Toyota Frame Settlement Postcard

I got my postcard today. The last four digits of my VIN indicates I'm a "class member".
I guess I'll go to the dealer first and get it inspected, then fill out the long form on the settlement website.

I wish I got a postcard for the whistling/howling windshield! Lol

 

So basically there's no actual recall yet?
I would like to do it if possible..

 

There is no form to fill out unless you have already paid out-of-pocket to have the frame replaced and wish to be reimbursed. The "long form" referenced on the postcard is the Long Form Notice, the full text of the notice to class members (click here).

Right now a dealer will likely not inspect it, or know anything of the proposed settlement. Once final judgement is entered Toyota will begin to notify dealers of what they are required to do, what the special service and parts ordering codes will be, and what reimbursement they will receive. Until then they will do nothing except maybe tell you they have "never heard of it"...

 

It is not a "recall" in the common sense, but rather Toyota's capitulation to a class action lawsuit, in the form of their agreeing tentatively to the settlement terms which can be read here. Until the final order/judgement is issued (set now for June 26 of this year) there is nothing except a proposed settlement agreement...

 

Subed...

 

Received the postcard in the mail, too. Glad I'm not the only one who was a little confused by this. Sub'd

 

My gen 3 is my first Tacoma, but one of these postcards showed up in my mailbox for a previous owner of my home. Odd to say the least.

 

All right so I went in to the dealer in Durango, CO today for some TSB/recall work. Brought the postcard and showed it to the service people. They are aware of it but won't do anything until Toyota tells them to. Interesting aside. One long term employee who had been there through the first wave of frame recalls said they had not done a single frame replacement, due mainly to we don't use salt on roads out here in Colorado. This is a good size dealership and there are days where it seems every other truck on the road is a gen 2 Tacoma. One of the most popular vehicles out here in SW CO of any kind. A newer employee who had recently transferred from Wisconsin said they'd done tons of them but they use salt up there. I asked what kind of shop time you're talking about, he said 40-60 hours (!). Pretty big deal. I'm not going to worry about this until settlement is approved and I can get under my truck first to inspect it myself.

They did the TSB leaf springs, really improves how the rear feels. Also sits a bit higher so some weight transfer onto front end, we'll see if they settle a bit. Had been considering a rear sway bar to keep the thing from plowing (understeering) so bad, going to wait on that until I get a feel for how the new springs work in snow and ice. The old springs were just plain mushy, far too soft. All the other recalls and TSB's were little things.

 

The road salt is what does it--my '09 has lived in Florida its whole life and the frame and whole underside look like new...

 

Well CDOT does not use salt (much) but it does use mag chloride with a corrosion inhibitor. Here is a study they did comparing them. I've had this truck 12 years out here and not noticed any obvious corrosion. Two other vehicles same thing. However I've lived mainly in more remote semi-rural areas where they mainly just plow and sand, don't have the budget that counties with high population and interstates have (2 things I always try to avoid). Our local ski area averages 30-40 ft/yr of snow and no amount of mag chloride (or salt for that matter) will put a dent in that.

https://www.codot.gov/programs/research/pdfs/2000/truckcomponents.pdf/view

 

I have the same concerns with my 2013. I got my card in the mail last week.

 

Thanks for the clarity on "terms" cliffyk. I believe I will stay a part of the class and wait as long as I can (09 AC). Glad you dont get tired typing the same thing over and over again......
Thanks Again, Stiffy

 

Not to sound like a complete moron The Boyfriend just received his postcard for 07 Toyota Tundra, and left it up to me to figure out what needs to be done (I'll contribute it to small text & his need (refusal) to get glasses.) Needless to say, I'm just looking to make sure I understand all of this correctly. Since he has a qualifying truck and wishes to take part in the action. At this point we do nothing (no docs to fill out or phone calls to make) to be included? Being in an area with adverse weather here and there, he wants to be able to have the inspection and possible replacement if needed.

Thanks in Advance.
Erica

 

Although not a Tacoma owner, I have an '08 Sequoia that is also part of this class action lawsuit. All indications, as I understood was that I was supposed to take it for an immediate free frame inspection to my Toyota dealer. I called and explained that my vehicle was part of this group included in the pending lawsuit and needed to schedule the inspection and they set me up for the appt. Took off from work, the wife did too, to follow me in to drop off the vehicle and they explained that they couldn't do them until June - this is after they scheduled my appt. ?? Why did you agree to do it and schedule me for the appt, i ask. - and they blamed the scheduled appt. on the company 200 miles away that does all their scheduling. (seems like a problem there, but that's a different topic.) My question is, has anyone really gotten free frame inspections from their dealers to this point? It does seem logical that they wouldn't be doing them yet since the suit hasn't been settled - but I'm confused since all the notifications I've received (granted, none from toyota, themselves) say to bring it to the dealer for a free frame inspection. By the by, my vehicle is rusted beyond all recognition underneath. If Toyota agrees to replace the frame, they better agree to replace about a bazillion other parts that disentegrate when they attempt to take this vehicle apart and replace the frame. At my last oil change, the bolts on the skid plate did just that and...no more skid plate at this point. On a positive note, the radio still works.

 

You bring up a good point that I have discussed with a few other local Tacoma owners. Which is some of these vehicles are going to be so bad underneath they should just junk them, it won't be worth replacing the frame due to everything else they'll have to destroy & replace to get it out. The settlement postcard language is a bit ambiguous, "replacement of the frame and associated parts" maybe that covers it. But as I said in an earlier post, when I asked a local service person who had just transferred from a state where they did a lot of these under the old recall, the job is 40-60 actual shop hours. I was surprised it was that little frankly, you are rebuilding the truck almost from scratch. That was after they'd done many of them though and got efficient. So labor alone getting in the $10k range, parts another $5k at least all said and done. Just not worth it on some older high mileage trucks IMHO, liability alone on reinstalling old rusty nuts, bolts, and components has to be astronomical so they'd want to replace those too. I'm surprised the settlement does not have a provision for just buying the owner out and junking it.

Here is a bit more precise language from the lawsuit website:

"If any perforation in the frame is found to be 10 mm or larger, then the frame will be replaced, as well as all applicable parts and service items incidental to frame replacement."

I would take that to include corroded nuts and bolts for suspension pieces, engine/tranny/4WD mounts, body etc. I mean if you think about it coolant would have to be drained, brake fluid, etc. It would be stupid to do all this on a beat up high mileage truck. But I do not see a provision for buy out.

 

Thanks for the reply, yeah, like I said, the underside of my vehicle is a dumpster fire. A shame, too, because the vehicle looks mint inside and out until you look underneath. I guess it's a wait and see approach, but as I and you mentioned, taking apart these rusted out vehicles and putting them back together again - 15k? I don't see that. Blue book on my vehicle at 60,000 miles is somewhere in the neighborhood of 20k last I checked. I gotta think the job exceeds that. Just bought another new vehicle though and can't swing buying a second one. For an '08 I have relatively low mileage on this one and bought it as a leftover in 09. I'm supposed to be able to get more 7 years and 60k worth of use out of a $55,000 toyota vehicle. Best case scenario, I guess, is that they agree to replace any and all associated parts - I just can't see this ever panning out. My luck I'll be getting a call from the dealer every 30 minutes quoting me on about a million other things that fell apart while performing the job. If they can't do an oil change without being able to remove the skid plate, how are you doing to tell me the'll be able to disassemble the vehicle? grrrrr, mondays.

 

What I would do is go to the settlement website. There is a contact form and write up your concerns, submit it to the plaintiff lawyers. It seems as if nobody has brought this up yet, and I bet Toyota's lawyers would much rather see buyouts on certain trucks like yours than all the hassle and extra liability associated with fixing only the frame on them.

Here is the contact form BTW

https://secureforms.heffler.com/Forms/109/Contact/65548945-6ddd-4f38-bf0f-311b7d361e40

 

I paid for an inspection on mine, $150 from the Toyota dealer so that I had the info going forward. $27k was the rebuild number I got; it needs a lot of stuff. My truck is only worth $14k wholesale; it does seem better that they buy the truck back rather than replace the frame. I am OK with either.

 

I've been following this thread, but I haven't really paid attention to my frame to be honest. Checked it tonight, and it looks in good shape, but still eager to see the results of the lawsuit.

 

So it looks like I am screwed on this yet again lol I bought a 2006 Tacoma on Jan 6th 2017. I called Toyota before I bought it and they told me the truck was inspected and undercoated in 2014 and was covered for 15 years from the date of service. So I called back a few days ago to get the date it will be covered to and they tell me now I don't have the extended warranty. And being that I missed the cut off date of ownership for this class action suit I am crap out of luck. The truck is in ok condition now, but they undercoated over rust and some spots are showing signs that they will be problematic

Totally regret buying this thing now. They are great trucks, but not worth the worry of it rotting away in 4 years. Will not be buying a Toyota ever again.