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Toyota Agrees to $3 Billion Tacoma Settlement
John Goreham's picture
By John Goreham Nov 14 2016 - 8:44am

Toyota Agrees to $3 Billion Tacoma Frame Rot Settlement

Toyota has agreed to settle with owners of the Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia. Guess what owners will get?
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News this week of a Toyota settlement with owners of Tacomas, Tundras, and Sequoias with frame corrosion issues, will be good news to anyone nervous about the issue that has not yet been helped by Toyota. However, in an unusual type of legal settlement, Toyota has agreed to do exactly what it had already been doing prior to the litigation. Replace the frames of affected vehicles at no cost to owners.
- Details and owner reports on the Tacoma Frame Issue Here

The problem has been most widespread on the Tacoma. This settlement will mean that owners of 2005-2010 model year Tacomas who discover the frame rot will have their vehicle’s frame replaced at no charge – something Toyota has already been doing for years. Also, if the frame had been replaced, and the owner paid out of pocket for some reason, Toyota will reimburse owners that cost. The settlement includes up to 12 years of inspections and coverage for affected vehicles. In addition to the Tacoma’s, 2005-2008 Sequoias and 2007 and 2008 Tundras are included in the settlement.

Reuters reports that Toyota issued a statement saying “"We want our customers to have a great ownership experience, so we are pleased to resolve this litigation in a way that benefits them and demonstrates that we stand behind the quality and reliability of our vehicles.”

Toyota will also pay legal fees and $2,500 to each of the eight named class action suit representatives that brought the case.

Image by John Goreham. Use with permission only.

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Comments

Margie Dyer wrote on December 14, 2016 - 7:03pm
I have a 2000 Tacoma Truck, bought new that has a rusted frame. I think it was recalled and inspected in 2012 and was told it was OK. So do I have to foot the bill myself? We have purchased 4 different Toyotas. This truck only has 197500 miles on it and looks good. We may have to consider going with a different brand.
Jorge Osorio wrote on December 24, 2016 - 11:33am
I own a Toyota 4runner I bout new in 1997, as I was replacing shocks this weekend I realized that the frame on the right side by the muffler has rusted through. The hole is approximately 18 inches long and you can stick you hand inside the frame. I do not know if this vehicle is covered on the settlement but this is unusual for a car I have pampered since I purchased it. Now I am afraid to drive it as it doesn't look safe. What should I do? Am I on my own or do I have a chance that Toyota will take responsibility? I did not have any plans to get rid of this car now I do not know what I should do. HELP.Thanks.
Dennis Dockweiler wrote on October 31, 2019 - 11:19am
I have a1997 Toyota Tacoma that has the same thing. Its only about 12 inches long, I only have 105000 mile on it. I live in Michigan and bought a plow for it 2 years ago. Guess I should glad it did break on me! Tryed the dealership, gave me a 800# for Toyota. Big deal no help. Any Help?
George Kraft wrote on December 28, 2016 - 9:10am
I have a 2001 Tacoma in beautiful shape, except yesterday the frame cracked just a foot or two in front of the rear axle. I had been hoping to drive this thing another 10 years. Dealer tells me there is no recall or warranty extension on this. Anyone have ideas on where to go from here?
Dano wrote on January 5, 2017 - 12:33pm
Yes, file a complaint with the NTSB Be sure to file a complaint with the NHTSA. More complaints = more likely a recall issued rather than the joke of a warranty. 888-327-4236, Monday-Friday, 8:00AM to 8:00PM EST(Spanish-speaking representatives available) TTY: 888-424-9153 If the NTSB keeps getting complaints, they will be more likely to get involved.
john bright wrote on April 18, 2017 - 10:23am
I had the same problem but i found a welder that cut the bad section out n put n metal in n fixed the problem if you know of a welder talk to them they can help
RON JOHNSON wrote on April 18, 2017 - 2:09pm
IF YOU GET YOUR TOYOTA REPAIRED, PLEASE TELL ME, HOW DID YOU DO IT?
SANDY FOX wrote on July 29, 2017 - 2:22pm
I called Toyota North America and told them my 2005 Tacoma frame if rusting through and I was having trouble with the steering, they gave me a case # and told me to go to a dealer and get it checked. They said it failed and wasn't safe to drive. It is now sitting at the dealer waiting on a new frame and I was told it could take up to 8 months to get parts and get fixed. They gave me a 2016 Corolla (nice car) but not for me. Makes me sick about my truck because it is like new and I don't know why they just don't buy a person out instead of putting all this money into a truck that is 12 years old.
Buzz Eacho wrote on October 24, 2017 - 7:35pm
I have a 2001 Tacoma with both sides rusted out. found out today when the shop found it and couldn't lift it to change the oil. i can't find where anyone has gotten any help on 2001's...let me know if you have any luck.
jc wrote on January 5, 2017 - 6:01pm
I have got a 2004. Why the 2005 cutoff? This makes no sense. I am in a cold weather climate. No recall, no notice. Were the 2004 model years that different? Did they have some other kind of magic steel frame? Mine is rusted.......but i have not had it inspected. I called to toyota to check on this and they said it doesnt meat the criteria for recall. I bought this truck due to the reliability and hoped to drive it for another 10 years. Is there anything i can do or should i dump it and go find a different vehicle at this point? I would hate for it to crack and be out the resale it has now.
John Burke wrote on July 8, 2019 - 11:02pm
Same here. I have a 2004 Toyota Tacoma quad cab. Call the N.T.S.B 888-327-4236
LJ wrote on January 6, 2017 - 10:54pm
I have an 04 tacoma SR5 and was repairing a rear brake line and discovered my frame has huge holes in the frame. Under the cab on the driver side about 18 inches long and the width of the frame rail. And behind that right in front of the driver side shackle that attaches to the frame. It appears a previous owner patched that at some point. I bought this truck used it only has 169k on it and runs drives great! I love the truck but now I'm scared the frame is going to completely break on it. I did see on taco forums there was a recall previously for my year truck. Now that I've noticed this I am going to call the NTSB and the NHTSA and Monday I will be calling Toyota dealer. If they don't want to resolve the issue or try passing the buck I will hire an attorney and sue Toyota until this gets resolved. A recall is a recall and this truck at the time previous owner had it the frame may have been fine. But over time it obviously is not fine. As I said the drive train of this truck is perfect and I expect to put another 169k on it with regular maintenance. I love the truck I love the way it looks and handles. I just want them to fix it PERIOD
Dean Tuscano wrote on January 16, 2017 - 5:58pm
I have a 1996 Tacoma handed down from my father , severally rotted frame, I was told 15 years has passed and I can't claim the issue with Toyota is this true? 129,000 on the odometer and mint body. Any answers would be appreciated, I think the people that told me this want the truck to cash in on the recall themselves , I hope that's not the case.
George wrote on January 17, 2017 - 8:24am
When the frame on my 2001 rotted through, they told me there was a limited recall several years ago for an inspection and application of corrosion protection. But nothing for failure of the chassis. However, 2005-2011 trucks ARE being recalled and chassis replaced. Those of us outside the 2005-11 window are, right now anyhow, out of luck.
Henry Murillo wrote on January 30, 2017 - 10:03pm
Hello everyone I am here as well due to my issue with my 05 Tacoma. Not to long ago my truck started to act up. It was to the point I was no longer able to drive it. The issue is my Frame rush and tires (due two huge holes). Moment I saw this I was shock that I let my vehicle get destroy especially being a person who is always on top of the cars. I called the dealership to explain my issue. One thing they told me was to go on ToyotaFrameSettlement.com and write my issue. I went on the website and attempt to write a claim. As I was about to write a claim I had to put money down towards the issue then I was allowed to put a claim. Which honestly threw me off. Anyone here able to help me out or give me an advise on what I should do, since this is the first time I experience. I would appericate this.
John wrote on March 8, 2017 - 11:16am
I had the same problem we should have it fixed with no out of pocket expense as any other recal. I have a 2010 crew cab with a long box and paid big bucks for it. Now that I have finally paid it off now I have to have it repaired and pay for this frame rust repair or replace out of pocket and file for reemburcment they installed faulty frames fix or replace at no cost to me.
virgil howe wrote on July 16, 2017 - 1:40pm
i have the same thing.i cannot get toyota in st. joe mo.too look at it .thay wont too chang the back springs first????
James wrote on February 19, 2017 - 4:31am
I had a hole in the frame of my 07 Tacoma about the size of a golf ball. My local Toyota dealership replaced the frame, leaf springs, brake lines and some other small parts. I paid for a oil change and coolant flush while it was in for the frame replacement. Total cost to me was $440. I am very happy with my truck and the way Toyota took care of this problem. My next vehicle purchase will be a Toyota or Lexus.
george kraft wrote on March 8, 2017 - 12:52pm
If they'd only take care of the frames not covered by the 2005-2011, we'd all be happy future Toyota owners. Anyone need a 2001 with a rusted out frame that Toyota won't stand behind?
ak toy wrote on September 18, 2017 - 12:06am
i have a 2000 toyota truck with 89,000 miles that the frame is rusted out from within. today the spring shackles just broke free of the frame! (i am a machanic and have worked in a wrecking yard for over 25 years tearing apart cars and trucks) so when i tell you this ROTTING FRAME isssue toyota has is a DEFECT, you can take my word on it. go under any old old car or truck and try to shove a screwdriver through the frame.....ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! i now have a 2000 toyota truck that i cant drive and cant sell and cant afford to fix. (TOYOTA HAS SCREWED US!!) TOYOTA ETHER FIXES THESE RIGS ,or they are history. i dont know were they get their steel or fames from, but they need to be FIRED!! this metal is CRAP!!! that 3.2 billion settlement deal??? it would take 30 billion to cover these frames for the owners of these trucks. what is 3.2 going to get you? figure 14,000 per truck . the sad part is a ton of people do not know they are driveing DANGEROUS cars! someone will be killed. where are our watch dog groups when you need them???? this is criminal!
SANDRA FOX wrote on September 18, 2017 - 11:38am
MY 2005 TACOMA IS NOW SITTING AT A DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I CAN'T DRIVE IT BECAUSE OF THE FRAME HAVING 3 HOLES IN IT. IT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR 3 MONTHS AND I AM IN A COROLLA THEY GAVE ME TO DRIVE. I HAVE TO GO IN ONCE A MONTH SO THEY CAN RENEW THE CONTRACT ON THE CAR. I HAVE TOLD THEM I NEED A 4 WHEEL DRIVE OR AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE BEFORE WINTER AND THEY SAID THEY ONLY HAVE 4 OR 5 AND THEY ALL ARE BEING DRIVEN BY OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD TRUCKS. NOT MY FAULT. I DIDN'T ASK FOR MY TRUCK TO HAVE A FRAME THAT IS A PIECE OF CRAP. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE SAME SPOT FOR 3 MONTHS AND NOW I NOTICED THAT THE BACK TIRE IS ALMOST FLAT. I AM SO DISGUSTED WITH THIS WHOLE FRAME THING, BUT MY HANDS ARE TIED. I CAN'T SELL MY TRUCK OR DO ANYTHING WITH IT. IT IS A 2005 BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A NEW ONE AND IT ONLY HAS 119,000 MILES ON IT WHICH IS NOTHING FOR A TOYOTA. THEY TOLD ME AT THE DEALERS THAT IT MIGHT BE 9 MONTHS BEFORE I GET IT BACK OR LONGER. THIS IS MY 4TH TOYOTA AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS BEFORE...
ak toy wrote on September 18, 2017 - 7:28pm
hi Sandra, sorry to here about your truck as well. what many people do not take into account is (i am a machanic) is that to replace a truck frame is no easy task. you have to tear the ENTIRE truck apart. why is that important? well you can CAUSE many more PROBLEMS the brain can comprehend. its VERY problematic. whats worse is that a little known truth is that toyota may not cover those problems that crop up and it may be left to the owner to do so. many times toyota just "COATS" the frame. but seeings its ROTTING from the INSIDE out, that does NOTHING to fix the problem. (like a bandaid on a broken leg) this is a MUCH MUCH BIGGER deal then people think. if everyone that owned a toyota were to compair notes they would be HORRIFIDE!
Sandra Fox wrote on September 18, 2017 - 10:20pm
Yes, I am worried about things going wrong with my truck after they fix the frame and I know I can't afford to pay to fix a bunch of stuff. My truck had nothing wrong with it when I took it in and now I'm afraid when they get done with the frame I'm going to have all kind of problems. I don't know why Toyota just doesn't buy us out.
ak toy wrote on September 21, 2017 - 7:21pm
ok, i would like to make something clear to many of you that do not know cars like i do. the fact that these toyota truck frames are rusting out in CRIMINAL. (it has nothing to do with how you treated your car, nor does it have anything to do with road salt and water.) would you like me to PROVE MY POINT? ok, like i posted in one of my other posts i have worked in a wrecking yard for 25 years and can go under just about any car or truck in that wrecking yard and every frame under them is rock solid (now keep in mind that these cars and trucks are much much older!! some 40 or 50 years.) the point is the frames have surface rust but the strength and integrity is still rock solid! so what does that tell you? it tells you that this frame rusting of these toyota's is very unusual and this is something that just does not happen. (think about all the old hot rod cars that are 40 and 50 years old that people restore. the frames are just sand blasted down and then repainted. they are THAT SOILID. that begs the question...."why are toyota frames rotting so dam fast?" some say they never coated them with a anti rust coating. but i am also a knife maker and undrstand steels. there are good steels and bad. bad steel has contaminates and impurities in it and its pretty much worthless if you need good steel. (sure could not make a knife anyone would buy from it) did you know that china and places like tiwan haul in old ships that are salvaged, (just sitting around in the salt water rusting) then haul them in and cut them up and "resell" the steel??? now can you first imagine how crappy that steel would be or (and this is the improtant part) HOW INEXPENCIVE it would be to purchase..(meaning they could sell it to people such as automotive companies way cheeper them mined top quality steel) do you see were i am going with this??? think about how many people at this very moment are driving around on these sub par frames and how dangerous it is!! MOST DO NOT EVEN KNOW there truck could fold in half or there rear end of the truck could come shooting out from under it. (and thats a scarry thought at say 70 miles a hour!!!) most do not even know there truck is just junk yet. (they have not looked under it or had a machanic see it yet. (but it is MASSIVE AND WIDE SPREAD!) anyone reading this please look under your truck and check the frame! (these frames are rotting from the INSIDE OUT! so what ever rust you are seeing on the outside is 100 fold bad on the inside. it rots and flakes apart in layers! i am not writing this to bad mouth toyota, (they will do what they do on this subject) but to try and SAVE someone from GETTING SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED!!! so to recap, the rust is not from "how you did or did not take care of your truck." nor is it about "were" you live. (cold areas with road salts) these states have been using road salts for "MANY MANY YEARS" and other manufactures frames ARE NOT doing this. you can go find any 20 or 30 year old car and crawl under it and hit the frame with a hammer if you do not believe me and see how solid it is. (most of the frames here in alaska have been here 30 to 50 years and are still solid. this is a SUB PAR steel JUNK FRAME toyota desided to use. THIS IS ON THEM....NOT ON US!
Joe Anderson wrote on October 8, 2017 - 2:21pm
I have a 2002 Tacoma with rusty frame issues also. Mechanics are nervous about putting it on a lift when I need other repairs. What can I do at this point? Will Toyota do anything, since these were bad frames to begin with?
morgan the pirate wrote on January 15, 2018 - 12:36pm
My '09 waiting 3 + months for frame. Dealer wants to go over what needs to be replaced and paid for by me when they are doing the job. Are there anything things I should allow them/want them to replace while it is torn apart ?? As in preventive replacements. I'll hold their feet to the fire on frame attachments etc. that they messup. Thanks !
James Frederick wrote on March 3, 2018 - 12:51pm
My 2003 Tacoma has a measly 121641 miles on the odometer, just another 2000 mile year of usage since the last inspection. Yesterday, 3/1, during an annual state inspection, I was informed I now have "holes in the frame", according to the mechanic where I bought the used truck in Dec 2012 with 1125xx miles recorded and verified by Carfax. The 'service writer' at the Carbone dealership in Bennington VT says the truck was inspected and 'undercoated' (whatever that means) in 2010 when I did not own the truck, and not so 'politely' pointed out to me "that ship has sailed" in reference to having the frame repaired by Toyota. As others have pointed out in other posts, I would not have paid as much for a used truck as I did, had it not been a Toyota. Any thoughts would be appreciated! Toyota!!!???
John Goreham wrote on March 5, 2018 - 8:38pm
Since you asked, here are my thoughts. There are a lot of folks here and under some related frame rust stories bashing Toyota for having produced a vehicle that "only" ran for 15 years or more, and that many folks bought used, not new. My feeling is that if a vehicle lasts 15 years and has had multiple owners (one or more of whom maybe didn't care for it properly) that vehicle is a winner. You had a truck for about five years. What 2003 compact truck by what other Mfg would have lasted as long? I'd try to look on the bright side. In my circle, we have a 2006 and two other 2007 vehicles (two Hondas and Yoda). All low miles. Man, if any of those last us another four or five years I will be jumping for joy.
Joseph Anderson wrote on March 8, 2018 - 6:07pm
I have a rust problem on my Toyota also. If Toyota won't do the right thing, then we must stop buying Toyota's. I am not buying another Toyota. They pulled a fast one on us with these defective frames. And remember a few years back, Toyota's had the gas pedals that stuck. I believe people were hurt or killed. Why buy vehicles from a company that won't do the right thing? Don't buy Toyota's anymore. Then they will learn the power of the consumer.....
John Goreham wrote on March 9, 2018 - 11:40am
Sorry to hear your Toyota is rusting. What year is it and how many miles? If replacing the frames after the warranty is over at no cost to owners is not "the right thing" how would you define it? Take a look back at the real-world driver deaths during the witch hunt on unintended acceleration and note that Toyota products are not the highest on the list in any category in which they sell vehicles. Shouldn't we punish the automakers that actually killed the most customers? You will have to copy and paste this link: https://www.torquenews.com/1083/look-back-toyota-camry-safety-1991-through-2011

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