Concerned over what road salt is doing to your car, truck or SUV? So is Toyota. Toyota announced late last year they will be replacing the frames of certain 2005-2008 Toyota Tacomas if they have rust perforation of their frames due to road salt under limited service campaign LSC E0D. Otherwise they will be cleaning applying a rust-inhibiting coating to the inside and outside of the frame rails. So what’s the story?
Like earlier Tacomas, Tundras and Sequoias that are operated in states with high winter road salt usage, the frame rails of the 2005-2008 Tacoma can rust so severely that the car can break in half. Usually the frames rust through just ahead of the rear leaf springs. The result is spectacular (video not from us):
…and like they did for earlier Tacomas, Tundras and Sequoias, Toyota is offering a limited service campaign to fix this issue for owners. The above video features a failure from an earlier Tacoma frame campaign. You don’t need a truck that folds in half to qualify – if you have 10mm or larger perforation of your frame due to rust on any of the two main frame supports you qualify for frame replacement. The rust can look like this:
Rusty Tacoma Frame
The limited service campaign is available for owners through March 31st, 2016. The inspection must be complete and corrosion inhibiting compound applied by that day. If you qualify for a new frame, the replacement must be completed within 3 months of the inspection date. 2005-2008 Tacomas registered in the following states are eligible:
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Rhode Island
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- New York
- Delaware
- Maryland (including the District of Columbia)
- Pennsylvania
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Toyota is also offering loaners to owners that need the frame replaced so you don’t risk the failure in the video above. From a sources inside the local Toyota dealership, most frame replacements include a large number of other parts that may also be too rusty to swap over to the new frame. These include leaf springs, spare tire carriers, suspension control arms, brake lines and numerous small chassis bolts and supports.
If you fall outside of the potentially eligible range, CARspec offers frame inspection for rust related failures at reasonable costs. As Eden Prairie and Chanhassen’s Toyota and Lexus independent service and repair shop we want all owners to understand and take advantage of this customer service program.
