2002 Toyota Tacoma

FRAME FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION: TOYOTA HAD PLACED A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT" TO REPLACE THE FRAMES BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T TREATED FOR CORROSION BUT WITH AN ENHANCEMENT, IT EXPIRES AND DID SO IN 2017. I JUST BOUGHT THE TRUCK AND LEARNED THEY HAVE A SAFETY RECALL FOR CORROSION OF THE SPARE WHEEL COMPARTMENT. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE. WHY IS THE FRAME NOT A SAFETY RECALL?? I HAVE HUGE HOLES AND LARGE CRACKS ALONG MUCH OF THE FRAME AND MY MECHANIC TELLS ME IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE. MY FINGERS GO THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE FRAME! MY MECHANIC TELLS ME BASED ON THE LOCATION OF THE CORROSION IN THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, THE ENTIRE ENGINE IS IN DANGER OF FALLING OUT!! LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR TOYOTA TRUCKS FOR 2002 AND BEYOND. FOR MANY YEARS THIS HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED. THE GOV NEEDS TO DEMAND A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS TRUCK AND ALL THE OTHERS AFFECTED.

7/31/2019, I DROVE MY TRUCK TO A TOYOTA DEALER SHOP AFTER I NOTICED THE REAR OF MY TRUCK TILTING DOWN WHEN LOADING. PER TOYOTA DEALER INSPECTION, ITS FRAME 3/4 WAY RUSTED THROUGH ON BOTH SIDES AND VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. AND TOYOTA'S EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FRAME EXPIRED ON JANUARY 2, 2017. REPLACING THE FRAME WOULD COST $24,000, OR THE TRUCK IS JUST A PIECE OF JUNK. ON THE SAME DAY 1:20PM, I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, 800-331-4331, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, AS I DIDN'T BRING IT IN BEFORE THE WARRANTY ON TRUCK FRAME EXPIRED. 7/22/2011, THE TRUCK HAD A FRAME RECALL IN RESPONSE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND PERFORMED CORROSION TREATMENT PER TOYOTA GUIDELINE (NOT REPLACEMENT OF FRAME). 2/11/2013, THE TRUCK WAS IN TOYOTA SHOP FOR INSPECTION AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY WORDS REGARDING THE FRAME. MY TRUCK IS IN GREAT SHAPE, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR, OTHER THAN THE RUST FRAME, WITH ONLY 102,000 MILES. I LIKE THE TRUCK, TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT, AND INTENT TO DRIVE FOR A FEW MORE YEARS. BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THE FRAME WOULD BE AN ISSUE EVEN AFTER HAVING A FRAME RECALL WORK DONE. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD STILL TAKE CARE OF MY TRUCK FRAME, AS IT HAS GONE BAD DUE TO THE FACT THAT (1) TOYOTA DIDN'T BUILD IT WITH GOOD QUALITY PARTS TO START WITH, (2) TOYOTA DEALER DIDN'T PERFORM A GOOD QUALITY RECALL - JUST PATCH/PAINTED WHICH DIDN'T PREVENT FROM FURTHER RUSTING, AND (3) THIS BAD RUST MUST HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE THE 15-YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRED; I JUST OVER-TRUSTED TOYOTA AND OVER-LOOKED THE FRAME... I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL FRAME BODY SHOPS. THEY ARE ALL AWARE OF THE TOYOTA TACOMA FRAME PROBLEMS AND THINK THE FRAME HAD BEEN RUSTING A LONG TIME AGO, WHILE THE TRUCK LOOKS/RUNS GREAT. REPLACEMENT OF THE FRAME IS THE ONLY YET COSTLY OPTION TO SAVE THE TRUCK. I BELIEVE THERE MUST BE MANY TACOMA OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME RESULTED FROM BAD-QUALITY-BUILT TRUCK FRAMES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WAS LOWER THAN THE OTHER SIDE. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO JEFF WYLER TOYOTA OF CLARKSVILLE (808 E LEWIS AND CLARK PKWY, CLARKSVILLE, IN 47129, (812) 284-2277) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 305,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY CHANGE, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK COVER OFTEN POPPED OPEN WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V542000 (TIRES). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BILL WALSH TOYOTA (815-768-1962, LOCATED AT 4000 N COLUMBUS STREET, OTTAWA, IL 61350) WHERE THE FRAME WAS COATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO REMINDER ABOUT THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AND THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 124,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION ON THE CHASSIS AND THE FRAME HAD CRACKS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FROM THE FRONT TO THE REAR. ELMHURST TOYOTA (440 W LAKE ST, ELMHURST, IL 60126, (630) 279-2160) INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME AND CHASSIS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE FRAME WAS COATED WITH AN ANTI RUST COATING DURING THE MANUFACTURER RECALL THAT LASTED UNTIL 2017 NOW THE THE METAL IS BECOMING POROUS AND UPON SLIGHTLY TAPPING THE FRAME ONE CAN POKE HOLES IN THE FRAME WITH A PENCIL. THE TRUCK HAS BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE. UPON TAKING IT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WILLIS TOYOTA OF TWIN FALLS IDAHO IN 2016 AND 2017 THEY PERFORMED A POORLY EXECUTED INSPECTION JUST TO AVOID REPAIRING THE ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME BOTH TIMES THE FRAME WAS FINE WHEN IT CLEARLY WAS NOT. THIS TRUCK HAS ONLY 110K MILES ON IT BUT IS SLOWLY BECOMING A PILE OF RUST. HOW CAN A VEHICLE THAT IS JUST 16 YEARS OLD BE SO RUSTED. TOYOTA IS OF NO HELP AFTER REPEATED CALLS