Worst/Best Truck I ever bought

A little over a year ago I bought a used 2003 Tundra SR5 RWD access cab pick-up as a junk truck for about $4,800. It had 100,000 miles on it and ran great. At first, I thought having a back seat was a waste of space but quickly found myself using it for all sorts of things. I'm a college professor in upstate NY but do some minor farm work on my land, mostly growing hops and have a couple of horses. I quickly found myself using the truck more and more as it was very comfortable to ride in and also handy for hauling. My first hint at a problem was when I thought it would be nice to have a hitch on the back. When I looked under the bumper most of the metal was rusted through. Next the sidestep on the passenger side fell off (rusted through). The final straw (I thought) was when I took it to a friend for NYS inspection and he said he couldn't pass it due to the frame being rusted through everywhere with huge holes and it was unsafe to drive. I was going to scrape it for junk (and hopefully learn from my mistake of not having it checked by a mechanic before buying) when I got an email reminder from NYS my inspection was due. It also had a note that my truck was subject to a recall. I looked up the recall and it was about frame corrosion.

Next, I called the local Toyota dealer, and they said that a 20-year-old truck in upstate NY was going to have rust, but they agreed to take a look at it. They said it was one of the worst frames they had ever seen and promised to send a letter to Toyota to see if it qualified for the recall. About 2 weeks later I got a call back from the dealership that Toyota had okayed a complete frame replacement under the recall, and I would cost me nothing. Being of Scottish ancestry I readily agreed. It took another 3 weeks for the new frame to come in and about 3 days at the dealership for the replacement. I also had the timing belt/water pump replaced and all new after market shock/struts put in the front and back (interestingly enough the dealership didn't recommend Toyota shocks) which I did have to pay for.

The truck has gone from the worst truck I ever bought (though I would have to junk it after 1 year) to the best truck I ever bought. I am looking forward to many years of good use and have nothing but good things to say about Toyota and the local dealership.

 

Ha! That's a great story.

I laughed, I cried... Heartwarming as a Hallmark Christmas movie.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! I'm glad it worked out for you in the end!

 

Welcome neighbor.
What college do you teach at?

 

welcome from CO

quite the nice recall surprise

 

Thanks for all the replies. As soon as Hallmark has some heartwarming stories involving trucks I will probably watch. I teach at SUNYBroome.

 

“Toyota had okayed a complete frame replacement under the recall, and I would cost me nothing. Being of Scottish ancestry I readily agreed.”

 

2.5 hours south of you.

 

Wow great, welcome

 

Welcome from So Cal