Toyota ultimately agreed to offer Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia owners a fix for the frame corrosion issue, but it required a $3 billion class-action lawsuit.
They expanded the warranty’s scope, and owners can now bring their vehicles in for a free checkup and part replacement, if needed. If necessary, Toyota may in some instances completely replace the vehicle’s frame.
The duration of this coverage, however, is about to expire, and for some model years, it already has. This is the specifics:
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When did Toyota address the frame corrosion issue?
This chilly February, a lot of automobiles and trucks are covered in road salt, which is bad for the underbelly of cars. Most of the time, it is removed by a car wash, and no long-term damage results.
But because salt can damage the frame of several well-known pickup truck models, it poses an even greater threat to their owners.
Worse yet, many owners are unaware that a special warranty extension to replace those frames is due to expire until it is too late.
The 2004 Toyota Tacoma owned by Jeanne Middleton has been a reliable companion for ten years, with flawless paint.
But recently, everything changed when the Cincinnati woman claims, “I heard something that sounded almost like an explosion.”
She took the pickup to a nearby repair shop when it started swerving and received some unfavorable information. It wasn’t a bad tire; it was far worse.
They said that the frame was rusty, broken, and unsafe for her to drive.
Mike Fehler, a licensed technician, hoisted the truck for us on a rack in his shop and revealed the thick layer of rust there.
It needs new frame rails, in his opinion, or the entire truck bed and rear end could come off.
In essence, the area where the leaf spring mounts to the frame is a load carrying area, he said. “What holds the bed to the vehicle is crucial.”
The situation worsened when he informed Middleton that he had heard of an extended warranty for this specific problem.
In this case, thousands of dollars in possible frame repairs were avoided because to safety recalls and warranty extensions, which also save owners’ lives and money.
However, automakers establish a window on them and, often after 10 or 15 years, will no longer pay for a repair if it is not an NHTSA (government)-ordered safety recall.
Middleton had just missed the warranty cutoff date, as was confirmed by a phone call to Toyota.
In 2016, Toyota agreed to pay $3 billion to fix millions of Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia SUVs with rusted frames as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit.
Model years from 2004 to 2008 are affected (or 2010 in a few cases). This comes after an earlier extended warranty that applied to Toyota trucks between 1995 and 2003.
The program terminates 15 years after the date of manufacture, but there is one catch.
I owned the automobile in 2019, but I never got a notice that it was about to expire, she claimed. She thinks the previous owner may have received any correspondence regarding the warranty extension.
- Make sure the manufacturer of your car has your current address so they can send you any recall or repair notices.
- When you bring it in for an oil change, request that the mechanic look under the vehicle.
- To find out whether you have any unresolved safety issues with your car, check the website www.recalls.gov for recalls. Just enter your vehicle identification number (VIN).
- Some states, like Ohio, now alert you whether your automobile has an open recall when it’s time to renew your license plates.
Middleton expressed his desire to keep his truck. “I’m confident it can travel another 100,000 kilometers.”
A Toyota corporate spokesman assured us that Middleton will hear from customer service to discuss her choices when we spoke with them.
She would not, however, guarantee a free repair because her model’s campaign finished a year and a half ago.
Toyota 4-Runners are allegedly subject to the same premature frame rot, according to a more recent class-action lawsuit, but that case is currently pending without a resolution.
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Toyotas still rot, right?
If you don’t want your truck to rust, there are a few used Toyota Tacoma model years to stay away from. A car’s surface gradually develops rust, which eventually consumes it. However, some trucks, like these Toyota Tacomas, corrode more easily than others.
Toyota, will you replace my frame?
Have your Subject Vehicle’s frame examined at no cost by a Toyota Dealer to determine whether the frame needs to be replaced. An authorized Toyota Dealer will replace the vehicle’s frame for free if the inspection reveals that it has to be replaced.
Can a car frame that has corroded through be fixed?
Prior to cutting away the rusty areas from the frame, the frame must be sandblasted. The frame is then prepared and sealed using Automotive Rust Technicians’ SafeTCap Frame Repair Kit. The frame is repaired to “like new condition” by welding the SafeTCap to it.
Do new Tacomas have rust concerns with the frame?
One of the most useful, capable, and dependable mid-size trucks money can buy is the Toyota Tacoma. They do, however, experience several issues, chief among which is the infamous Tacoma frame rust.
Toyota still swaps out Tundra frames, right?
Toyota has extended the guarantee on the frames of 2000-2003 Tundras, allowing dealers to replace rusted frames on 2000-2003 Toyota Tundras without charging the customer, according to a letter distributed to Toyota dealers. This is great news for Toyota Tundra owners who have experienced frame corrosion difficulties and serves as a potent reminder of Toyota’s dedication to both quality and customer satisfaction. We enthusiastically support this action, even though it didn’t happen as quickly as we would have hoped.
The details of the free frame replacement program are as follows:
What model years of Tundra frames did Toyota recall?
To repair excessive rust on the vehicle’s frame, Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 110,000 Tundra trucks from the 20002003 model years. In order to prevent the spare tire from falling onto the road and endangering other vehicles, the government advised owners to remove it from the frame.
The 20002003 model year Tundras registered in 20 “cold weather” states and the District of Columbia are subject to the recall that was issued on Tuesday. Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are the states in question.
Where do the frames of Toyota Tundra rust?
Because drivers are seriously at risk from frame rust, the manufacturer decided to recall Tundra. This is how:
The spare tire, which is typically deployed under the truck bed, may separate if the rear cross member of the frame develops excessive corrosion. As a result, it can be a dangerous traffic hazard that causes collisions and harm. Further reducing the vehicle’s braking effectiveness is corrosion on the rear frame, which can also harm the proportioning valve and the back brake lines. It goes without saying that frame corrosion could increase the likelihood of collisions and pose a major threat to the lives of drivers, passengers, and other road users.
Toyota started swapping out frames when?
In 2016, Toyota made a deal to fix or buy back millions of rusted-out Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia SUVs. Models from 2004 to 2008, and occasionally 2010 were covered.
What is the price of replacing a car’s frame?
A car frame repair job can cost anywhere between $600 and $10,000. I hope the cost of repairs is on the lower end for you because it sounds like you were in a minor accident. Nowadays, cars contain crumple zones for the protection of the occupants.