Frame Rust problems of the 2002 Toyota Tacoma - part 1

There was a recall on the frame in 2010 and they said undercoating would protect that however now the frame is rusted and not safe to drive if I get in an accident it will fail. It only has 90,000 miles on it and Toyota is refusing to do anything about it. I feel they should have a warranty on the frame.

Tl the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while having a routine check on the vehicle by an independent mechanic, the technician became aware that the rear subframe was severely rusted. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Frame rusting.

I have a 2002 Tacoma that was part of the frame perforation recall. However, I did not get a frame replacement. The "fix" was to apply a gel over the rust on the frame, which, subsequently, all fell off the frame onto my driveway. Recently, I took my truck into the dealership for a 4wd repair and was told that my "frame was shot" and the truck was "unsafe to drive", due to that. And if they lifted my truck to do the repair, it might "crush my frame". I expressed my displeasure for the recall fix and had them do an estimate on the 4wd repair. They came back with an outrageous number, as if they did not want to do the work. I have since contacted independent repair shops and no one will touch it. , I have a truck no one will repair, I can't sell it, I can't trade it in. . . And I can't drive it. It has no worth. One of my leaf springs has rusted and broken, too. The truck has 215k and is in good condition other than rust. The engine will go 500k. I see recalls on the frame and leaf spring for other model years, but the 2002 seems to not fall into any of them. I don't expect a new frame, but assistance in obtaining a similar truck at a reasonable price or other fair solution may be a consideration.

Mechanic told me that my frame was rusted through. He could put his fist through a hole in the frame and recommended I call a dealer to see if this was on a recall list. When I called and gave them the VIN, they said no it is not a recall. What can I do? especially if I cannot afford another vehicle!.

Vehicle failed inspection due to frame rust. Was told that its unsafe to drive. Researched and found that this is long ongoing issue with Toyota and a number of there vehicles. Toyota has knowledge of this issue and still sold these inferior frames for many years.

Tl the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact took the vehicle to rick mcgill's airport Toyota (865-970-2615, located at 3145 alcoa hwy, alcoa, TN 37701) for an oil change. The technician diagnosed that the entire frame was rusted and the vehicle was dangerous to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The manufacturer also informed the contact that a customer support program, which provided assistance to vehicle owners, expired in September of 2017. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

My 2002 Tacoma has severe rust on the frame and drive train and I was told by the Toyota dealership that the truck under body was sprayed in 2010 and that there have to be holes in the frame to be covered. He also said that there was a 15 year warranty for my frame to which it is now 2018 and has exspired. I feel that Toyota knew that defected steel was used for these frames from 2002. I won't even bother to get in touch with them because I know that they won't do anything about it.

Shock rusted away from frame, mechanic tried to put on lift to fix and the frame started to pop and crack at the rear wheel area, it is rusted through. The frame was coated during the recall period in 2011 and they told me it was ok. I very much doubt that it was.

Frame is rusting real bad and falling apart. Called Toyota and dealer and they said there is nothing they can do. There is a substantial cracking and breaking apart on the frame I read online this is a known issue and there is problems with a lot of Tacoma's and like trucks. But no one wants to take ownership of the problem. Everywhere else on the frame is little rusty given the age of the truck but in one spot it is absolutely horrible and scary. I don't know what else to do or where else to turn.

Tacoma frame recall: good day, I was doing some research online with my matter and people were saying to contact the national highway safety administration. I have a 2002 single cab Toyota Tacoma which frame has totally rusted out now with a hole rite through the frame. I provided Toyota with my VIN number yet they say I am not eligible for a frame replacement yet this is a factory default on Toyotas fault. My truck is currently extremely dangerous to be on the road and I use it every day for work where my line of work involves driving from house to house everyday all day and I was wandering if you could help with filing a claim against Toyota? I have attached a picture of the frame which is above the rear passenger wheel. I look forward to your response. Nicholas ritchie 415 996 6872.

My trucks frame rusted to where the cab is in grave danger of separating from the bed of the truck. We didn't get a recall on the frame and had no idea this was happening. The truck was bought new and we do live where they put salt on the roads. Now, Toyota said they will not help remedy this at all because the truck wasn't taken into a Toyota dealership in approx. 6 mths or however long they had known about this. How were we to know it should have been taken in? we had no prior notice until we saw it ourselves and a mechanic noticed it and wouldn't jack the truck up to repair a brake line. He said it would separate the truck from the cab part.

The frame is rotting out. Toyota had the vehicle frame coated with some kind of tar substance because the frame was suspect to heavy corrosion. The coating which was done around 2010 did not work and the vehicle now has holes in the frame due to heavy rust. This is a known issue with these vehicles. Toyota offered a non-working solution that did not fix the problem. The coating was just a gimmick and not a solution to the frame rot.

Vehicles frame is rusting through. I have never seen a frame rust through to the point where you can poke holes through it with a finger, this is happening with my Tacoma and is very dangerous. I purchased this last April, and did not know about the frame issues Toyota's have until they recalled the 05-15 models for the same exact issue, I heard they are also in the process of recalling 95-00. Toyota will not assist me because their customer frame assistance program ended last month. Even though I just purchased 3 months ago and this is not an issue a vehicle should have, Toyota is going to get someone killed. The numerous Toyota representatives I talked to told me they know their frames are faulty and that this was Toyota's fault, yet he could not assist me due to company policy of their frame replacement program ending a month prior, even though almost all the years around my 02 Tacoma have been recalled. Toyota needs to be held accountable to an actual recall, not just a customer satisfaction program that they conveniently wont assist me with, before someone gets killed. I cant afford to get rid of this Tacoma nightmare. There isnt even a speck of rust on the body, look underneath however and the frame is rusted out.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. While the vehicle was stationary, the contact noticed that the frame was rusted and severely corroded. The contact stated that there were holes in the frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 230,000. The VIN was not available.

Frame rust.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. When the vehicle was taken to be serviced for NHTSA campaign number: 12v542000 (tires), the technician discovered that the passenger side frame was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 212,632.

Body frame is rusted to a point where the vehicle is unsafe to drive.

I was informed by Toyota case worker that the rusty frame recall expired and it is my problem now. I didn't receive any frame recall notice but received a spare tire lift plate recall (which doesn't expire) due to rust and severe corrosion. I was informed by dealership my truck was unsafe to even put on the lift to address current recall, of course they let me drive it home which is a 35-40 minute drive for me. I was forced to scrap my truck with a perfectly good motor because how unsafe it was and the expense to fix it on my own. I didn't realize the severity of the problem until I crawled under my truck and was beside myself! I had huge holes in the frame, the leaf springs were shot, all this was under the "undercoating" that was done at time of purchase to protect frame from rust! I paid extra for that! even my seat mounts on the interior back seat were rusted! I suspect the quality of metal used is on the lower side. . . I used my truck as a truck, hauled small amounts of mulch, soul for my garden, it moved me 5x! I didn't go muddling in it, park it in a pond, or live in a flood area. I just used it. . . How is there an expiration date for the ongoing problem that can ultimately jeapardize a persons safety as well as others on the road?! please hold Toyota responsible. . .

My 2002 Tacoma frame is simply rusting away and Toyota refuses to get engaged to resolve what is clearly a manufacturing issue. The frame is getting to the point of collapse and unsafe to drive. This is frankly a crime. Myself and many other Tacoma owners have this exact issue and it would be great if the NHTSA steps up and prevents frame rot highway accidents due to poor manufacturing.

I received a recall for a spare tire holder. I took the vehicle to le mieux Toyota-green bay for repair and they told me that they could not do it because the frame was too rusted out and removing the old spare tire carrier would make the problem worse. Le mieux said that there was an earlier recall that addressed the frame issue. I did not receive that recall. I called directly to Toyota USA home office and they refuse to fix the rusting frame issue. I believe that this happened maybe 2-3 years ago. I was not given a reason for rejecting my request for the repair. , and I know that le mieux Toyota has fixed other Toyota vehicles with the same issues. I believe that they would not fix my vehicle because I am a 2nd owner. I have had service issues with this dealer on 3 other separate occasions, and I have refused to do business with them. With this recall issue I hoped for a positive solution, but that has not happened.

Independent mechanic informed me that frame had excessive rust/corrosion and to take to dealership. Called dealer service (Toyota of danville, IL) and was told there was nothing they could do as they quit repairing these in March of 2016. No notice or recall was ever sent to me and I was unaware there was any problem until I got truck back from mechanic. I am now stuck with a vehicle Toyota knew to have a defective frame, did not notify me to rectify or advise of the issue, and will not effect any repairs.

Rusting frame. I brought my 2002 Toyota Tacoma truck to dealer for the corrosion resistant spraying to prevent further rusting of frame. Spraying completed on 03/25/03. Rust on frame continues. Spraying did not work. Toyota said they only spray truck once. Rust warranty extended for 15 years expiring on 10/01/16. Toyota should extend rust warranty with no expiration date as truck will have to be sprayed every two years. Earlier years rust warranty covered replacing frame or vehicle buyback. Toyota should cover same warranty for later year Tacomas as rust problem persists in every year. Leaf springs and hardware are rusted as are muffler brackets leading to potentional safety hazard if items fail while driving. Toyota admitted rust proofing not done properly by subcontractor. Please hold Toyota accountable for their negligence in properly protecting frames,springs. And suspension systems with corrosion resistant materials. Toyota is just buying time until warranties expire. After that time the owners will have no recourse with Toyota.

Hello, I own a 2002 Toyota Tacoma and I brought it to a local Toyota dealership where a service advisor came out to the parking lot, got under the vehicle and noticed that the frame has rusted through (he stuck his hand through the rust hole) near where the leaf springs attach to the frame. It is a known safety issue and Toyota has repaired/replaced many Tacoma¿s due to this safety issue. I did some research, and found out that Toyota knows their frames are unsafe, and have extended the warranty to 15 years from the date of new car delivery. I tried to get mine replaced since its still well within time-frame, but they are stating that the original owner refused a frame inspection/application anticorrosion spray so now they will not honor the unsafe frame. I have vehicle service history showing other recalls (front ball-joint) were done, and other repairs to the car, so its likely that the original dealership did not offer the application anticorrosion spray, otherwise the owner would have had this free service completed (the customer serviced it regularly and kept it in great shape) and the frame would not be unsafe. Original new car delivery date was October of 2002, meaning the 15 year frame recall safety issue is covered until October of 2016 (a year from now). I spoke with Toyota customer service and they are unwilling to do anything about this known safety issue. In any case, since Toyota knows its a safety issue, and its well within the 15 year recall frame time-frame, why should Toyota expect me to just drive around an unsafe vehicle?.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 12v542000 (tires). The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the recall repair performed; however, the recall repair was unable to be performed due to excessive rust on the subframe. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

I purchased a used 2002 Toyota Tacoma in February of 2015 only to find out the frame had serious rust issues. I found out through my own investigation that the truck had been traded in to the local Toyota dealer and they knew it had rust issues. They proceeded to sell the truck at auction knowing it could be dangerous! I bought the truck from a used car dealer. Upon being told about the frame rust issue by my mechanic, I was told by Toyota that it was no longer covered by service recall. I am now stuck with a vehicle that is unsafe and very expensive to repair.

At the yearly required state inspection the vehicle failed due to the frame being rusted out with holes. It appears to be a very common issue with this vehicle.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. While the vehicle was undergoing routine service, the independent mechanic discovered that a rear section of the subframe was rusted and corroded. In addition, two brackets that secured the body to the subframe detached due to rust and corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while having the vehicle inspected, the technician made him aware that the frame had completed rusted and cracked. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the frame needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

Excessive frame rust. I brought it into a Toyota dealer for an inspection for rust to the spare tire carrier. The dealer refused to perform the inspection because they said the frame was too rusty for them to safely perform the inspection.

Informed by dealer that frame is rusted through and truck is unsafe to drive. Also informed that there had been a service bulletin for this problem. But my truck is no longer eligible for repair under the voluntary service recall (of which I was never notified), as it had expired. I think Toyota should be responsible. They recognized their defective product; however my truck is ineligible for repair because they get to limit their responsibility because their remedy is not technically a "recall". I, and I'm sure many others, are by necessity, driving unsafe vehicles.

Tl-the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken for a state inspection, was advised that the vehicle could not go on the lift because the frame was serverly rusted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000. Bp.

After having my 2002 Toyota Tacoma off the road and garaged for the past 3 years, I was getting the truck ready to be driven on the road again. I am the original owner. I took the truck off the road because my job was eliminated in October 2010. After changing the oil last weekend in my garage I noticed an abnormal amount of rust on the frame. In fact, so much rust that the rubber body mount block on top of the rear leaf spring snapped off in my hand. The leaf springs, brake lines, and front suspension and frame are all in question regarding vehicle safety. I immediately did research online to check out what I thought was abnormal amounts of rust on the frame and to see if anyone else had experienced this too. I was shocked at what I found. A huge safety issue with Toyota Tacoma rusted frames. I come to find out online that Toyota has a history of rusted frames, breaking frames, unsafe frames, and a recall currently for a rear spare tire mount issue due to rust. I also found out Toyota was replacing frames on my model. I called my dealership to set up an appointment to have this truck inspected for pennsylvania state requirements and to have the rust checked. They told me my vehicle was not valid for the rust inspection and the frame replacement because the program expired, I was told to call Toyota. I was never notified by Toyota or my dealer there was an issue, not by mail, phone calls or certified mail. I had the truck parked in my garage for three years so it wasn't even on the road during this time. Several phone calls later to Toyota and they refuse to replace my frame under the customer care program citing I did not have the undercoating applied by December of 2012. Toyota customer service said I could weld reinforcement plates to my frame myself or find a junkyard frame. Really Toyota?.

This vehicle was already involved in a "campaign" by Toyota to replace severely rusted frames. Now the spare tire lift plate is also rusted through on many of them which Toyota is "implementing a remedy for". My complaint is that I have a severely rusted housing of the rear differential, next to and just below the rusted spare tire carrier lift plate,Toyota refuses to pay for the rusted through housing of the rear differential. This is a negligent safety issue on their part, because those owners who are not aware of the leakage of this part may find themselves without power, or worse perhaps, a lockup of that part when they are going 65 mph on highway possibly with children in their vehicle. The rust on these vehicles is legendary among Toyota owners as evidenced by their complaints on the internet. Toyota did replace the frame on my 2002 Tacoma, but in my opinion, it is their responsibility to replace the rusted out housing. It is not as if that is the only rust on this vehicle, and no other vehicles that I am aware of have this problem.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that rusting and corrosion was discovered on the frame. The contact indicated that the rear driver's side leaf spring shackle had sunk into the under frame due to the rust and corrosion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect but no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000.