I took my Tacoma to the dealer for an oil change. The dealer performed a frame inspection. The truck failed the inspection. The dealer plans to replace the frame at the end of the month.

Is there any expenses that I'm on the hook for?

 

you should ask them. i'm curious why it failed

 

There was a recall for frame rust not sure if it still in effect.

 

the recall is for first gen tacomas.. i made bank off of mine. they decided to just pay me 1 1/2 times the value of my truck's worth in excellent condition.. which mine wasnt. if i wanted them to replace the frame, they would have, but it more more profitable for me to take the money offer. if you have a first gen tacoma id say you probably arent going to be charged a dime for frame replacement. im not sure about other years though.

 

The issue becomes if you want to change out anything else while they have the truck apart. Brake lines, bushings, etc.

If any of them are near the end of their useful life I would have them change them.

 

I drove through the local Toyota dealer a couple weeks ago and saw a Tacoma frame sitting behind the building. They left the leaf springs, brake lines, and front control arms on it. I don't know if that was at the customer's request or if Toyota just throws those in with the new frame for the recall.

Sorry to hear it failed, but congrats on getting a new frame!

 

Hopefully I'm getting new leaf springs, mine are shot.....

 

Typically from what i've read, they replace anything in bad shape / that can't be easily removed. You should not be on the hook for anything. Now, if you want to put new struts on, you should be able to pay for the new parts but not the labour.

 

New rear springs and front control arms are part of the deal. I know a few guys who have had them done and say it's like a new truck afterwards. My 96 passed the frame inspection back when it qualified but I bought it last year. And promptly found a soft spot next to the muffler.... Thankfully I can weld and the truck was cheap.

 

cost is zero

you get a new frame, body mount hardware, brake lines... a bunch of fresh stuff

a new frame basically adds 15 solid years to the vehicle

 

Today I was invited to "visit" my truck at the dealership. Felt very weird to see my truck in a million pieces. Hopefully I'll have my truck by Monday.

 

what years is your truck? my frame looks like it will fail also? what do i have to do for a new frame?
Thanks Jeff

 

contact your local dealership, ask about frame recalls and if theyd cover a frame inspection. thats how i did it.

 

Got the truck back yesterday.

The Good: Underneath has the new truck feel. All new suspension. Didn't realize how bad my leaf springs were shot. The truck looks 2" lift in the rear.

The Bad: The pinch weld on the passenger side got boogered up. Gonna visit a body shop next week to get it looked at.

 

Now, to keep that frame lasting a LONG time you might consider spraying some Eastwood Internal Frame Coating inside and then spraying some 3M Rust Fighter on some of the exterior parts to keep the rust from starting. We use the 3M Rust Fighter at work all the time and the Eastwood stuff I've been pretty happy with so far, just bought 2 more cans of it last week just to have on hand.

How boogered up is the pinch weld? Did they try lifting the body on a weak point when they changed the frame?

If I ever get time this summer I'll be scuffing and shooting the lower doors and rockers with Raptor tinted to match my paint. Maybe you could give that a try if the body shop repair doesn't look quite right. It'll look like a more textured rock guard and might hide as well as protect the boogered pinch weld.

 

Exactly.

 

They extended the warranty on my frame another 15 years. I only plan on keeping the truck another 3-4 years.....

 

Here is a teaser.....