OK. Just hung up the telephone. Thought I would post my contact discussion with Toyota Customer Service. I was told that Toyota has grouped the frame rust issues to a special investigative section involving 2000-2004 Tundra's, with a special focus on 2000-2001, and that this is how the Tacoma situation began. Still no word on the direction Toyota will take as the calls are still coming in. I was asked to check back in three weeks.
Crossing my finger, my 00 looks like poo! Good job on keeping TS in the loop on this one...thanks a million!
MC
__________________ Now living in Auburn, ME and working on my Masters in Organizational & Leadership Management! MODS: 2.5 lift and level, Q-Logic Sub Box with Rockfords and a Alpine V Power 400Watt Amp, 'Windowless" White Leer Shell (I do recommend this look! Because who the heck wants to look like a SUV!!!) Yakima Racks for Kayaks, Snow Boards, Piaa Fog Lights, Awsome Back up lights off the shell, Tuffy Center Consol (strong box lock down) K&N Fpik, PA System to "holla" at the girls, All Four wheels with "Studded" Coopers & These babyz ROCK & Breating BORLA.
You guys in Maine seem to have the most trouble with the rust, so my question is for you...
The Toyotas are suspect to the rust as we all know, but how are the Big Three holding up out there? Or Nissan? Or?
Do the bodies rust but the frames hold? Or better yet what vehicles seem to last the longest from a rust perspective?
I think everyone has some issues with rust up here, but I do not know what the other three have in comparison. According to a reliable resource the highways department sprays something cruel on the roads prior to the snow, and I know magnesium is part of it. This is said to cause most of our trouble. Also known is the highways department has something they use on their trucks to rinse off the road spray, and it is not available to us common folk. Their trucks look great, even after several years working the winters up here! So, It would be nice to know how the big three dealers trucks are handling the rust issue.
__________________ Now living in Auburn, ME and working on my Masters in Organizational & Leadership Management! MODS: 2.5 lift and level, Q-Logic Sub Box with Rockfords and a Alpine V Power 400Watt Amp, 'Windowless" White Leer Shell (I do recommend this look! Because who the heck wants to look like a SUV!!!) Yakima Racks for Kayaks, Snow Boards, Piaa Fog Lights, Awsome Back up lights off the shell, Tuffy Center Consol (strong box lock down) K&N Fpik, PA System to "holla" at the girls, All Four wheels with "Studded" Coopers & These babyz ROCK & Breating BORLA.
In southern NH here with a 2000 4x4 Limited (113K miles). I've already got a Toyota case number and had a dealer frame inspection/evaluation done several weeks ago. Will follow up with NHTSA filing tomorrow. I've gotten the same non-commital feedback from Toyota corporate as others have thus far. My truck passed inspection last month, but the shop (I've been dealing with these guys for many years, know them well, and trust them implicitly) told me that next year's inspection could be dicey. I'm guessing I'll be fortunate to get this last winter out of my frame in its current condition (and am admittedly a bit nervous to drive it, despite it being my winter driver).
My last 3 vehicles (all purchased new) have all been Toyota products. Then again, I've never had to throw one on the junk heap before... If I have to do so with the Tundra then this will be my *last* Toyota product, guaranteed.
Hmmm.... my truck is due inspection by either the end of this month, or Oct. The other day, I was blowing air on it near the spare(to dry it out after waxing it and it decided to rain on it right after I finished the waxing(Zaino Z2), but before I had a chance to buff the Zaino off), and had metal flaking off the frame onto my garage floor. I guess it's time to crawl under there, and take some pics. Some of these stories make me nervous about having something break on me, while driving and injuring me or a loved one (or worse). I use the truck mostly just to tow my 21' SeaRay (which is about 6,000 lbs loaded with the trailer weight and all). I've heard some non-normal squeaks this summer as I go around right hand turns, coming from the rear of the truck (with or without the boat) and have been putting off having it checked since it sits in the yard most of the time, unless we're going boating. And no, I don't ever get it wet, hell, I don't even get the tire rubber in the water when I launch/retrieve the boat.
Hey imjin...your right...I live in the mid-south (Arkansas), and when we go to the car auctions we can always tell (by the rust) if a vehicle came from "up north" somewhere...We do use some salt on bridges and overpasses but nothing like the northeastern states. I lived in New Jersey for 18 years and it was very common even for vehicles with undercoating, to rust out after about 3 years. I also had a Tacoma that was recalled because of the rust (it came from northern Missouri). The whole rear suspension was literally hanging free of the frame on the driver's side and almost off on the passenger side. My dealer told me Toyota had used some poor quality steel. Toyota gave me full book + value for the buy-back.
I was hiking today by some old homesteads here in Colorado and spotted a old model T body discarded in the bushes. I went to inspect it. The steel was in great shape for, especially for being 100 years old. It definitely looked better than the frame of my 03 Tundra... there was only a small area of perforation on the rear quarter panel. Seeing it made me think of this thread... they sure don't make them like they used to.
Not all steel is created equal. They make awesome engines, why put them on a crappy frame?
I call Toyota every two weeks and get the same thing.....no program..looking into it. The rust is not getting better. I have started to treat it with used oil, trying to slow it down.
Re: Tundra frame rust recall???
)))))
Linear Mode
