Frame Rust 03 Tundra Continued

Take the money. It will never work right after they swap the frame.

On second thought counter adding what extras they would have to fix doing the frame swap. No sense in leaving money on the table,. Then take a reasonable counter offer.

 

He could certainly try for more money, likely they’ll say no. It’s not like he has a strong hand. They know what he’s holding, which is nothing. It’s not like he can shop elsewhere for a better deal. The only thing he’s got going for himself is relatively low miles, but if the frame is that bad, likely there’s a lot of hidden rust in the body panels.

 

IMHO, Having spent time in the business, I can assure you the dealer, or whomever set the price (probably corporate), is/are low-balling you. Certainly they would not be surprised at a counter-offer. Now they may be set on their offer, and the rig may have additional problems, but we are talking replacement value - what would be needed to set the owner on an even keel were the frame not an issue, after all, the frame issue is a result of bad engineering/design and not owner neglect or otherwise.

Such haggling is part of the business and has been part of trading since Jack parted with his mother's cow for a handful of beans.

A side note...Some communities have the local Bar Association cooperating in a legal aide service for those not of wealth, and on a "pro bono" basis (think volunteering service for the community's good). You may be entitled to their service and counsel in such matters, as the vehicle is your daily driver (I assume), and vital to your economic wellbeing. Such an attorney counsel session might include a willingness to contact the dealership/corporate intermediary on your behalf to press upon them the need to set things right. I suggest this as a possible work around should your counter-offer meet resistance. Not saying this available to you, but it is worth pursuing. Likewise an attorney may not succeed, but if the opposition is playing hardball, this often eases your at bat and should be gamed as I am sure they will game you.

 

I'd say that's incorrect. My truck had the frame swapped in 2015, I bought it in 2017. It drives like new still.

 

We have real world examples here folks. Experienced people talking. Never hurts to try to walk with as much as possible. Keep calm and negotiate on baby!

 

Take the $7,300 (+ a few hundred more if you can get it) Add the $4,000 min you’ll likely pay for the extras. Fly to California & buy this.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/canyon-country-2006-toyota-tundra-trd/6912452060.html

 

K

Or, get $10k on his counter offer and not fly to LA to buy a truck with an oily K&Nfilter messing up the engine.

 

Opps, that wasn’t 4wd. These are more expensive, but should be rust free.

69k miles
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/woodland-rarebarely-69k-miles-4x4/6899260667.html

74k miles
https://palmsprings.craigslist.org/cto/d/palm-springs-2005-toyota-tundra-limited/6900417214.html

 

No way will he get $10k. Even in good condition, that is probably top dollar in his area. Will the dealer likely get a little more? Probably. After all the work is done.

 

Replacement value is more in line with the private party value, as that would be the true price you would pay, less taxes and fees. Depending on the market location, $10,000 may still be reasonable.

In my area, all Toyota 4x4 light trucks come with a premium price and are not very easy to find for sale, as the owners simply don't want to part with them. It is here, his local area, where the OP needs to research his local marketplace and ascertain just what the actual purchase price of a replacement would necessarily be. And don't forget about the excise tax and fees - there is no conscionable reason to expect you to eat this cost as a result of their design flaw. This should be made part of any discussion on remedy, though they will object with a "we are not responsible for the taxes and fees set by the authorities" refrain, wherein you state that you have already paid this sum on the original purchase, and that it should be included as part of any settlement to "make you whole" again.

 

Makes sense to me!

 

Any updates OP?

 

Decisions decisions Decisions
I had a 2000 that had the frame and a few other things replaced. The previous owner explained that the truck spent a good year at the dealership, he had a taco on loan the whole time. In the end, decided to sell the truck because of the parts that weren't replaced had plenty of rust which made it tuff to work on. In a really nice way he said it was a money pit.
If you decide to take the cash, shop the southern states for a rust free model