I’m guessing you’re correct about the reason for the boxed frames, but with proper drainage and ventilation that should not be a problem. Someone simply blew it. The thing that irritates me is that they had the problem previously, corrected it, and then developed it again with the newer frames.
“Boat trailer? Did u drive trailer to work today? I bet it is sitting in storage building. Nice and dry. Amazing how long steel lasts in dry, warm storage shed” (Cavell)
Galvanized boat trailer supports a 22’ sailboat outdoors 100% of the time…Location; Cape Cod. During The Season, it gets dipped into salt water two or three times a week…
The galvanization process, especially hot-dipped, provides steel structures with the ultimate rust protection…Environmental concerns have greatly reduced the number of metal finishing concerns who are able and willing to perform the process…
Back in The Day, most guard rails were made from galvanized steel. They last forever. Today, they put them up unfinished and let them rust, just like Toyota truck frames…
@mkb100
May be gone, but I did have another conversation with the general manager of a Toyota dealership. He is well aware of the rust problem and told me that Toyota home office originally restricted rust fixes to about 2003. He has since learned they helped out as far back as 13 years. Why ? They, like all auto makers will do it often on a case by case basis. Have service at their dealership, buy lots of cars from them, be a nice guy over the phone, complement them on their what ever. Like everything, schmoozing helps a lot. I still think it’s worth an extended effort.
Thanks @dagosa. Talked to the dealership yesterday, and the service manager got a call from corporate wanting a letter describing the issue and photos. He feels something is going to happen to address. Trying to keep close partnership with dealership on this. He gave me of district contact at Toyota, but said he already reached out to him. Should find out by end of week. Partnership with dealership seems to be working.
@mkb100
It sounds like the dealer is working for you which is great, but if they don’t come through, following up with a personal outreach to the manufacturer has never failed me. It would not be out of line for you to talik personally with the contact while you wait. It really helps in these cases and the dealer knows, that in extended warranty work, a previously good customer holds more sway then the dealer with the manufacturer.
Best of luck to you. I feel you deserve lots of help…
This is kind of baffling - Toyota has such a good record with tough off road vehicles, especially in the 3rd world, why have they had such problem getting this right?
My guess is because the third world doesn’t salt their roads. In talking with a Toyota rep, it’s specifically because they have the frame designs for off road that makes them more suseptable in some cases but not all. Sometimes they are just poorly coated… That’s not an excuse, that’s just an example of a poor engineering choice that they should be accountable for. Using frame here here that are succesful over seas or areas without the salt problem as car companies might do is a definite mistake. It may not be as big a deal in California or Texas, or some bigger high market areas. Big company moves too slowly and they should have to pay big time…IMO, it’s a bigger issue then the unintended acceleration problem.
They sell tons of Tundra’s in South America…As Dag pointed out…they don’t get a enough snow there to salt their roads.
Most places in this country with high population densities don’t get enough snow to salt either.
This was program back in 2010…for 2000 to 2003 models…you’d like to think it would extent to an 05 with fewer then 70 k miles now.
Just got the call, Toyota is replacing frame. Thanks for guidance and support.
great news. thanks for keeping us updated. Good luck with the truck
Give us a picture of your 2005 Tundra with a new frame when done, love to see it…
Sounds like a good deal.
I wounder how many flat-rate hours of shop time it takes to replace the frame…How many busted knuckles…
I can’t imaging doing it without occupying the space of at least three bays for days at a time.
Utube see;
"my positive experience with 2000 Toyota Tundra frame recall"
And " 10-27-2010 Tacoma frame replacement # 35 "
I was at my local dealer today…they have a stack of the Tundra frames out back. At least 20 of them,.
Seems to me, when replacing a frame, you are going to come across many other things that should / must be replaced too…All the rubber bushings, brake lines, wiring harness, nuts and bolts, special mounting clamps and brackets, there is a ton of stuff that must be removed from the old frame and transferred to the new frame…Expecting the vehicle to operate properly when all this parts transfer is done, could be loves labor lost…