Considering a Double Cab Tacoma - Should I be worried about the frame?

[All-Terrain]

I have seen so much talk on the internet about Tacoma's and their frame rust issues. Can't figure out which of it is noise vs reality.

What do you guys have to say? How do you buy a Tacoma with confidence that the frame will not rot out? I want to buy a used 2nd gen Double Cab 4x4 to take my family out on the trails with (in Colorado). Worried about the snow/salt rusting out the frame.

Any thoughts?

 

[Adventurous]

I have seen so much talk on the internet about Tacoma's and their frame rust issues. Can't figure out which of it is noise vs reality.

What do you guys have to say? How do you buy a Tacoma with confidence that the frame will not rot out? I want to buy a used 2nd gen Double Cab 4x4 to take my family out on the trails with (in Colorado). Worried about the snow/salt rusting out the frame.

Any thoughts?

Depends on where the truck originates from. If it was CO owned its whole life I wouldn't be as concerned as if it was a truck from New England that made its way out here.

 

[All-Terrain]

What about treating the frame to help it last at this point? Waxoyl, etc?

 

[haddix]

They are starting to replace the frame on the newer tacomas if it's rusted out.

 

[DVexile]

What year truck are you looking at buying?

The frame rust problem is very real. Toyota is replacing a massive number of frames at great expense. It is certainly good that they are replacing the frames, but the fact that they are is also clear acknowledgement that for a number of model years the frame sealant/protection was defective.

As to treating the frame that is definitely a good thing to do, and in fact that is one of the things Toyota is doing for frames that haven't rusted too badly.

You might check out the threads about frame rust over on Tacoma World. The topic has been covered extensively there and you should be able to get a better feel for the conditions in which rust has been a problem and what model years are expected to have problems.

 

[All-Terrain]

Hmm. Sounds like it's a real problem. Amazing. There are so many Tacoma's out there, I see them everywhere... do average non-car enthusiast people just not know about the frame issue?

I was thinking about either a 2002-2004 1st gen Double Cab, or an early 2nd gen Double Cab. Must be a 4x4.

But this rust thing is nuts. Can't believe some of the pictures I'm seeing on Google.

 

[vicali]

Our 2005 dclb just had the frame replaced two weeks ago. The hole was spotted during the crc inspection back in November. I think it's pretty amazing to have the $12000 procedure done on a truck worth not much more than that- We're also the second owners of a 10 year old vehicle, you don't hear that happening very often.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Hmm. Sounds like it's a real problem. Amazing. There are so many Tacoma's out there, I see them everywhere... do average non-car enthusiast people just not know about the frame issue?

I was thinking about either a 2002-2004 1st gen Double Cab, or an early 2nd gen Double Cab. Must be a 4x4.

But this rust thing is nuts. Can't believe some of the pictures I'm seeing on Google.

The years of the trucks you're looking do fall within the rusty frame windows and while Colorado is not as bad as the east coast the amount of magnesium chloride that is used is making corrosion a real issue here. Do your due diligence and inspect the under side well. Up under the bed above the spare tire and look down in the cross member under the engine and on the shock towers where they meet the frame behind the front wheels.

We bought a 2008 and I have been spending the winter stabilizing the rust that is starting on the welds. It came from a dealer and was pretty typical of the trucks we looked at. There are some out here that look great and some that don't, so I think it's a matter of how much exposure to winter spray they experience. Two things that to me seem to matter, if the truck was US-built or Mexican-built (US one seem to rust worse) and if the mud flaps were removed or not (the one with mud flaps still intact look better).

 

[Finlay]

But this rust thing is nuts. Can't believe some of the pictures I'm seeing on Google.

You should consider that nobody who has no rust issues is posting pictures on the internet. All the pictures you've seen divided by the millions of trucks sold = a very small percentage. The trucks that get the rust, they get it bad. The rest are serviceable for a very long time.

So sure, the frame issue is a consideration when looking at a used truck. But honestly, if it were that great an issue, the price would reflect that. Look at the prices for a 2004 Discovery compared to a 2004 Tacoma. I doubt you could get into an 04 DC Taco for less than 12k, and you could buy 2-3 discos for that.

 

[mtnbike28]

I had the frame replaced on my 2002 DC, and the dealership (Midstate Toyota in NC) did a great job. I have no rattles, or other problems. they also replaced brake lines, springs, and some suspension stuff. I added the valve cover gaskets and small hoses on the back of the motor since it was out of the truck. I would buy a Taco with replaced frame without thought.... I did treat my frame every year when I lived in NY, it looked great, but the hammer test was key.... tink, tink, thunk = new frame.

 

[Box Rocket]

I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you buy a truck out of the northeast. I bought mine here in Utah where it was purchased new, similar climate and conditions as Colorado and frame rust has not been an issue, and that's on a 1st gen 2003. Every frame will develop a little surface rust over time, but it's the deep rooted rust cancer that should be the worry. Purchase a truck that has spent it's life west of the rocky mountains and you should be just fine.

 

[Tango71]

I wouldn't worry if its a 2nd gen double cab. I have a 2010 double cab that I inspect on a regular basis. The frames aren't fully boxed like they were on the 1st gens. Only the engine compartment has a boxed section as well as a small area midway down the frame rails. You can easily get a pressure washer in to all areas of the frame and wash dirt/salt out. I do this as much as possible in the winter or after an offroad trip and I have zero rust. One thing I did in the past was coat the entire frame in and out with boiled linseed oil. You can use an engine washing wand to do this with. Stick the little hose it comes with in to the bottle of boiled linseed oil and the air will pick it up and spray it out. It has to be boiled though because it will dry to form a wax type surface. non boiled stuff will just stay liquid.

 

[yosh1975]

Buy a 4runner.

 

[codybutz]

I would personally ask the owner of any Tacoma you are looking at buying, if it has been to a dealer for the rust issue recall. If they do not know or you feel they are not being completely honest, call the nearest dealership with the Vin number of the truck. They will be able to tell you right off the bat if it has been inspected and recoated or if it has had the frame replaced. They are also recalling/ replacing the spare tire winch under the bed. I personally drive a 2003 Tacoma daily and park it outside on the street in the city of Chicago, we use more rock salt here then probably a good portion of the country combined. My frame is fine, little bit of surface rust here and there but nothing I'm worried about. Don't let the internet scare you away from buying and driving the most amazing truck ever.