Rear Liftgate Rust

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007iron

New member
Folks,

I have a 2003 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V8. It has significant rust perforation all along the top of the rear window. You cannot see it by just looking at the vehicle, but if you just use your fingers and fold down the rubber that surrounds the rear window along the top, all the of rust perforation is visible. I also have rust bubbles forming below the license plate, as a result of moisture getting inside the liftgate, likely from the rust perforation above the rear window.

Does anyone else have this issue? I believe that this is a manufacturer's defect. The "expressed warranty" for rust perforation has expired, but the courts have shown that an "implied warranty" for reasonable durability for rust perforation is anywhere from 7-11 years.

A Toyota recommended bodyshop has put the cost at $2,500 Cdn (have to replace the entire rear liftgate).

I am going to go to Small Claims Court to make this claim against Toyota Canada.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this same issue?
 
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I haven't had that severe of a problem (though I'm going to check the rubber seal now! sounds awful!) though I did get the TSB covered rusting by the license plate flare (whatever they call it - the chrome thing that houses the tailgate lock button etc).

The dealership resprayed the tailgate (which was a bigger PITA than leaving the rust spot there if I'm honest).

I don't know much about these things, but Small Claims Court (if it works like the US system) seems a good way to go - they can't bring an attorney in. Still a giant annoyance for you though. I'd check with some scrapyards and see if you can find a front-wrecked runner just as a fall back. That's got to be cheaper than the price they are charging you for replacement.
 
had my 04 repainted yr & half ago for the same thing rusting under rubber at top left of rear window. i paid body shop to fix.
 
My 2004 SE was rusting from the inside out on the rear hatch within 2 years of ownership. Started out as small bubbles under the paint. It was repainted under warranty but started to rust again within less than a year. That's one reason why I ditched it. My opinion is that they must use cheaper steel on the rear hatch panel because there seem to be far more problems with rust there on 4Rs than the rest of the body.
 
I think it's quite possible the steel isn't up to snuff. Though I also wonder whether the seals/water diversion aren't up to the job. I haven't compared them to a 3rd Gen, but it wouldn't surprise me that much.
 
I too found a spec of rust bleeding thru on my 03 V8. Mine was at the very bottom of the tailgate down by the plastic cladding. I lightly sanded the spot and touched it up with some primer and touch up paint.

After reading this, I'm worried to even look at the tailgate rubber surround by the window. I was really hoping to get a good 10 years out of this truck.

Is your visable without removing the rubber surround around the window?
 
the dutch man said:
I too found a spec of rust bleeding thru on my 03 V8. Mine was at the very bottom of the tailgate down by the plastic cladding. I lightly sanded the spot and touched it up with some primer and touch up paint.

After reading this, I'm worried to even look at the tailgate rubber surround by the window. I was really hoping to get a good 10 years out of this truck.

Is your visable without removing the rubber surround around the window?
Click to expand...

First of all, thanks to everyone who has responded. I'm new to online forums and this has been really helpful.

As for the question above, the rust was visible without folding the rubber back that surrounds the rear window, but only by about a 1/2 inch. It was while looking at this that I folded the rubber back to see that it was completely rusted underneath the rubber, all along the top of the rear window. I really believe that this is due to a faulty design by Toyota. The rubber is not sealed or the seal has worn off, and my liftgate now needs to be replaced. On a 2003! I've been searching for class action suits around this. There are many class action suits against Toyota, but I haven't found anything pertaining to this. It's quite demoralizing, as I absolutely love my 4Runner otherwise. But I do take solace in finding that there are many precedents in Small Claims Courts where 'expressed warranties' for rust perforation have expired, but the courts have ruled that reasonable durability 'implied warranties' of 7-11 years for rust perforation is acceptable. And with Small Claims Courts (at least in Canada) you pay a $75 fee for a court appointed date, and basically make the case yourself (no lawyers or paralegals) required.
 
Hey There - this is my first post. Been lurking a long time. I have a 2004 Toyota 4runner SR5 V6. I am the second owner, but I have had it now for 2 years. Last summer (July 08) I noticed the exact same issue that you have. The Rubber seal at the top of the window had pulled away from the paint allowing dirt and moisture to collect in the underlying channel. The dirt and grime being abbrasive had locally scrubbed the paint away and began rusting. At this point I began trying to get Toyota to cover the perforation (as portions of the metal had actually chipped away) - no dice they turned me down, and dispite numerous appeals and phone calls on my part were not going to change their minds. By this time I had gotten quotes to fix the rust (not replace the tail gate - but sand and repair - repaint) for about $900-$1100, but it was now several months later and in the throws of Calgary winter, so I decided to wait till spring. Well over the winter the rust got a fair bit more noticable and bubbled up a good 1-2 cm above the rubber seal towards the roof. This summer (2009) I paid a body shop in NW calgary to repair the rust and replace the seal (~$1000). So far it looks good and the adhesive the body shop used to compress the seal against the paint is still holding. It is interesting that in the official repair guide for the 2004 4runner toyota does not specify any adhesive to make sure the seal is water tight.

The body shop guy said he has seen several 4runners like this and conciders it a design flaw. I have noticed several other 4th gen 4runners with this issue (or will have this issue) in my travels around town. 3rd gens seem to have a deeper indentation around the window and the rubber gasket/seal seems to fit better.

Good luck with your efforts to have Toyota repair it...I just got fed-up with waiting while my truck sat there and literally.....rusted
 
Well, after seeing this post, I decided to pull the weatherstripping on my window and take a look this past weekend. Sure enough, My 03 is starting to rust. I think my game plan is to pull the stripping down, clean things up a bit and hit it with Boeshield to stop the rust. We'll see how it turns out and I'll keep everyone posted as to how bad the rust is when I dive in deeper.
 
Someone have a pic with the affected areas? Even a post-repair pic with an arrow or two editted into it would be great. Thanks.
:cheers:
 
Interesting. I've had a similar issue with the moonroof seal (check the maintenance section for the post).

I'm going to have to check this seal too.
 
I'll be removing my weather stripping and cleaning all the dirt and muck out in the next few days. I'll try and snap a few photos while I'm in there. Luckily, mine isn't too bad yet.
 
Here is a picture of the most affected area on my truck. This was before the repairs, but to see the rust at that time you had to bend the rubber back.
 

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crowt said:
Hey There - this is my first post. Been lurking a long time. I have a 2004 Toyota 4runner SR5 V6. I am the second owner, but I have had it now for 2 years. Last summer (July 08) I noticed the exact same issue that you have. The Rubber seal at the top of the window had pulled away from the paint allowing dirt and moisture to collect in the underlying channel. The dirt and grime being abbrasive had locally scrubbed the paint away and began rusting. At this point I began trying to get Toyota to cover the perforation (as portions of the metal had actually chipped away) - no dice they turned me down, and dispite numerous appeals and phone calls on my part were not going to change their minds. By this time I had gotten quotes to fix the rust (not replace the tail gate - but sand and repair - repaint) for about $900-$1100, but it was now several months later and in the throws of Calgary winter, so I decided to wait till spring. Well over the winter the rust got a fair bit more noticable and bubbled up a good 1-2 cm above the rubber seal towards the roof. This summer (2009) I paid a body shop in NW calgary to repair the rust and replace the seal (~$1000). So far it looks good and the adhesive the body shop used to compress the seal against the paint is still holding. It is interesting that in the official repair guide for the 2004 4runner toyota does not specify any adhesive to make sure the seal is water tight.

The body shop guy said he has seen several 4runners like this and conciders it a design flaw. I have noticed several other 4th gen 4runners with this issue (or will have this issue) in my travels around town. 3rd gens seem to have a deeper indentation around the window and the rubber gasket/seal seems to fit better.

Good luck with your efforts to have Toyota repair it...I just got fed-up with waiting while my truck sat there and literally.....rusted
Click to expand...

Crowt,
This is exactly the issue with my 4Runner. Except my rust is all along the top edge of the window, under the rubber. I've filled out the Small Claims Court forms and will proceed. I'll keep this forum posted as to progress. Thanks.
 
Well guys, I decided to start tackling the truck rust last night. Come to find out, the top of my truck by the 3rd brake light wasn't too rusty. The bottom portion fo the truck, above the bumper, is a whole different story all together.

So what I did was:

1) Lower the window

2) Tape up plastic 40 gallon garbage bags over rear lift gate and going into the inside of the truck. This will keep the dirt out when you pull the trim. Use the blue painters tape for this, so nothing sticks to the truck.

3) Pull the trim down and off the truck.

4) Clean the metal area that is rusted. Get all the dirt off. Alcohol is great for cleaning these painted areas.

5) I personally chose a different route. I did not prime or sand my rust. I instead have used a product called Boeshield to penetrate the rust, stop it and form a waxy protection layer going forward. This way, water will be repelled.

6) Make sure to clean all the dirt and grime out of the U-Channel on the top molding around the window. The dirt in there is absolutely unreal. No wonder there are issues.

7) Let the Boeshield penetrate and dry for a day or two, if you can.

When I re-assemble, I'm going to put more Boeshield in the U-Channel and let it set up for a day or two. It's great stuff, stops rust and is safe for painted surfaces.

Enjoy the pics below of my rust. It's pretty sad but my guess is any 03 or 04 will have the same issues by now.
 

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I have 2 very small surface rust spots around the licsence plate garnish.

But what I cannot get over is the amazing amount of surface rust and paint chipping there is on the frame. My 11 year old Dodge Ram has less rust on the frame than this 2 year old 4Runner. I know my Dodge's frame was coated in Epoxy paint from the factory, what did Toyota use? Spray paint?
 
Dutch man -

Thanks for the tips and pictures. I understand the location of the second picture in your post - but I am confused about the orientation of the first picture. Is it the top of the window with the weatherstripping removed?
 
Yes, that is the top of the window with the molding removed and the window down. The black backdrop is the plastic bag backing I used.

One note of caution. I re-assembled the truck today and cleaning the black molding out kind of stretched it out a bit. I've got blue painters tape adhered between the molding and truck paint (around the 3rd brake area) to see if I can't get the molding to conform a bit more. Worst case, I may use some black RTV silicone and run a bead the length of the molding. This may also help with further water penetration in that area.

Keep in mind too, I live in Mass. where salt is king in the winter.

My frame is good but I used one whole can of Boeshield on it went brand new. That was 7 years ago.

Boeshield is available at Sears and REI stores for those interested. You can check it out on their website or www.boeshield.com
 
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