05+ taco frame damage issues

[bknudtsen]

For your reading pleasure.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...fficial-perforated-rusted-through-frames.html

 

[DaveInDenver]

That's one of the threads I came across yesterday. Between Tacoma World and the other forums it seems trucks in PA, NY, KY come up a lot. I wonder if there's any location correlation, those places have had rust issues for as long as I can remember. So IOW, how much is true defect vs. standard corrosion you might expect in humid and salty environments. For example, even vehicles without a history of issues rust near salt water.

There does seem to be some connection to (1) winter/salt states and (2) states with periodic safety inspections. We here in Colorado get exposed to plenty of road salt (generally in the form of liquid magnesium chloride) but only must pass an emissions test. No structural check, no brake inspection, etc. It makes me think that Toyota excludes states such as mine intentionally.

It also irritates me that people don't put some sort of clue as to where they are in their forum details.

 

[bknudtsen]

I hear ya. When I was shopping for mine, I found a really nice (looking) truck in Cali. Figured rust wouldn't be an issue. Wrong! Seems that you really have to get out and inspect each candidate, unfortunately.

 

[jeverich]

That's one of the threads I came across yesterday. Between Tacoma World and the other forums it seems trucks in PA, NY, KY come up a lot. I wonder if there's any location correlation, those places have had rust issues for as long as I can remember. So IOW, how much is true defect vs. standard corrosion. There does seem to be some connection to (1) winter/salt states and (2) states with periodic safety inspections. We here in Colorado get exposed to plenty of road salt (generally in the form of liquid magnesium chloride) but only must pass an emissions test. No structural check, no brake inspection, etc. It makes me think that Toyota excludes states such as mine intentionally.

It also irritates me that people don't put some sort of clue as to where they are in their forum details.

My truck is spent four years of it's life in Rhode Island; I lived there prior to moving to Alaska...

In fact, I had a 2000 Tacoma SR5 that was bought back by Toyota at 150% of Blue Book value due to the frame rust issue that was so prevalent on the 1st Gens. Of course being an incredibly smart 17 year old, I took that $15,000 check and sunk it all into an ancient and rusted out FJ60 - but that's an entirely different story.

Fast forward to last December - I had taken my truck across the country from Washington back to Rhode Island for the holidays. Stopped into the local Toyota dealership in an attempt to locate a bed storage compartment door. Upon driving out around the back of the dealership, there were four of the composite 2005+ beds stacked on top of each other. Odd. Asked if I could just scavenge a door from one of those beds; that's when I got the story...the tour...and the checkup.

For anyone looking - the service manager at Valenti Toyota in Westerly, Rhode Island is a stand up guy.

The story that I got:

Toyota contracts frame production to DANA, the company we all know and love from the DANA 60 et. al. axle series... DANA recommended that Toyota applied a specific coating system to the frames prior to shipment and final installation, but Toyota declined and opted for a cheap and low quality paint system. Here in lies the problem. Three to four years of sandblasting the underside of your pickup with sand/salt will easily wear away the thin layer of paint. Then the rust starts. Bad. They currently had five trucks stripped entirely to their frames on the shop floor, (if I remember correctly, there were three 2005s/06s and one 2002). I should've taken pictures. Absolutely horrible. I could poke a finger through the frame rails on the 2002.

According to the service manager, the majority of the rust issues on the 2nd Gen trucks have been found around the areas of the first catalytic converter - on the downturn of the exhaust. I'd venture a guess that the relatively constant heat fluctuation of the immediate area, and the fact that the frame is boxed only greatly serves to increase the potential for rust.

We put my rig up on the lift and gave it a thorough inspection. Looked perfectly fine.

Essentially this isn't a recall. However, Toyota is offering free frames and free replacement to those that have genuine rust degradation (after it's been validated by a dealership). I believe the tech stated that his dealership alone has performed over 400 frame repairs in 5 years - and that was last December.

He didn't indicate that Toyota had changed any of their procedures with regards to an improved pain system.. Although several people have opted to have their frames sandblasted and painted with either POR-15, galvanized or an epoxy based paint.

I've contemplated doing something to my rig - Although, my frame is still in good condition, and I'm far away from any corrosion issues on the West Coast.