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Pickups Toyota Tacoma Toyota Tacoma 2004 and Earlier Frame Problem
923 messages, Last post on Nov 16, 2009 at 8:28 AM
You are in the Toyota Tacoma Forum. Your Host is kcram
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Dealer calls me today to say what i need to be done to pass inspection- other than the frame kit : rotors and pads, gas tank and shield and an e brake....all for $ 2100.00 Yikes......i dont even need the e- brake ( mine is frozen). I am going to have my local mechanic do all of this for1/2 the price........kind of a bummer to see the greed coming from Toyota..........Hey, how did 01' people get the buy out and not the 02? Should i hound Kevin on this?
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This is an email I sent to TOYOTA CANADA today: Hi, I have a 2001 Tacoma. I appreciate the buyback program you offered for the earlier models. I'm sure your sales of 09 tacomas increased because of it. My problem is that I do not officially qualify for the buyback even though I have the EXACT same symptoms/problems. I know about the frame replacement but I did not buy my tacoma to have its frame swapped out. This is unheard of. What I need clarification on is the reason as to why some 2001 tacoma owners are getting buyback at %100, some at %150, and some don't even get offered the buyback, and yet again, some are told their trucks don't qualify for any program at all, and are left to drive their unsafe, uninspectible trucks away empty handed due to no fault of their own. It can't be the dealers deciding to buyback certain 2001's because if they are not officialy included in the buyback then TOYOTA corporation would not reimburse them. So in my mind I believe that TOYOTA CORP has given them instructions to buyback certain 2001 models. If this is the case then it is discrimination against 2001 owners and it should be made officical that all 2001's are eligible for buyback. Please let me know what is going on here. I am too scared to even bring my truck to the dealer yet because I am afraid of what the outcome will be and my option for repair, if any at all. Please get back to me ASAP. Let's see how long and what kind of response I get back. |
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Replying to: rachelf (Feb 02, 2009 8:22 pm)
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Replying to: cman23 (Feb 04, 2009 8:44 am)
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I read my journal recently where in 2005 I launched "Operation Preserve Tacoma. That whole notion is laughable now. In 2005 my 2003 Tacoma was a daily driver commuter vehicle racking up 50,000 miles/year. I wrote that "this is the best pick-up I'll ever own" so I better take steps to "preserve" it. So I bought a car to use as a commuter vehicle and this Tacoma became a weekend vehicle to keep the miles off. What a difference 3 years makes. I may have the noble idea of preserving this Tacoma but the frame under this truck has other ideas. I wish now that I hadn't bought the car and instead had driven this Tacoma into the ground. If my Tacoma was nearer the end of it's useful life, this whole frame business would be easier to take, as I wouldn't have so much stranded value in the truck. My grand plan was for the truck to last until 2015 and 300,000+ miles. I figure I may have about 2 years left on my frame. Unbelievable. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought they bought a 300,000 mile vehicle of impecable reliability. I never would have believed the frame would do it in. You can bet that with any truck I buy in the future, I'll keep the frame well washed and painted. Trial by fire. We'll always carry these scars caused by Toyota. |
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Replying to: rusty01tacoma (Feb 03, 2009 9:45 am) Dear Mr. --------, Thank you for your most recent correspondence. We would like to take this opportunity to explain that Toyota has received isolated reports regarding a small number of 1995 through 2000 model year Tacoma vehicles exhibiting excessive rust corrosion to the frame causing perforation of the metal. Only certain 1995 through 2000 model year Tacoma vehicles, produced in North America between January 1995 and September 2000, are eligible. Although we will continue to monitor the later model years, we have not seen any pattern of rust incidence in 2001 to 2004 model year vehicles that is unusual for this age range. It is important to remember that this condition is unrelated to and separate from normal surface rust which is commonly found on metallic surfaces after some years of usage and/or exposure to the environment. However, if you notice perforation of the frame and/or large amounts of rust that flake off the vehicle, we suggest you contact a Toyota dealership of your choice in order to have your vehicle inspected. Thank you once again for taking the time to write. Sincerely, Nikki Cornell Customer Interaction Centre Toyota Canada Inc. |
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Replying to: txoilman (Jan 01, 2009 5:01 pm) Here’s what mine looks like. http://tinyurl.com/tacomaframe |
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I'm sure I'd feel differently if I was stuck waiting for a frame replacement, but I was one of the fortunate '01 owners to get a buyback offer. Got the check yesterday, which was pretty much exactly 150% of KBB by my calculating, and my local dealer was extremely helpful throughout the process, making sure I had a nice new Camry to drive while the process played out. Took delivery of my '09 Taco the week before turning over the title to the old one. This is my second Taco and fourth Toyota truck, and this problem aside, they're just hard to beat. I too had planned to keep my '01 for at least two or three more years, and wasn't planning on having payments again this soon, but I think the treatment I received was more than fair. |
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Replying to: rusty01tacoma (Feb 03, 2009 9:45 am) I am "in the system" as of approximately two months ago. I took my Taco in for the 90k maint. and found out then that I had the frame perforation issue. At that point the dealer placed me into the buy-back program. Since that point, I have been surfing all the blogs and forums and communicating directly with my dealer weekly. I have read many conversations regarding the newer vehicles and questions surrounding the buyback and how much they might get or have gotten some dollar amount for their vehicles. Approximately three weeks ago, my dealer informed me that I (my situation) would not be participating in the buyback plan, but would instead be eligible for the "frame rework" plan. This was after the dealer took about 40 pictures of the Taco and sent them to the district manager. After another week I found that I would not be participating in a rework plan but that I would be participating in a rebuild plan. Subsequent conversations have revealed that Toyota is responding to the newer owners (2001-2004) by 1)If their vehicles are not in good enough shape overall (Not sure what the specific requirements of this are), then a buy-back might be possible, but unlikely. 2)Some vehicles (frames) could be "rvamped". Highly unlikely as the liability associated with revamping a questionable frame structure would carry too high of a liability in my opinion for a large company as Toyota to deal with. 3)If their vehicles are considered of a high level of good condition, they are seriously considering a "re-build" which means Toyota will perform a complete ground up new frame on restore. This now appears to be the case for me. Last week I spoke with my dealer and they stated that they in process of putting together the "parts list" for the rebuild. This means the new frame, all A325 bolts (high strength), bushings, isolators and possibly the leaf springs as they deem necessary. To date, this is all I know. I have generated a list of questions that will need to be answered and a "punch list" of items that I feel they should consider part of the rebuild. And I naturally plan on doing some "refeshing" on my own. Like- Body & bed checked for rust- treated with rust inhibitor and undercoated as needed. There will be more added to this list as I find out what Toyota is not including on their list. Right now, I'm staying in close contact with my dealer and my body guy in case I need him for some "tweaking". Hope this answers some of your questions. MobiKobE
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Replying to: jokerman17 (Feb 04, 2009 9:44 am) If you really like your '01 Taco and don't see them a. buying it back; b. giving you much of a trade-in, then I suppose rust-inhibitor would be a good idea. I would be kind of susicious if they were applying what they call "rustproofing" to an 8 yr. old Taco. I had a '99 and it had enough rust for the buyback program, even though I didn't think it had much. I have a brother who rust-proofed the h*** out of his '98 Taco when it was brand new and he has "no hint" of rust on his, hence, his did not qualify for buyback. Tim Cincy
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