Feds Launch Probe Into Corrosion on 2000-'01 Toyota Tundra

[Thai]

This is just not looking good for Toyota...first Tacoma, and now Tundra! Is Toyota having trouble making quality frames?!

Note to Toyota: if you're gonna advertise all the frame technologies including rust inhibiting features, then you better back it up! So, 5-8 years from now, are we going to see 4th gen and FJ frames rusting away??? There are already plenty of stories about FJ and 4runner frames showing excessive rust. Is it no wonder why FJ frames are supposedly weak? And you guys thought that i was paranoid when i said that i was unhappy that the 5th gen 4runner frame is apparently the same as the 4th gen!!

Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=158768

WASHINGTON — The federal government is looking into complaints of severe frame corrosion on 2000-'01 Toyota Tundratrucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said an estimated 218,000 vehicles are involved. The preliminary investigation is sometimes a step toward a vehicle recall.

The probe comes on the heels of Toyota's largest U.S. recall in company history. Last week, Toyota announced it will recall 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to replace a floor mat that could cause the accelerator to stick.

"The Office of Defects Investigation has received 20 reports on the subject vehicles that relate to spare tire separation and brake system failures as a result of severe frame corrosion," said NHTSA in its defects investigations summary on the affected Tundras.

"There have been 15 reports alleging the underbody-mounted spare tire separated from the rear crossmember, and five reports alleging broken brake lines at the proportioning valve located on the driver side of the rear crossmember at the upper shock mount."

There are no crashes, fires, injury incidents or deaths related to the Tundra investigation, according to other NHTSA documentation.

The probe was opened on October 6.

Inside Line says: NHTSA launches some fact-finding activities on the 2000-'01 Toyota Tundra. If warranted, the case would go through an engineering analysis before any recall. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

 

[ToyTech99]

My '04 has a fair amount of rust on it, after living through years of salt-filled NY winters. I always thought it was okay because it looks like surface rust, not severe corrosion.

But now I wonder if it will be a problem down the road. What is it about Toyota that they have so many issues with frame rust? What are they doing wrong? It's inexcusable in this day and age to build a vehicle that rots from the frame. WTF?

I know a guy who was affected by the Tacoma rust recall. He ended up getting a lot more money for his Tacoma than he would have on the open market. Maybe we'll end up with a similar opportunity if our 4Runners start to rust away... But then what? I'm not buying a 5th gen, so I'll probably have to look elsewhere. Maybe even Jeep. LOL. I may have other problems, but at least my frame won't rot out!

 

[Thai]

so I'll probably have to look elsewhere. Maybe even Jeep. LOL. I may have other problems, but at least my frame won't rot out!

You're right...Jeeps do not have a frame to begin with!! (Exception being the Wranglers.)

 

[i30RLS]

rusting

My 07 4Runner is rusting as well. I let the dealer and Toyota know, but their response was that it's due to NY salty roads and since it was not rusting from the inside out, they refused to do anything about it. Definitely not buying another 4Runner.

 

[Shawk00]

Every used 4Runner I looked at before I bought mine had a serious amount of rust under. Initially I thought I could find a clean one but it became clear very quickly that wasn't going to happen. I LOVE my 4Runner though.

 

[IntoTheVoid]

Some of you might be to young to remember this but...Actually, Toyota had rusting problems back in the 1980's.
In 1983 I bought a brand new 1983 Toyota Hilux 4x4 pickup. I had it for 7 years and by the time I sold it, the top of the tailgate had rusted completely through. It happened to a lot of Toyota pickups in the 1980's.

I live in Oregon and there is not enough bad weather here that they have to salt the roads. So it had nothing to do with salt. But I do remember that if you lived by the coast/beach the Toyota's rusted faster. It is nothing like I see now on some of the picture that people post here of their frame and 3rd members, it was only on the body of the pickups.

I have good luck with my 1990 Toyota pickup and closing in on 350K, Best god damn rig I ever had and not a bit of rust.

My 1998 4Runner also has been a very good rig since I've owned it and no rust what-so-ever.

 

[Scoobs]

The 1980's? try the 1970's, early 1970's. Average life of a Toyo back then was 3 years before it disappeared in a cloud of red dust in your driveway.

Speaking of Toyo frames have you seen the Youtube video of the Tundra shaking it's box so badly that it whacked the back of the cab?

 

[Teqeeler]

My 4 runner is a complete rust show underneath, a lot of rust in the engine bay too.
But I still love it, as long as it doesn't affect the frame

 

[IntoTheVoid]

The 1980's? try the 1970's, early 1970's. Average life of a Toyo back then was 3 years before it disappeared in a cloud of red dust in your driveway.

I don't remember the 1970's Toyotas...You must be an older S.O.B. then me! :cheers:

 

[Uneek]

Speaking of Toyo frames have you seen the Youtube video of the Tundra shaking it's box so badly that it whacked the back of the cab?

I've seen that video by an owner or potential owner on the freeway.

Ford has a similar one comparing frame strength among other things of their F-150 against the likes of Toyota, Dodge, GM, etc.

I don't think frame durability and strength is something Toyota should be advertising anymore. Toyota really needs to get back to its roots of how they use to build cars. Being #1 is great, but being #1 of the worst built cars is terrible.

 

[XJeepguy]

What is the difference between the construction of the 4th and the 3rd Gen frames ? I live in a area that gets a lot of salt every winter and my 3rd gen frame looks great , especially for a 11 year old frame .

I also used to work for the Dept. of Highways for many years here and it doesn't help much when we go out at night to plow snow and your supervisor tells you at the start of the your shift to use ' PURE SALT ' tonight on the roads LOL !!! Just cant be good for ANY vehicle :boink:

i said that i was unhappy that the 5th gen 4runner frame is apparently the same as the 4th gen!!

 

[Scoobs]

I was a teenager then but I remember it quite well. I remember one time, around 1973 I think, we had a hail storm. My dad's Chev had a couple of dings on the hood and roof. The neighbor's Datsun looked like it had been a target at a driving range. Everybody from around the neighborhood was coming around to see the poor little Japanese car that had had the cr.p beaten out of it by a hail storm. There wasn't a spot on any of the top surfaces that wasn't completely covered in large dents. :biggrin2:

 

[004Gunner]

I'm not surprised by this at all. And the people who say 'I don't mind the rust' really just allow the problem to continue imo. This is what happens when a company abandons the ideal of #1 in quality to pursue #1 in sales. My first vehicle was a Toyota, my second was a Toyota, my third will not be. If you think quality is the only thing that has taken a nose dive, you should evaluate their customer service too. :flipoff: Toyota.:whipping2

 

[Thai]

Being #1 is great, but being #1 of the worst built cars is terrible.

GM was quite good at this practice for many years...hopefully, Toyota won't be as "successful."

 

[Thai]

What is the difference between the construction of the 4th and the 3rd Gen frames ? I live in a area that gets a lot of salt every winter and my 3rd gen frame looks great , especially for a 11 year old frame .

I don't know. But i do know that Toyota advertises a lot, esp. in FJ Cruiser brochures, about some sort of electrostatic primer that they cover the frame with to prevent rust. Of course, if you go on FJ forum, then you will see that surface rust is prevalent, even in states with no snow. So much for that electrostatic crap! When i owned my 3rd gen 4runner, there wasn't much advertisement from Toyota about rust prevention technology. However, as pointed out before, the 4th gen and 3rd gen 4runners did not differ much in price...so, maybe Toyota did cut cost in the frame design/manufacturing between the generations??? However, the argument against this is that even the Tacoma (and now Tundra) frames of past generations are affected by this rusting issue. Therefore, the 3rd gen should be at risk too. On the other hand, 4runners have always been made in Japan, while past Tundra and Tacomas are made here (i think). But, FJs are made in Japan too......ahhhhhh, my head is spinning...i have no idea.