Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Pickups Toyota Tacoma Toyota Tacoma 2004 and Earlier Frame Problem
929 messages, Last post on Dec 04, 2009 at 8:59 PM
You are in the Toyota Tacoma Forum. Your Host is kcram
|
|
|---|---|
|
Replying to: doubleusn (Feb 24, 2009 6:02 am)
|
|
|
Replying to: silver01taco (Feb 24, 2009 9:12 am) |
|
|
|
|
I bought my 2001 ext cab 4x4 Tacoma truck in 3/07 and it was perfect. A $400 toyota inspection before a 3k plus mile road trip confirmed that. In 9/08, with 122k on the odometer the local muffler shop noticed severe rust on the frame. I took the truck to Toyota. It failed the frame inspection. The dealer sent me to 1-800 go toyota. No loaner, no loyalty discount, no help from a human being, and claims "you won't get 150% value (well... who are we kidding, 150% of a truck worth 50% less than I paid for it would be 100% what it should be worth, but let's not split hairs here....) I was FURIOUS. I got nothing in writing about the contract Toyta wanted me to enter. I was threatened on the phone that if i did not take their offer right there and then it would be "significantly lower on the next call." Oh, PS, toyota offered me $1,000 less than KBB value. After a lenthy debate and 25-50 letters (I'm not exaggerating) to every single authority or elected official I could find I took Toyotas measly offer, and left my baby at the dealership. That list is in a previous thread, folks All the used Tacomas or sale out there of the same style and vintage were thousands more than toyota offered me. I also did not want to buy another rust bucket. Toyota called today and made a generous financial attempt to right things. I don't know if is some new policy, whether my letters touched a nerve, or someone messed up on their bookkeeping. I'm glad the frame replacement was not avaialble to me - because I would have taken it, and I know it would have been a nighmare. My message to people is this" Toyota is not handling this correctly. Frame replacements and sub-full-value buyback offers are simply not fair. I am glad Toyota is doing something, and in this economy, while posting record losses, it seems to me even generous of them. However, the process isn't appropriate for the trouble people are going through. I can't believe Toyota is spending so much money on a program like this. Processing claims, losing slae value on loaners, paying dealers and mechanics to process and repair this, risking lawsuit, and finally, paying customer support to try to clean this mess. Their policy should be -Take the truck to any dealership. If it fails inspection Toyota will issue you a check for 125% the full value of the truck right there and then OR give you 150% the value of your truck to be used as a trade-in. Offer 1% financing for the balance of the loan. Don't give a loaner, no waiting, no frame replacement. Toyota or ISG takes the trucks and sells parts, or ships them to place in Texas that only does frame rebuilds (no rust, no problem) for the southern (salt-free) market. Eliminate the delays and the poor customer service. Eliminate the hassle for a loaner. Yes, it will be more expensive, HOWEVER people will be more satisfied, the dealer service depts won't be bogged down, inventories will move again. and Toyota will gain loyalty by doing everything the right way. People loved their Tacoma's Get people in a new truck with as little hassle as possible and keep people coming back. Yeah... in a perfect world... My advice is: Keep records, write letters, and don't take it sitting down. I know it seems that writing letters and calling elected officials doesn't seem worth it - but if you've been treated unfairly, well, no one is going to come rescue you. Perhaps I got hush money, perhaps Toyota paid me not to sue them (I had considered it), and perhaps its a coincidence. I think to look at it this way - If you make a bad product, that endagers people's lives, then you can't handle customers in a fair manner... well you get what you have coming. No more Toyotas for me. They chose the bottom line for this hand and lost the entire game. |
|
|
Picked up my Taco today..... I spoke w/ corp Kevin this am (he actually answered the phone!) and he cleared up a bit of my concern with the repair- this repair, like any work done at the dealer is written up as a repair order, this is in fact a contract, and warranties said repair for one year. The frame has a 15 yr perforation warranty (big wup, the body will rust first) I was/am concerned about things that will happen due to the major surgery.....a year will suffice to see what happens. All my service mgr had to do was tell me this instead of- " I dont know anything about a warranty- just pick up yor truck". I spoke w/ the dealership owner before I left who apologized and said I probably caught the service mgr on an "off" day. Whatever.......it's over. or maybe just starting we'll see. they basically put in a frame, leaf spring, control arm, and assorted brackets and clamps etc. ..
|
|
|
Replying to: liljohn01 (Aug 15, 2008 9:21 am) I recieved 100% KBB around the end of October 2008. I just today 02/24/2009 recieved a call from Toyota and they are mailing me a check for the remainder 50%. So all told I got about 18.2k for my 2001 TACO with 130+k miles on it. Not to bad!!! Two things in this whole process I did not like were. 1. That I had to wait 10 days for Toyota's check to clear and I had to return the rental the day they gave me the check. This could of left me without a vehical. Luckly the Ford dealer who I was purchasing from worked with me on this. 2. The 3 months wait without a single word from Toyota. They could of atleast called and told me they missed me, lol. Seriously, give us an update once a week or biweekly atleast. It would go a long way to making us feel better about it. 3. I guess there is a third and that is that I had to give them an answer when they called about anything and if I said No, I had to return the rental. That is just bad customer service hell I was in the middle of a business trip the one time and could not even return the car for 3 days. Anyways, I bought it cause of their reliability but I won't buy another. This frame issue is a major screw up, but they atleast are trying to fix it the right way. Later, ~lj
|
|
|
Replying to: rachelf (Feb 24, 2009 1:07 pm) kcram - Pickups/Wagons Host |
|
|
Replying to: liljohn01 (Feb 24, 2009 1:40 pm) |
|
|
Replying to: screwed4 (Feb 18, 2009 6:05 am) |
|
|
Replying to: mcalautt (Feb 22, 2009 2:40 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: theiglu (Jan 30, 2009 11:19 am) |
|
You are here:
Forums
Pickups Toyota Tacoma Toyota Tacoma 2004 and Earlier Frame Problem
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2011 Toyota Tacoma
2010 Toyota 4Runner
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
