Rust starting on my lift gate already %&*&$#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This sucks, I found some rust spots on my 2011 blizzard pearl on he tail gate as well.
I have over 60k miles, am it screwed as far as warrantee?

It's on the tailgate only, around the plastic trim piece, and also random small spots that almost look like they are starting to bubble up. I just noticed last weekend when I washed the car. Seems like it's only happening on the tail gate for some reason, no where else...

Any updates from the guys that brought theirs to the dealer?
 
Sputnik said:
and also random small spots that almost look like they are starting to bubble up.
Click to expand...

I have no rust around my trim yet but I do have the spots you speak of. They look like rock chips that you'd find on the front of the truck. I fixed 3 when I bought it and I've noticed a few more. Glad I'm not alone but doesn't give me a good feeling.
 
Sputnik said:
This sucks, I found some rust spots on my 2011 blizzard pearl on he tail gate as well.
I have over 60k miles, am it screwed as far as warrantee?

It's on the tailgate only, around the plastic trim piece, and also random small spots that almost look like they are starting to bubble up. I just noticed last weekend when I washed the car. Seems like it's only happening on the tail gate for some reason, no where else...

Any updates from the guys that brought theirs to the dealer?
Click to expand...



Just so you know the body warranty is 5years / unlimited miles. The only problem seems to be that toyota does not like to warrenty the rear tailgate rust issue even though it is a common problem.

:whipping2
 
perkdog258 said:
Just so you know the body warranty is 5years / unlimited miles. The only problem seems to be that toyota does not like to warrenty the rear tailgate rust issue even though it is a common problem.

:whipping2
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, time to schedule a appointment and try my luck.
 
Finally took mine in to get looked at the other week. My dealer was commenting how he has been seeing this more and more. He commented to me that Toyota has been picky about fixing this issue and that it depends on how each dealer writes this up.

As a side note I in the fall when I noticed this issue starting I took my 4Runner to a dealer near where I work. They did not get it warrantied. I took it back this time to where I bought it and this time it was approved. So a little proof that it depends on who writes it up. Both dealers agreed it should have been warranty work.

Just an FYI for all of you
 
crxp rust! TOTALLY SUXS!!

Oh that is very upsetting, how can toyo go from getting it right (e.g. 3g) to this (5g)??? What the hxll are they doing different? Have we gone back to the 70's??? If this is what you see on the outside what do the hidden parts hold in store?

Whoever said this is unacceptable is absolutely right! I'm kinda getting in the market for a tundra to pull 10k#s, now I'm starting to wonder? :wtf:
 
Dealer just got back to me and wont cover it , " its not a perforation " and im a few months past my 3/60 , he said out of a good will gesture they will cover 40% of the repair , I said I'll tape a bag of salt to it and it will be a perforation soon , see ya just before my 5 year warranty is up . Can't stand they know they have a problem and wont go good for it . No vehicle should be rusting in a protected area like that from rock chips etc at 3 years .
 
There was another thread on this subject for 5th Gens, and when I read this one I got curious and started looking at which models had this problem. I didn't see one Trail Edition mentioned in these threads. Now, I wasn't terribly thorough in my research on this, but, maybe this problem is somehow related to the chrome contacting the paint? I'd be curious if anybody with a Trail Edition has had this issue.
 
STLDAVE said:
There was another thread on this subject for 5th Gens, and when I read this one I got curious and started looking at which models had this problem. I didn't see one Trail Edition mentioned in these threads. Now, I wasn't terribly thorough in my research on this, but, maybe this problem is somehow related to the chrome contacting the paint? I'd be curious if anybody with a Trail Edition has had this issue.
Click to expand...
The Canadian SR5 doesn't have a chrome rear name plate/emblem.
 
Went to the dealer today on a 7:15AM appointment. Service lady said it would fall under 3yr/36k???
Toyota website specifically states 5yrs/unlimited mileage.

How can she put a mileage limit on rust?
Waiting for manager to come in.
I might have to escalate this to toyota by myself if this dealer doesn't help
(West Springfield Ma) it's where I purchased the vehicle

I cannot recommend toyota anymore if their vehicles start to rust thru at 3 years old!
What a shame
 
I don't get it ,why anyone would give Toyota a free pass on poor quality and warranty coverage. You sure wouldn't with anyone else.
I read comments all the time about walking on egg shells about calling out their quality.
I have that rust starting to show on my 98 Ltd. 4 runner, but it is 16 years old.
Toyota needs to step up! There should be no one being turned down for warranty.
 
Last edited:
Sputnik said:
I cannot recommend toyota anymore if their vehicles start to rust thru at 3 years old!
What a shame
Click to expand...

Is yours rusting through? Or is it just showing a few small rust spots on the surface? Those are 2 very different situations for a 3 year old vehicle.

Just curious, if you won't recommend the 4R any longer, what is your recommendation for an alternative new BOF SUV in the $30-$40k range with the same/better chassis, capability, performance, powertrain, comfort, value, etc.?

Look on just about every car forum out there and you will see people saying "they don't paint them like they used to". I wouldn't say it's isolated to Toyota. But are you willing to pay more for better paint? I think if your biggest complaint about a vehicle is the paint, that's a good situation to be in.
 
Mdogg, I'm not sure why you would white night Toyota for what is clearly a rust / corrosion issue that shows up in the painted surface.
The point being that customers bought the 4 runner not expecting it to be like the rest of the pack, but exceed it.
If it is going to have rust after three yrs., there is no value!
I am not a troll nor a hater, the buyer just wants what they paid for. A $40 K vehicle by any one should not show signs of corrosion in three yrs. time.
 
Last edited:
mdogg said:
Is yours rusting through? Or is it just showing a few small rust spots on the surface? Those are 2 very different situations for a 3 year old vehicle.

Just curious, if you won't recommend the 4R any longer, what is your recommendation for an alternative new BOF SUV in the $30-$40k range with the same/better chassis, capability, performance, powertrain, comfort, value, etc.?

Look on just about every car forum out there and you will see people saying "they don't paint them like they used to". I wouldn't say it's isolated to Toyota. But are you willing to pay more for better paint? I think if your biggest complaint about a vehicle is the paint, that's a good situation to be in.
Click to expand...

Don't disagree with you there, its just sad that their quality is starting to spiral down the drain. I mean every 4th gen trim came with the "flick start" function, but apparently its not warranted on the 5th gens; yet Chevy has it on all their vehicles? The amount of cost cutting vs. features is somewhat disturbing. While I would never recommend a Chry-Corp pile of crap to anyone, it is amazing what you get for the money you spend on it (granted they fall apart and have numerous issues as a result...)

mtvp said:
Mdogg, I'm not sure why you would white night Toyota for what is clearly a rust / corrosion issue that shows up in the painted surface.
The point being that customers bought the 4 runner not expecting it to be like the rest of the pack, but exceed it.
If it is going to have rust after three yrs., there is no value!
I am not a troll nor a hater, The buyer just wants what they paid for. A $40 K vehicle by any one should not so signs of corrosion in three yrs. time.
Click to expand...

I agree with you on that, I have been pointing out to many that Toyota's quality is starting to slip down a dark path and their warranty coverage is getting more and more stingy. Look at their TSBs regarding "self-sealing water pumps" and their criteria for shock replacement where it basically has to be bleeding down more than half the shock body before they even consider it an issue. As technicians we can't even acknowledge a fluid leak on a vehicle unless its dripping because Toyota will not cover "seepage." These are all lazy & blatantly obvious avoidance tactics used to side-step obvious quality issues. Instead of admitting that their water pump seals/gaskets are not a good design they release a BS line about how they can seal themselves and don't need to be replaced until the leak excessively (which by them means the entire bottom of the engine looks like a pink alien forest.)

Unfortunately Toyota even with their slipping quality is still one of the better manufacturers out there, which is why I still recommend them to others (though now I do so with an Asterisk warning.) This isn't isolated to Toyota, its the direction many companies are going, where they are inflating prices, reducing content, reducing quality, and tightening their warranty in an attempt to maximize profits.

An example of Toyota's Warranty stance:
http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2011/T-SB-0117-11.pdf

Notice what they consider "possible temporary leaks!" I don't care what idiotic engineer spewed his BS on this TSB and called it justification for why the pumps are "self-sealing" it makes absolutely no sense. They even state that while grooves and wear occurs on the plate once it pushes the debris out it will somehow seal itself even though now the sealing surface is now marred.

Perhaps [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] (more calling on him for his experience as an engineer than putting him down, just to be clear) can help me comprehend this, because I just don't speak this Toyota Engineer's BS. Its pretty cut and dry to me from experience and design, if a sealing surface is marred, it leaks and cannot stop leaking unless an outside force corrects the imperfection (i.e. use of FIPG, replace the sealing surface, refinish the sealing surface, ect.)

Here's their Shock Absorber Replacement Criteria TSB:
View attachment T-SB-0145-11-Shock Absorber Replacement Criteria (1).pdf
While I understand shocks will sweat some, the basic principle is simple with shocks; they have gas and liquid inside of them. Typically the Gas is a smaller molecule than the liquid hydraulic fluid (based on my knowledge that most every shock is Nitrogen charged) so if the shock is leaking enough that fluid is getting out; do you think that gas charge isn't already starting to leak out? So if its getting to close to 1/2 down the strut I would consider that shock's performance to be severely compromised, wouldn't you? I mean its not like shocks help reduce stopping distance or provide stability in emergency maneuvers right?
 

Attachments

Last edited:
BlackWorksInc said:
Don't disagree with you there, its just sad that their quality is starting to spiral down the drain. I mean every 4th gen trim came with the "flick start" function, but apparently its not warranted on the 5th gens; yet Chevy has it on all their vehicles? The amount of cost cutting vs. features is somewhat disturbing. While I would never recommend a Chry-Corp pile of crap to anyone, it is amazing what you get for the money you spend on it (granted they fall apart and have numerous issues as a result...)



I agree with you on that, I have been pointing out to many that Toyota's quality is starting to slip down a dark path and their warranty coverage is getting more and more stingy. Look at their TSBs regarding "self-sealing water pumps" and their criteria for shock replacement where it basically has to be bleeding down more than half the shock body before they even consider it an issue. As technicians we can't even acknowledge a fluid leak on a vehicle unless its dripping because Toyota will not cover "seepage." These are all lazy & blatantly obvious avoidance tactics used to side-step obvious quality issues. Instead of admitting that their water pump seals/gaskets are not a good design they release a BS line about how they can seal themselves and don't need to be replaced until the leak excessively (which by them means the entire bottom of the engine looks like a pink alien forest.)

Unfortunately Toyota even with their slipping quality is still one of the better manufacturers out there, which is why I still recommend them to others (though now I do so with an Asterisk warning.) This isn't isolated to Toyota, its the direction many companies are going, where they are inflating prices, reducing content, reducing quality, and tightening their warranty in an attempt to maximize profits.

An example of Toyota's Warranty stance:
http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2011/T-SB-0117-11.pdf

Notice what they consider "possible temporary leaks!" I don't care what idiotic engineer spewed his BS on this TSB and called it justification for why the pumps are "self-sealing" it makes absolutely no sense. They even state that while grooves and wear occurs on the plate once it pushes the debris out it will somehow seal itself even though now the sealing surface is now marred.

Perhaps [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] (more calling on him for his experience as an engineer than putting him down, just to be clear) can help me comprehend this, because I just don't speak this Toyota Engineer's BS. Its pretty cut and dry to me from experience and design, if a sealing surface is marred, it leaks and cannot stop leaking unless an outside force corrects the imperfection (i.e. use of FIPG, replace the sealing surface, refinish the sealing surface, ect.)

Here's their Shock Absorber Replacement Criteria TSB:
View attachment 114265
While I understand shocks will sweat some, the basic principle is simple with shocks; they have gas and liquid inside of them. Typically the Gas is a smaller molecule than the liquid hydraulic fluid (based on my knowledge that most every shock is Nitrogen charged) so if the shock is leaking enough that fluid is getting out; do you think that gas charge isn't already starting to leak out? So if its getting to close to 1/2 down the strut I would consider that shock's performance to be severely compromised, wouldn't you? I mean its not like shocks help reduce stopping distance or provide stability in emergency maneuvers right?
Click to expand...
I am currently traveling (1600 miles) this weekend.Will answer soon.
 
BlackWorksInc said:
Don't disagree with you there, its just sad that their quality is starting to spiral down the drain.
Click to expand...

Not sure what your talking about with the quality spiraling down lately. Toyota has had rust problems for many years.This same 4Runner tailgate rust around the garnish has been a problem for at least 11 years with plenty of threads and post about it and Toyota even has a TSB http://www.toyota-4runner.org/tsb/77394-bo010-01-9-12-07-rust-tailgate.html#post1525046 for it was so bad a couple of years.
They don't put out a TSB unless there are many many problems. Everyone here that has it needs to complain to maybe get another one for the SAME problem.
Just googled"4RUNNER TAILGATE RUST
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/114163-tailgate-rust.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/56939-rear-liftgate-rust.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/44286-tailgate-body-rust.html

tailgate rust - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Toyota 4Runner Enthusiasts Forum

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/tsb/77394-bo010-01-9-12-07-rust-tailgate.html

89 4runner tailgate replacement options - YotaTech Forums

Toyotas have been known for rusting for years when in a salt environment like alot of vehicles out there. Their drivetrains last forever but you have to be vigilant about fighting rust.
Tundras tailgates too and don't forget the Tundra, Taco and 3rd gen frame rust problems and recalls.
Tailgate Rust - TundraTalk.net - Toyota Tundra Discussion Forum

ToyotaOffRoad.com - Rust Never Sleeps

Not defending Toyota as they have had this problem on the tailgate for years but the common denominator I see in all this is salt and the tailgate garnish rubbing through the paint to bare metal where it attaches to the tailgate!That formula equals rust!The garnish flexes into the paint when you open or close the tailgate .

They use sand down here in Texas for bad roads, not salt,however the windshields and fronts do take a beating from the sand with little pits.
This tailgate rust problem can be most likely nipped in the bud completely by taking the garnish off and using something more substantial to protect the paint where it rubs,like maybe the clear mylar that is used to protect the front front rock dings or a thicker gasket of some sort. If I lived up north where salt is used for months at a time I would be more worried about it and fix it.It's not that hard to take that garnish off and there is a [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] #10 mod write-up to remove it. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/92013-antmans-thread-20.html#post1147349

Mine was one of the first 5th gens off the line back in Oct 09 and I don't have a speck of rust. I had some minor frame and undercarriage surface rust when new but I took care of that myself with rust neutralizer right away as I plan on keeping this one. I have had my tailgate garnish off and there is supposed to be a thin little felt gasket around it to protect it from rubbing the paint but it's not very thick and just glued onto the very edge of the garnish. I could see it coming off if people take their trucks through car washes(I don't) or using high pressure sprayers as it wasn't held on very good from what I remember.
 
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