2022 Tundra Slap-a-Patch from the factory.

Lol why would there be a hole in the bed side. Even with salt, the bed is painted aluminum. After the paint, the SK key needs to get through the oxide layer. Has anyone seen holes in aluminum wheels from road salt?

It looks ugly sure but it’s not visible. You should see all the ugly gloopy crap they put on the floor under the carpet

 

Wheels are way thinker than the thin sheet of aluminum for the bed side. And yes I have seen what trapped water under the chrome plating on wheels does to aluminum. I have also seen what happens to anodized aluminum when it gets scratch and powdered coated aluminum when salt water penetrates the powder coating, not pretty. Still doesn’t excuse the fact of a piss poor job on a expensive azz truck.

 

Looks like a total sloppy hack job. For the price of these vehicles and people buys these to last one would think it would be a symmetrical piece and attached professionally so there would not be any places that were missing adhesives!!!

A person would not accept something that looked like that in a newly built house and it should look way better for these top dollar trucks!!! Signed Disappointed!!!

 

Toyota says this is normal

 

Matches the rest of the new Tundra IMO.

 

I want to see the yellow sticker inside the door that says how much the payload has been reduced due to the extra weight added... Lol

 

Sadly, I would almost agree. Saw my first one up close at a local dealer this week. Not what I was expecting. Honestly a bit disappointing to me. I respect those that like the new design, it just isn't for me.

 

Interesting to me is that, while very oddly shaped, those panels seem to look symmetrical and mirror opposites from each side. If so, there must be a good reason for them and with that symmetry, I think a lot more thought may be put into whatever it is and what it does than is being given credit.

If was me, had a gap in the sealer, and I was concerned about an aluminum bedside corroding through long term from that, I'd add a little more caulk and never think about it again. That also assumes what we are seeing isn't just the extra adhesive sealer that oozed out the edges and it's actually really well covered between the plate and the bedside... Unless the OP can see that much better in person than we can in the pics?

Then again, maybe Toyota engineering really isn't what it used to be but there isn't solid proof or adequate numbers yet that they have gone totally wayside and are now much more content to crank out a known problem long term like the others do. Admittedly, Toyota isn't perfect in that category either but they seem to do much better than the others.

Granted, it's a completely new design and a few kinks are expected, given their track record (especially against the competition in the overall quality department), I think I'll still take my chances on Toyota until proven otherwise, especially if I have a dealer that will take care of me in the event of an issue.