Early 1st Gen (2000-2003) Tundra Frame Replacement FAQ

While I think this may be true, it'd be good for someone to confirm if possible.

 

Did some more research - this vehicle has never been titled/registered in a rust belt state as defined by Toyota (currently registered in West Coast). As such, I don't think this vehicle was subject to the recall, only the LSC, and perhaps why the CRC was never applied.

I live on the East Coast in VA, which is a rust belt state. In theory if it ended up being titled/registered in VA, does anyone know if that would re-activate the recall, since then it would be titled in a rust belt state within its lifetime? I know this is a super in depth question so thank you for any info!

 

FYI for all: just called Toyota about this. Bought a used 2000 Tundra recently. They told me this recall & service campaign closed in 2012 and is no longer active. Called two local dealers to confirm, was told the same thing: no longer active. FWIW.

 

Hey @Tundra2, reveal your time travel secrets.

 

As I posted in the other thread you posted this response in, and Des2mtn just posted proof of:

We've had members on here getting frames replaced as of a few months ago, so the dealership is either bullshitting you, misinformed, lazy. Take your pick. The one alternate possibility is, a previous owner of your truck already had it in for frame inspection and chose to have coating applied back in 2012, which closed your eligibility for frame replacement. They were giving owners two options: Coating or replacement. Didn't matter which option you picked from their side: Agreeing to the work automatically ends your eligibility for the recall.

Have you signed up for the Toyota Owners website and run the service history on the truck to see if/when it was checked for frame issues? Please post a screencap of the maintenance history from there.

 

Just signed up for Owners website, shows safety recall but no further service records. The plot thickens....

 

There are a few folks - who I swore posted their stories in this thread, but I can never keep up - who were told by multiple dealerships it wasn't active. @NickB_01TRD and @Tundra2 both hit a specific dealership in KY who did theirs. I want to say Nick had another dealership tell him "nope!" first, but maybe I'm thinking of one of our New England'er members. I've heard stories of up to 2, 3, and 4 dealerships saying NO before one actually bit. We've also seen where a dealership told one member they'll do it, but wanted them to pay something like $5k-6k out of pocket for it, and they nope'd out.

 

No secrets. I drove my 2000 a few hours one way to a dealership that I KNEW did frame swaps thanks to @NickB_01TRD

 

And he didn't even need to let them use any of that sweet, sweet Kentucky Jelly to get it!

 

I've personally seen 3 tundras done in the last 5 years at my local dealer.

When you say it shows a safety recall do you mean it shows that a safety recall was done or a safety recall is active? My frame was done 6/21 and @Tundra2 was done sometime after that.

Maybe you've said already but where are you located @otown?

 

It just says "safety recall issued" with no further information, and no information anywhere else I'm able to find.

I'm located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

If you go to the below Toyota recall links and input VIN #, it should give you the proper info. Possible it's air bag related.

Lookup Safety Recalls & Service Campaigns (toyota.com)

Lookup Safety Recalls & Service Campaigns by VIN (toyota.com)

 

Yeah tried that. Put my VIN in and it just says "Sorry! An error occurred" even after multiple refreshes. I guess the page is broken or my VIN is...?

 

once again, SAFETY RECALLS CANNOT EXPIRE.

That is the entire point. the federal government mandates safety recalls stay open until suitable repairs have been made. end of discussion.

service campaigns, TSBs, and bulletins can. that expired in 2012 per my original post.

 

Been reading some of the more recent comments before I tried Monken Toyota which is three hours south, but it did replace the frame for someone else. I struck out again, suggested I call Toyota which I’ve done multiple times with no satisfaction. Still have my 2002 that I bought new, with only 105K miles that runs and looks great, until you get underneath. Because I did follow the earlier recall and had the frame sprayed, which did absolutely no good, I’m not eligible. Maybe I’ll try that Kentucky dealership, a little farther drive but worth of it they’ll do anything.

 

It sounds like opting for the action of spraying the frame basically scratches you off the recall list for additional work. I haven't seen anyone who's gotten the coating get a frame replacement, unless someone mentioned it in this thread...

 

Yes as @shifty` said in following post if you got it sprayed you're out of luck. It's stupid I know but it's just the way they do it.

 

The legality of what Toyota is doing is yet to be determined.

And yes, there was a 2003 Toyota Tundra that was Coated and after that then had its Frame Replaced.

 

Looks like there was another class action filed in 2022 focused on the same issue with the FJ Cruiser this time. Not sure where it stands, but I’m sure Toyota has a huge legal team to fight these things. Since I’m in Illinois I might contact the Agency that is listed. Last week just out of curiosity I called the Toyota Support line again since it’s been a year since the last time I talked with them, but got the same story, since I had CRC I’m not covered.

 

Daaaamn, time to go buy a rusty FJ

 

A rusty FJ you say?

 

Hell yeah if they're gonna be eligible for a frame swap. Them jokers are $$ and if you can get one with a rusted out broken-ass frame on the cheap, and it's only gonna cost a couple grand in peripheral parts to get the frame swapped ... that could be a good buy for a pure-offroad rig.

I hate the way they look, but I'm a sucker for inexpensive projects that could potentially be really damn fun.

 

One thing I would definitely recommend is that everyone with the similar situation of a rusted frame that Toyota won’t replace, open a case with the NHTSA. I did that last year, and while they didn’t do anything based on mine alone, they do monitor for consistent issues. They were involved in the big class action a couple years back.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#index

 

Not to add any confusion to this thread but I just left a Toyota dealership today and I was walking through the service area with the advisor to look at a 2013 corolla a guy on FB marketplace is selling (whole different story) and I questioned a probably 2001-2003 extended cab on a lift. Truck looked clean but he said the frame was rotted. I asked if they were still doing them, he said depends on vin and other things they still do some though. He did specifically say it's not a recall so it won't show up just looking up recalls on the owners login. He called it an "warranty extension" iirc. So one would have to call a "head service advisor" to potentially get a good answer on if they were eligible for a new frame. I thought it was interesting and may help someone.

 

If you are willing to share, where was this dealer?

 

Shit! Sorry, Grimes, Iowa. I just thought the whole thing was done with but after that short conversation apparently not. I've always thought it was a recall type thing and it'd show with all the service records etc. if you login on toyota's site.

 

I think it depends on where the truck was registered throughout it's life also. Like certain states (mainly western) weren't part of the campaign.

 

Greetings:

It is well known:

Toyota Motors is a Multi-Billion Dollar a Year Net Gross Revenue Company.... And with Regards to the 1st Generation Toyota Tundra Frames.....
Toyota Motors is well aware that Defective Frames should not be coated regardless of a Remedy Agreement with NHTSA which was and remains Absolutely Worthless.

Toyota Motors Frame Warranty Team/s actions with regard to refusal of Frame Replacements of 1st Generation Toyota Tundra Owners who had their Frames Coated per Toyota Motors Campaign Letters advising/instructing those Respective Owners to take in their Toyota Tundra to their respective local Toyota Dealerships to have them Inspected amongst which many were determined with a decision to Coat; brings Discreditibilty upon themselves and the entire Toyota Motors Corporation operating Worldwide.

 

He either mis-spoke, was mis-understood or was speaking of LSC 9SM or LSC D0D, where Toyota did indeed extend the warranty for LSC(limited service campaign)'s but they expired Dec 31, 2012.
The 00-03 Safety Recalls mandated by the NHTSA, whether it was SSC 90M or SSC BXD, were indeed recalls and is recorded as such as part of Vehicle Information, whether it was applicable or Not applicable.

Vehicle Info of a present 2000 Tundra owner here....

 

The service campaign ended in 2013. The dealership I worked at could get one done after that if you were never notified or if you started legal proceedings. i.e. had your lawyer contact Toyota. Mine was replaced in late 2013 at a cost of almost 15k and included many suspension and related components. Of course I used to work there and my buddy was still SM so may have been why they did mine that late and TBH mine wasn't that bad as it had been garaged mostly. Had surface scale and only actual hole was one I torched in to get leaf spring bolt out thru frame without pulling trailer hitch off. Oooops My bad but was an emergency fix. But he has told me of others that had been done after that date. Truck needed to be in NE or similar foul weather areas of the country. Frames were made in USA and were not properly treated. I also wax oiled my new one but I moved to the south shortly after that so still looks like new.