Rusty Tundra

[andrew_j]

My mum took her 2000 Tundra with 82k to a indy garage for a state inspection. The mechanic had never seen so much rust on a frame. It is flaking apart in sheets. He called the Toyota dealer who wants to see it and document it to send to Toyota customer care.

I have seen it and thought wow that looks rough but I have never owned a full frame vehicle. I will post pics when I get a chance.

Anyone out there here of any issues. I see some internet posts but majority are for Tacoma.

 

[ViragoBry]

Can't think of any reason why the rust prevention processes (or lack thereof) would have been any different for that generation of Tacoma or Tundra. Your mom likely isn't the only one...she just may be one of the first to complain.

 

[RH+G]

Yeah toyota had a problem with their pickups frame rusting out

 

[dishdude]

There was a class action lawsuit against Toyota for this issue, not sure what years it covers though.

 

[andrew_j]

Okay. I will see what transpires and post when it visits the dealer soon.

The indy garage is very uncomfortable passing it for NH state inspection which includes checking rust perforation on frame and body.

 

[NHHEMI]

The rusted frame issue was for older Tacoma's. Didn't hear about it being an issue on the Tundra but it doesn't surprise me. Toyota's are famous for rusting out.

 

[H2GURU]

The rust issue on frames is for the Tacoma, years 1995-2004. Oh and by the way, this problem is courtesy of the DANA CORP. who manufactured the junk steel and they're goona pay too! Early reporters got 1.5 the blue book for their trucks, but now owners are getting a new frame and a 15 YEAR warranty! The frame swap-out is estimated at $13,000.00, for free. Here's 2 good links. Use the second one to search for pending issue for the Tundra.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1200e2/0

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/tsbs/

 

[GMBoy]

WOW! I hate to think about the mistakes the dealership can make swapping a whole frame out. I wouldn't want the truck after all that. Some of these places can't even do an oil change right yet replace a frame!

 

[01rangerxl]

The Tacoma is the truck under the recall, but rust has been showing up on Tundras in Northern states as well. They were pretty generous with the Tacoma buyback/frame replacement, so maybe they will do the same for the older Tundras that are starting to have frame rot.

 

[wirelessF]

Check out Tundra Solutions and there are a lot of members complaining to the NHSTA about the Tundra rusty frames. Fortunately, my 2001 Tundra does not have rust (small rust spots on the differential, but rust converter fixes right up), but I'm keeping an eye on it.

Comparing to my F250, which uses some sort of rubberized coating on the frame, my Tundra has some sort of hard coating. I don't know how to describe it, but it's flaky and hard when it comes off.

 

[ProStreetCamaro]

1. The rust problem does affect the Tundras and not just the tacomas

2. You CAN NOT blame Dana corp for the problem. They build the frame to the manufacturers spec. If the manufacturers spec is no good then the frame ends up being no good. This is Toyota's fault 100%. People are to quick to jump on the "toyota can do no wrong" bandwagon.


A simple search online will pop up a ton of reports of tundra frames rusting out from news articles to tundra forum members posting about it.

Here is a news article

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/investigative/19294250/detail.html#

And for reference our 98 Chevy K2500 has been worked like a dog and has 200K on the clock of daily landscape trailer towing spring summer and fall and snow plowing in the winter and the frame has virtually no rust what so ever. A few spots of minor surface rust and thats it. The body has no rust at all.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

I drove my heavily modified 2002 Tacoma on the beach for thousands of miles. I has some frame perforation by 2005 and I repaired it(boxed and plated in the questionable area just in front of the rear wheel weels) and sold it. Flexy thin frame. great drivetrain. The 2006 Tacoma hd a much better frame but still not right. Now that I own a couple of newer framed Fords I understand wheat a frame is supposed to look like.

 

[H2GURU]

So lets see now... DANA is paying for this work because... they're really nice people. Yeah, Right! They messed up the formulation of the steel and the electrolytic protection wasn't applied. Subsequently the boxed frame (I doubt you'll be seeing that again!)rots internally and nothing as of yet can stop it. I'm sure glad I used synthetics in the drive-line and now my only task is to try and outlive my Toyota! Too bad domestics can't stand behind their products. Too bad they started production over here but at least their lawyers previously applied their a$$-cover!

 

[ms21043]

Originally Posted By: H2GURU
So lets see now... DANA is paying for this work because... they're really nice people. Yeah, Right! They messed up the formulation of the steel and the electrolytic protection wasn't applied. Subsequently the boxed frame (I doubt you'll be seeing that again!)rots internally and nothing as of yet can stop it. I'm sure glad I used synthetics in the drive-line and now my only task is to try and outlive my Toyota! Too bad domestics can't stand behind their products. Too bad they started production over here but at least their lawyers previously applied their a$$-cover!


To bad the Toyota owners with the rusty frames don't care who made what. Bottom line is Toyota built a defective product.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: ms21043


To bad the Toyota owners with the rusty frames don't care who made what. Bottom line is Toyota built a defective product.


This isn't the first rust issue for them either. Toyotas are notorious for rusting out. Anytime they use metal for soemthing it rusts away on them. You could take the engine and swap it from body to body and it would probably go forever but they don't make a vehicle that doesn't rust away.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
WOW! I hate to think about the mistakes the dealership can make swapping a whole frame out. I wouldn't want the truck after all that. Some of these places can't even do an oil change right yet replace a frame!


Yeah...this is the understatement of the decade...can you imagine the complexity...

Of course they will have Marvin the oil tech doing the frame swaps in between oil changes..

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: ProStreetCamaro

2. You CAN NOT blame Dana corp for the problem.


UH...sorry...I have been working in the tier 1&2 supply chain for 30 years and YES THIS FUBAR IS DANA'S FAULT for not meeting the manufacturers specs by cutting corners. This stuff happens all the time. In this issue they delivered sub par materials and now have to pay up. That is the way the supply tier system works.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: ms21043


To bad the Toyota owners with the rusty frames don't care who made what. Bottom line is Toyota built a defective product.


This isn't the first rust issue for them either. Toyotas are notorious for rusting out. Anytime they use metal for soemthing it rusts away on them. You could take the engine and swap it from body to body and it would probably go forever but they don't make a vehicle that doesn't rust away.


Not true. They have had some issues with certain models but in the macro their vehicles outlast their US counterparts.

 

[brianl703]

At least you don't have to worry about your car/truck catching fire and burning down to the ground due to defective wiring harnesses made by YAZAKI.

 

[eljefino]

I'm with H2guru if you're going to box a frame do it right! My Dakota had a tough box frame that segued to a channel frame under the cab, so the rear could drain. For a "mini" pickup the Dak had the simple solution... way more metal! So often you get salt inside a box frame that doesn't wash out right, due to poorly designed drain holes or mud or something plugging that drain hole. (then the flakes of rust start building up inside and you are SCREWED) Still even if it drained it would be 99% humidity in there most of the year.

My 1987 mazda b2000 had this issue and regrettably it looks like in the 13 years since nobody applied any of this knowlege to new vehicle design.