I'm sure most of you who drive one know about the frame issues on the Tacoma's, but in case you didn't, I just had my frame inspected today at my local Toyota dealership and the frame failed the inspection. They found a few places where the rust had worked it's way through the frame rail. I found a couple myself using the old screwdriver method.

Because it's a 2001 and Toyota still makes replacement frames, they are replacing the frame with a new one (and leaf springs, brake lines, cables, etc) at their cost and giving me a rental in the mean time.

If your truck is a 2000 model or older, it's my understanding that Toyota will buy the truck from you, assuming the frame fails, for some amount over the market valve.

I have a 2007. This is the first I heard about frame problems. Are there issues with the late models too?

Not sure. The recall involved the 2000 and older models, and then Toyota expanded it to include 2001-2004 models. Basically an extended frame warranty.

WHAT? The happy smiley green car company, maker of automotive perfection, the ONLY company whose cars are in tune with nature, the company that makes cars that place absolutely NO burden on the environment, has a manufacturing defect in some of their flatulance powered balsa wood vehicles? Come on, ain'tnevergonnahappen! Call Nancy Pelosi!

The Cap'n

It's good to see Toyota taking care of cars years out of warranty.

I think Nancy is busy being de-briefed on a CIA briefing.

This is what thinner metal gets you. If you look at the 2009 Tundra frame, fastners, and welds, compared to the 2009 F150, 1500, or Silverado, you'd be ashamed at what you're paying a "premium" for...

Its the premium that covers the warranty and the brand perception... where's the nationwide press all over this one?

Sounds like it was made from the same prerusted metal that my POS Honduh had

Other Toyotas have problems too.....

I have a 2005 Camry that had a front end that started feeing squirrely while driving- felt like a tie rod end was going...

Dealer goes, "WOW! never heard of that" After a hefty fee to inspect, he comes back with .. "It needs the steering column relubed for $300...... and then he says....."there's a kit"..... Alarm bells went off in my head at the word kit- aka a patch for a known design defect. he then says "We used to replace the entire steering column for $500" and "It's not a safety issue". Kinda hard to not be a safety issue should your car abruptly move to one side of the road to another from a wind gust, uneven pavement, or a slick patch .....

What does the internet say? The factory had a service bulletin to replace the loose steering column on all 2003-2005 cars (for no charge) - if the problem was grumped about BEFORE 36k miles. After that, tough luck..... you pay.

Yeah, Who would have thought it. I'm kicking myself now. I should have went with one of the big three and got a truck built in Canada or Mexico instead of one built in America by the UAW.

we've got a 2000 tacoma...uhh ohh

You should look into it more Cap....the frames were produced by the Dana Corp. out of Stockton, CA. Pre 1995 Tacoma's used frames made in Japan, which are fine as far as I know. Makes me wonder if Toyota will think again before using a US company to produce anything for their cars.

BTW, if you have a Tacoma that fails the frame repair, it is up to Toyota if they want to replace the frame or buy you out. If they do decide to do a buyout, they pay 1.5 excellent KBB value. I would LOVE to see how the US car companies would have handled this...

"What? Frames? You must have driven it wrong, so we're going to void your warranty...plus that will be a $75 diagnostic fee too please"

Dont kid yourself if you think Ford or GM would have even acknowledged the problem, let alone done anything to fix it.

Don't kid yourself. GM and Ford, Chrysler, too, would have HAD to deal with it, especially after being raked over the coals by the shiny happy lefty tree hugging anti-anything-Detroit-Toyota-can-do-no-wrong people got through with them. And that's after the first one. The big news here is that the Toyota kool-aid drinkers have managed to keep this one out of the media. Which brings me to the UNBELIEVABLY deceptive Prius commercials now running on TV. They're lies in pretty colors set to a tune which rivals the insipidity of "It's a Small World" ........

The fact the defective parts come from Stockton, CA, means nothing. They were made to Toyota's specs, and the product had to be accepted by Toyota. That's how things are done in the manufacturing world.

The Cap'n

Yup! Toyota must be going to hell in a handbasket. Quality is right down the shitter. I have had to replace a brake light on my left rear on the 4Runner.




Of course, that is one brake light in 170K miles. Other than scheduled maintainance that is all... Not bad for a supercharged vehicle.

I've helped two people with this recall...

Sister in Law, got 7k for a 2000 2wd 245k mile tacoma... It was the biggest PILE OF S*#@ you had ever seen, It was totaled out 4 years ago, but toyota still paid her. She still calls it the day she won the Tacoma Lottery.

Same deal for a friend of a friend... they could not believe how well it was handled, and how much toyota gave them$$

Sister in law's was picked up and sent to the crusher that day.

Ferg

My close friend is a Toyota tech...35 year master tech.
He loves these gigs...

He works in the truck store..they do these frame swaps every week. He strongly suggested that you do it...its a great deal.

I think the frame comes with all new suspension also...

Rich

That is exactly the problem. Toyota DID spec them a certian way, Dana Corp decided to skip a step in the galvanization process. They skipped the same step for steel girder's at 3 different buildings, with the same outcome.

I'm sure Toyota did their best to keep this out of the media, like any other company would, guess they just did a better job at it. I'm also sure they would have thrown Dana Co. under the bus, but they had already filed for bankruptcy and shuttered their doors...pretty hard to sue someone if you cant find them.

I believe the buyback only applies to pre-2001 vehicles as Toyota no longer makes those frames. With the 2001-2004, the only option is frame replacement.

I like the new "revolutionary" solar sunroof on the new Prius, which keeps the car cooler in the summer. I guess it must be revolutionary in Japan, since my '99 Audi A8 has the same thing...

Bet your A8 won't decompose into trees, flowers, and grass when it gets old ........

I remember a few years back (well, a couple of decades) when Toyota invented the VW bus, er, minivan.

It amuses me to ask Prius owners what their fuel mileage is, and to watch their reaction when I tell 'em what we get in the TDis. It's like you punched them in the stomach, and turns to denial when they find the words. It gets better. Toyota's big Lexus hybrid SUV gets worse fuel mileage than their straight gasoline powered version.

The Cap'n

Thats the other advantage of the A8, since it is all aluminum, it doesnt have toyota rust issues either.... And it gets 30mpg on the highway, going 75mph, with a 300hp V8. Many Prius owners dont get that much better gas mileage...

Straight from fueleconomy.gov:

Lexus RX AWD: 18 city/24 highway

Lexus RX AWD Hybrid: 30 city/28 highway


Where do you get your info from?!?!?