised the 2011-2015 MYs are added to the included vehicles (not likely);

-or-

Another class action suit targeting those MYs is filed (best bet, once BWvTUSA is done);

Curious: Where do you live, any photos? My gut tells me that very little if anything changed in either the quality of the steel or factory applied CRC.

Toyota had a pissing match with Dana over the '95 to '00 frames, in which Dana agreed to pay Toyota $25M over poor quality frames. After that Dana sold the division to a Mexican corporation, however I can find no information as to who currently makes Tacoma frames.

Regarding those 1995 to 2000 frames it should be obvious that either Toyota's specifications provided to Dana were poor, or Toyota's vendor monitoring and quality control process screwed up. All Dana did was screw them over...

 

We're in Michigan right now, but this truck hasn't seen any winters here. We were in New York before, but it was garage. It's also been all around the country multiple times, so...

I've been pretty diligent about keeping the underbody sprayed off after getting dirty or driving around on salt, and nothing is bad yet, but it's certainly at a point where I'm going to have to think about some prophylactic remediation, which sucks ass on a truck that's five years old.

 

I asked because based upon what I have read here, and from various other anecdotal reports from around the web, my gut is telling me that the only difference between the levels of corrosion on the 1995 to 2010 vs. 2011 to 2015 frames is that the latter are newer and not rusted out yet. I see another class action suit on the horizon.

That said I am also not yet convinced this is a Toyota only problem. Although I have not lived in "Rustoutistan" for 26 years now I do know that the snowbirds migrate here each winter, and very often trade in their 4 to 5 year old rust-buckets while enjoying not having to shovel and scrape. Dealers immediately wholesale them off and they end up on the shadier "buy-here/pay-here" lots. My brother and I get together now and then and one of our "after lunch" but "before going to the bar" activities is to cruise those places look at the scrap iron...

 

@cliffyk It certainly wouldn't surprise me. I picked up this 2012 in 2015 with less than 10k miles on it, and it was probably garaged by the PO. I immediately drove it across the country (as in, I didn't even go home first!) and by the time I was home two months later there was minor surface spots over the paint.

The "good" news, I suppose, is that the same lawyers who just negotiated this settlement will certainly be incentivized to file another one if they think there are more fees to be harvested. Just have to figure out how to keep this one in top shape until the gears of litigation begin to turn.

 

now this settlement does include 2010 tacoma right?

 

Yes, 2005 through 2010 Tacomas...

 

i must be tiered mines a 2005 lol

 

Toyota should just jump out of the truck game altogether. Seems like they just can't get it right. A 3.4 billion loss seems like a lot. Plus the massive recall on the 3rd gen, and the overall jalopy-build quality of the the 3rd gen.

It's time for Toyota to call it a wrap and pull out of the truck market. Ford will probably kill them off entirely with the new Ranger anyways.

 

Toyota's real net worth is $42.1B.

So to apply some perspective let's suppose you thought you had a$42.10 in you pocket; however after counting found you only had $38.70--you might not like it, but it would certainly not be the end of the world either.

I do not believe they should abandon trucks, however they do need to get their quality control act together. Yesterday we checked the differential carrier bolts on my neighbor's 2017 DCSB, each one had to be turned 1 to 1-1/2+ turns to achieve the 18 lb·ft recommended torque--I.e. they were barely a bit more than finger tight. That is 110% inexcusable, glaring evidence of piss-poor QC.

The surprising part to me was that it was only weeping a bit of fluid and took just 3 or 4 ounces to top it off...

 

Quality control and F O R D aren't any better.

 

"But everyone else is doing it" was never accepted by my parents as an excuse for anything. As long time Toyota owners (our first was an '84 Corona, there have been seven since then) I'll not accept it from Toyota either...

 

That wasn't the point.I have a P.O.S. Ford in my driveway.I will stick with Toyota's.

 

Has anybody heard what's going on with the appeals?

 

Receipt of three appeal claims was acknowledge by the court on June 30--less than 2 weeks ago.

I would not expect anything, not even hearings on the appeals, to happen within 30 days; most likely 60 to 90 before they are rejected or accepted. If accepted the Settlement Agreement will likely have to be re-negotiated, receive preliminary approval, go through another series of fairness hearings and the like, and then another final judgement and order entered.

I.e. as another poster had put forth--"December", maybe...