Very bad news ... frame fail out of the blue :(

I had issues like this when the a toyota dealer toasted my motor. Went back n' forth between them and toyota until they did a "good will" gesture of fixing the piston/ring because I was such a good customer. Tell the service manager/head manager that you are going to email/fax/send copies of all the documents and promises/emails to to toyota so they can put all the info into your case.

 

This is like a worst-case-possible scenario of what happened to me. I really hope that everything works out for you and your truck, that the bastards who ripped you off get what's coming to them, and that Toyota steps up and fulfills their reputation as a customer-first company.

 

If it's been coated Toyota should cover it. Sucks you can't even drive it though. My brother in law's 05 failed state inspection a few years back for frame rot (60k on the truck) and it took six months to get him a frame and get it swapped. I thought that was ridiculous. Thankfully he has a Colorado work truck and at the time he also had a 4Runner but it's got to suck if you don't have another vehicle. When mine was in for the CRC I had a Prius loaner. Couldn't stand it. I had 2 other cars at the time but they didn't know how long it would take and the dealer is 45 miles away near my work so I drove the thing for 4 days. That was a long 4 days for me I couldn't imagine being without my vehicle for months.

 

Subbed. Sorry about the hassle.

 

Keep at it. You will get a new frame in the end. They will pay for a loaner too. All the dealerships around SE PA have stacks of old frames and new frames sitting in back of the dealerships and a few Tacoma's sitting waiting for them to be replaced. Hang in there and keep after them.

 

I'm still waiting on updates ... but they are already saying something about other parts needing replacement if they do replace the frame ...

all of this is because of their broken promises and failed parts ... why should I pay anything in that?

How has anyone else handled this add-on issue?

Had to love the make-a-deal offer on a brand new truck while still discussing options near the warm corpse of the truck I am invested in substantially.

 

You should not pay for anything in my opinion. The frame replacement is a warranty issue. If you have any add on items or would like to replace stuff (shocks, struts etc) they should put them on for free. You should just pay for the parts.

BTW, I had the frame replacement and bought $1500 in parts that I wanted replaced with no labor cost.

 

this is a great recommendation. See if the dealer will give you a discount if you buy X$ in parts from them if the frame does in fact get replaced (sounds like it will).

You can also ask if the dealer will let you source your own parts (some mom/pop shops don't let you, not sure how a dealer would react). How ever, if you do that make sure you have a list of what you gave the dealer and verify everything was put on.

sounds like that dealer has some explaining to do. Sorry you're in this situation.

You can always report them to their local BBB.

 

Thank you for those good thoughts!

The NM dealer is saying the frame replacement has a green light from corporate. At the same time they are saying corporate needs to come do an inspection.

And they are saying I will have to foot an unknown bill for an unknown quantity of parts that need to be replaced during the procedure. Not a proposition I'm willing to accep at this point in time… the only reason the parts need replacing is due to the overall frame failure.

 

Sounds like time to tell them you will go to the media if they want to stonewall you on replacing EVERYTHING. A little bad publicity can scare a LOT of people.

 

I don't think this is a dealership problem, this is a problem that is well known to the corporate, & that is who I would be calling, sometimes the your state attorney general will hear issues such as these, a call/letter should be sent anyway (it is called C your A) keep records of all your correspondence, I don't get that warm & cozy feeling from lawyers but they do have a use, given a reasonable time that is the path I would take, (although I don't think you will have to) Sorry to hear of your truck, and even more so for what Toyota is putting you through, best of luck JMOP

 

It was my understanding that the CRC treatment is a required prerequisite IN ORDER to have future coverage.

 

Unfortunately you're going after a frame warranty and not a bumper to bumper warranty.

The line has to be drawn somewhere and the little parts are not covered. Ask for a discount on the parts cost. Also you'll likely get free labor on the install.

Ask for a spread sheet of the parts and their respective costs. Then post it up here and see if TW members can point you in the direction of aftermarket parts that are more worth your money.

And spending a little money here will save you time, money and energy down the road because your truck is 10 years old and parts do wear out. I would suggest taking full advantage of the rebuild to replace things now rather than later when you will have to pay labor (if you don't do it yourself)

 

I get your point. And ... the specific reason that I went to a dealer of Heritage's supposed stature was to avoid any of these type of problems. I easily paid 4-6k more than the street price for similar trucks. And I simply do not have the money to be forced into replacing things that only need replacement due to the failure of the frame.

Heritage Toyota did not comply with either the intent or the substance of the 160 point inspection on which I rationalized spending the money for this purchase. That is clear.

 

Tell me what a truck with an impending frame failure is worth. And what one without is worth. I am actually very interested in the numbers!

Once they cover that difference and the entire dealer upcharge that I've already paid I may start to see the rationale.

 

I can't give you exact numbers, but you should keep in mind that a frame can be in more than just the two states of "good" or "failed". There is an infinite variation between them. So what I can definitely say is that a truck with a *brand new* frame is definitely worth more than a truck with a frame that is crappy-but-hasn't-failed. So from a slightly different point of view, one could think of an "impending frame failure" instead as an "impending BRAND NEW frame", thus raising its value possibly substantially OVER the truck with a frame that is crappy-but-hasn't-failed.

 

Talk to a Toyota rep. Tell them you doubt the dealer sprayed/inspected the like they said and since your bumper came off shortly after purchase you're now skeptical of if they even did an actual 160 point inspection.

Or something along those lines that says this dealer has been shady and youre are seriously doubting their work on this truck. And you think this truck as so much wrong with it they chose to slip one by the customer and are now trying to cta.

 

When corporate comes to do an inspection, you should also ask them to check if the CRC was applied too. I had my frame sprayed with CRC about the same time yours was and looking at your frame photos, most look like it was never applied compared to mine. Even if some fell off over time, there is no doubt that CRC would still be on your frame and they should be able to tell you for sure whether it was ever done. Good luck!

 

Word.

 

I would run your VIN (http://www.toyota.com/recall) they are doing a frame inspection and recall for trucks that were in cold climates. I got a letter and had my check since it was in snow before I bought it.