To repair excessive rust on the vehicle’s frame, Toyota will recall 110,000 Tundra vehicles from the 2000–2003 model years.
To repair excessive rust on the vehicle’s frame, Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 110,000 Tundra trucks from the 2000–2003 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 2000–2003 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.
After receiving 20 reports of “serious frame corrosion,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an inquiry into excessive rust on Tundra frames in October. The spare tire, which was kept under the truck bed, allegedly came off from the frame, according to 15 reports, the NHTSA reported at the time. According to five other investigations, the rust is to blame for broken brake lines.
Road salts and chemical deicers are frequently used to treat roads during the winter and might cause extra corrosion in the trucks, according to Toyota, which said on Tuesday that it was recalling the trucks in the cold weather states.
Toyota announced that it will start notifying owners in December and asking them to bring their trucks to a Toyota dealer for an inspection of the rear cross-member of the frame. According to Toyota, the cross-member assembly will be changed if the examination reveals that it can no longer support the spare tire in a secure manner.
The dealer will come up with a temporary fix, such as taking out the spare tire and strapping it to the truck bed, if replacement parts are not readily accessible.
Toyota stated that owners will have a corrosion-resistant substance put to the frame if no major rust is observed. Toyota stated that owners will not be charged for the inspections or repairs.
Owners of 2000-2003 Tundras registered outside of states with harsh winters will also be contacted, according to NHTSA, and their cars will be inspected and fixed if they so want.
Toyota stated that customers may “Remove the spare tire to reduce the possibility of it detaching from the rear cross-member. If you decide to do this, please make sure you are not underneath the spare tire carrier or rear cross-member when it is being lowered.” Additionally, the car manufacturer advised customers to store the spare tire in the truck bed or other parts of the car.
In This Article...
Can my Tundra have its frames recalled?
According to Autoblog, “although all pickup trucks are qualified regardless of where they are located in the world, dealers will only rebuild the frame if holes caused by rust can be discovered. In other words, the holes in the frame must be greater than 10 mm in diameter (about the width of a marble).
When did Toyota recall its frames?
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.
Toyota will still replace my frame, right?
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.
When did tundras start to rust?
Some truck owners with 2007 models and later noticed corrosion on the wheel lug nuts of their Tundra trucks, which is more of a minor irritation than a serious issue. According to some theories, the problem was caused by the chromium mixture used to polish the lug nuts, which allowed rust to develop under the correct circumstances. The long and the short of it is that in severe cases, owners had to pay for new lug nuts when they had their tires replaced.
Corrosion issues afflicted the Tundra pickup trucks from 2007 to 2010 once more, but this time with the truck’s rear bumper. Small patches of rust were noticed by some owners, while others had to replace their bumpers because they were rusting from the inside out.
Finally, and most recently, Toyota has released TSBs for issues with rusted bed bolts and bed corrosion on Toyota Tundra pickups manufactured in 2007 and later.
Will Toyota swap out the frame on my Tundra?
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:
- No matter where they were purchased, all Tundras from 2000 to 2003 are eligible for frame repair.
- The frame will only need to be changed if rust perforation is discovered, and only if it is larger than 10mm in diameter. A marble’s diameter is roughly 10mm, for comparison.
- Perforated frames will be replaced without charge, and a rental car will be available while the frame is being changed.
- The vehicle’s overall condition must be satisfactory in order to be eligible for a free frame replacement, but there is no mileage restriction. This program excludes trucks with significant body damage, non-operational powertrains, and salvage vehicles.
- Up to April 2012, this program is still available.
Has Toyota solved the rust issue with the frame?
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:
- 12 or 15 years for model years 2005–2010.
- 15 years for model years 1995–2000.
- 12 years for model years 2011–2017.
Unfortunately, the extended warranty has expired for various 2005–2010 models, as well as units from 2000 and earlier. Some may still be qualified, and models from 2011 to 2017 are still eligible for a checkup.
We advise getting in touch with your neighborhood Toyota dealership if you own a Tacoma from those model years to get your vehicle inspected. In the interim, we advise prospective purchasers to look up the car’s history to determine if the previous owner has submitted the vehicle for the recall.
When do I need to be concerned about frame rust?
Additionally, you should start to worry about the frame rust when you notice holes all over your car’s frame. Your car’s frame integrity is affected if there are holes present. No matter how far you are going, it might not be a good idea at this moment to get in your car and drive.
Can a rusting frame be repaired?
Yes, a truck frame that has cracks in it can be repaired with welding. But this is not a task that should be taken lightly.
You might put yourself and your passengers in danger if you make just one mistake. But you can also be breaking the law in addition to endangering your safety.
Federal law prohibits anybody other than the vehicle’s manufacturer from drilling holes into the rail flanges of a vehicle. As a result, many “homebrew” or “DIY” welders are technically forbidden from being used on public roads. While we would advise against it, you are free to decide how much danger you are willing to take and whether or not to utilize your truck for off-roading on your land. The same car, though, is not permitted to be driven on a public street or highway.
Additionally, if a weld was improperly completed and it causes damage or injuries, the welder may be held civilly liable. As a result, many shops outright decline to weld a car’s frame because they just do not want to take that chance.
Additionally, some insurance providers won’t cover a car if the frame has been chopped or welded. You will have a lot fewer options and probably end up paying a higher insurance price if you decide to have your frame welded.
Having said that, a skilled welder with knowledge of frame construction may repair a broken frame. The procedure normally entails manufacturing and welding a plate or sleeve covering both parts of the break. Once again, only a highly qualified specialist should handle this job.
In most cases, having the frame fixed doesn’t really make much sense if your truck is worth less than this amount because frame restoration can cost up to $10,000. It is far preferable to get a new frame for your truck than to weld the current one, if there are any available for it. However, for the majority of vintage trucks, a weld will be your only choice.
What does the Toyota rust warranty cover?
Toyota offers a six-year, unlimited-mile warranty against corrosion caused by rust. This specifically addresses rust-related holes; surface rust may not be addressed. The guarantee will cover the repair or replacement of any original body panels that get rust holes.
Key Points
- Typical issues with high mileage Ball-joint failure and exhaust manifold leakage are Tundra problems.
- For the Toyota truck, repairs are inexpensive.
- Although two Toyota Tundra owners exceeded the million-mile barrier, most drivers should anticipate that their Tundra will achieve its maximum mileage of roughly 300,000.
How dependable is the Toyota Tundra for 2021?
The Toyota Tundra is dependable. A predicted dependability rating of 86 out of 100 is assigned to the 2021 Tundra. A predicted reliability score from J.D. Power of 91 to 100 is regarded as the best, 81 to 90 as great, 70 to 80 as medium, and 0-69 as fair and below average.