Tundra frame rust recall???

[cookiedough1]

All you have to do is talk to Toyota Motor Sales at their 1-800# in the owners manual and if they do not buy back your Tacoma/Tundra for full purchase price after talking to your selling dealer first (and maybe other Toyota dealers) and seeing what they say, then go to your lemon law agency in your state and set up a lawsuit with Toyota and if they agree to represent your case for free, you will not owe any charges if lost the case with Toyota and you are not out any costs. I talked to a lemon law representative and did not get the years of the Tacoma recall for holes due to rusting frames, but he told me he knows that Toyota is getting sued by lemon law attorneys for certain year Tacomas and Toyota is settling cases for 150% above your full purchase price. I would definitely file a complaint first with Toyota Motor Sales, go to several (3-4) Toyota dealers getting repair orders stating rust causing holes in frame, and if no Toyota dealer including your selling dealer does not agree to buy back your truck, then last resort file a lawsuit thru your state's lemon law attorney agency.

[Highwaylizard]

Originally Posted by cookiedough1

All you have to do is talk to Toyota Motor Sales at their 1-800# in the owners manual and if they do not buy back your Tacoma/Tundra for full purchase price after talking to your selling dealer first (and maybe other Toyota dealers) and seeing what they say, then go to your lemon law agency in your state and set up a lawsuit with Toyota and if they agree to represent your case for free, you will not owe any charges if lost the case with Toyota and you are not out any costs. I talked to a lemon law representative and did not get the years of the Tacoma recall for holes due to rusting frames, but he told me he knows that Toyota is getting sued by lemon law attorneys for certain year Tacomas and Toyota is settling cases for 150% above your full purchase price. I would definitely file a complaint first with Toyota Motor Sales, go to several (3-4) Toyota dealers getting repair orders stating rust causing holes in frame, and if no Toyota dealer including your selling dealer does not agree to buy back your truck, then last resort file a lawsuit thru your state's lemon law attorney agency.

I had a Tacoma bought back by Toyota under the frame rust recall and the buy-back is not 150% above the the full purchase price. Toyota is buying the Tacomas that qualify (1995-2000) after an inspection by a national representative at 150% of the Kelly Blue Book excellent value of the truck - regardless of miles or condition.

It would have been nice to get 150% above my purchase price for the truck (purchased at $17,000) but as it was I felt the way it was handled was both responsible and equitable. After 169,000 of some of the most abusive miles I have ever put on a vehicle, a body beat to death, and an interior that stunk from sweaty landscapers and cigarette smoke Toyota handed me a check for $16,110. Show me one time that any of the big three losers have stepped to the plate on an issue like that. I spoke to an attorney (who I cannot name for obvious reasons) who told me that Toyota paid out more than one hundred million dollars to get those Tacomas off the road.

I am astonished and disappointed that Toyota has mishandled or ignored the very clear frame rust problems that some of the earlier Tundra owners are having. It goes completely against what my experience has been with Toyota. I certainly hope that at some point Toyota gets on the ball there. I know that from my personal experience the way Toyota handled my Tacoma rust issue made me a customer for life. That $16k was a small price to pay to insure that every vehicle my wife, my son, and I will buy for the rest of our lives is a Toyota.

[cookiedough1]

That's just what he told me but maybe it was thru lemon law attorney's and not thru Toyota Motor Sales, I didn't go into specifics because I have a Tundra, not a Tacoma. Either way, 150% over anything is very good customer service on Toyota's part. Now if they would just stand behind the rusted lug nuts on my 2 year old truck with only 21K. They started to rust after the first year right after winter and I did not think much of it until I went back in after this 2nd winter and found out they would cost me close to 300 bucks to replace - ouch - over 10 bucks per chromed lug nut and the Toyota dealer said it wouldn't matter if replaced because 6 months later they would be rusted as bad as they are now. Now what does that have to say besides honesty that even Toyota dealers know of the poor rust preventive measures taken on several Tacoma and Tundra parts including frame, bumpers, and even lug nuts. Whoever toyota contracts out the frames to along with the chromed bumpers and lug nuts should be thoroughly inspected for better rust prevention. It is obvious this has been a problem since mid 90's and is continuing even into 2008 model years trucks.

[jhanley]

Sorry I don't own a tundra/tacoma. I do own a Toyota (2003 landcruiser). After reading many of these posts, I looked underneath my cruiser. I see a great of deal rust starting to develop. I'm really losing faith in Toyota. I don't think you can call a vehicle "reliable" if it most certainly rusts out. The more I look underneath of my cruiser the more pissed off I get. Toyota needs to address these issues and sort them out before somebody gets injured. Killing a family of 4 in a 2000 tundra plastered all over the 6 ocklock news will be bad for sales.

[cookiedough1]

The technical warranty is rust-thru (meaning holes) for I think 6 years and either 100K or 60K (can't remember mileage), but how would you like just 15-20 pea sized to quarter sized rust spots on a 1 year old 07' Tundra with about 12-15K on it and spent around 30K for it or above depending if you had leather and the limited package and crew cab vs. double cab? To see rust on a 6 year old vehicle is disturbing, but not out of line if you live in the midwest winter with salt plastered on the roads. However, inspect your rust spots very carefully on the 6 year old vehicle and if there is any rust-thru underneath your vehicle, then I would hope Toyota would stand behind a new frame, etc. under warranty still. Good luck to all including myself and all we need to do is go into our Toyota dealers and demand that they file several 1,000 of complaints to Toyota immediately on this rust issue on a lot of vehicles besides just Tundra and Tacoma's.

[seadragon]

I had my '07 Tundra in for service last week. My Tundra does have rust on the undercarriage after 1 year. Here is a pic:



Anyway, I was looking at a 2009 Tundra on display in the showroom. Looked underneath and guess what... RUST! I couldn't believe it. This is a brand spanking new truck sitting in the showroom and is already rusty. Something is clearly wrong with the rustproofing on these vehicles.

[Togman]

Will Toyota be mailing us recall info or should I start painting rustoleum on my undercarriage?

[bill3508]

Originally Posted by seadragon

I had my '07 Tundra in for service last week. My Tundra does have rust on the undercarriage after 1 year. Here is a pic:



Anyway, I was looking at a 2009 Tundra on display in the showroom. Looked underneath and guess what... RUST! I couldn't believe it. This is a brand spanking new truck sitting in the showroom and is already rusty. Something is clearly wrong with the rustproofing on these vehicles.

WOW!!. This is turning into a huge clusterf*CK.

[Highwaylizard]

Originally Posted by Togman

Will Toyota be mailing us recall info or should I start painting rustoleum on my undercarriage?

Do not hold your breathe. My recommendation is to get under there with a wire brush and clean it up as best as possible. Go buy a gallon of WD-40 and a spray bottle and coat things as best as possible. I am not a fan of painting the underside as it just hides the problem.

There is a product that is highly recommended by those who use it but it is very expensive called POR-15. It converts the rust and stops it. The process if very involved and if you do not do it right you are wasting your time and money.

[p-car-tower]

Originally Posted by Highwaylizard;

There is a product that is highly recommended by those who use it but it is very expensive called [URL="http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/interior-and-exterior/155758-por-15-questions/"

POR-15[/URL]. It converts the rust and stops it. The process if very involved and if you do not do it right you are wasting your time and money.

Just to clarify. The POR15 paint itself doesn't convert rust. It basically just seals off the rust so it doesn't spread. I think they sell a rust converter, which is a separate product.

I have this planned for my truck this summer. It had surface rust on the frame when I picked it up from the dealer w/ 20 miles on the clock and had only been built ~3 weeks prior.

[Zack1978]

Are there specific years to look at here? Actually I am going to look at an 05 Access Cab 4x4 and I am starting to worry. The main reason for the new truck is the major rusting on my 1995 Pathfinder, however after 14 years.


Zack

[SE2000]

Those frames look pretty bad. I was at my local dealer awaiting service and they had a stack of frames for Tacomas sitting there. By looking at them, 1 was 2wd, the others 4wd. I was chatting with one of their people and the word was one of the manufacturers did not build the frames correctly. That is the brand that is rotting. The new frames had some thin metal for the frames. I guess that is why they are rotting through. The metal is so thin. Rust on strong steel is not a problem. So things like axles should be ok.

[Togman]

Can you just spray Naval Jelly on the rust, then primer the frame & then rustoleum, then spray undercoating on it?

[fredkolias]

I have a 2000, bought it brand new in 2000. It had rust on it then. I didn't think much about it, now 9 years later, it's still rusty (duh), but not eating thru anywhere.

[tkitna]

I have a 2003 Tundra and I just noticed how bad the frame looked when I got out of it yesterday at work. After reading this thread (and the fact that the brakes are the worst i've ever felt in any vehicle) I think i'm done. Its a shame as I like the truck, but i'm dumping it before the problem gets worse. Hopefully I can get a decent trade.