Need to replace my pickup truck! OUCH!

Toyota was changing frames and also bought back some trucks. They offered my brother more for his truck than it was worth and he was happy to take them up on it.

 

A few years back, at a toyota dealer, the salesman suggested one of their used trucks. I asked why would I want a smaller truck that gets the same mileage as a larger truck and has rust issues? He said, what rust are you talking about? I said, lets take a walk behind the building.....

(this is where they had new frames stock piled. I had unintentionally driven behind the building to turn around and saw them all!)

No sale.

 

I don't get how shops think they can get away from a 43 yr old law that prevents then from saying such stupid things.

A printed copy of the Magnusen-Moss Act should do it, if they don't realize how much trouble they could get in.
IS MY WARRANTY VOID IF I USE YOUR OIL? | Doolittle Oil

The last time I had a dealership try that on my then new sled I simply told them that if they require me to use their brand of oil if I wanted my 2 year engine warranty to be valid, that they need to provide it to me for free. That's exactly what the Magnusen-Moss Act states.

The owner of the dealership wasn't the one that told me that, but he was within earshot and he gave the guy working the counter a nasty glare. I never heard anything wise after that, and that engine warranty was never needed, never running the brand oil of the sled. As a matter of fact, the top end of that sled isstill original and it's never even had the head off.

 

My quick research says they had a class action so they did have to replace a bunch of frames on the the "gen 1" series from ~2000-2006? They have also sprayed on "corrosion resistant compound" on the newer "gen 2" frame. However, it looks like they are just spraying the compound over rust which apparently is a lousy practice, maybe worse than nothing at all in the long run. FWIW, my Chevy service rep says he knew some guys who were doing the Toyota frame replacements back in the day and they were taking a full 40 hr. work week of labor or each frame. That's hearsay, but it sounds ugly.

 

The mag is horrible on wiring. The only saving grace is that they only use that stuff on the hiways and interstates, which I don't do alot of winter driving on in my personal vehicles. I wish they would just use sand on the roads it don't cause rust damage.

 

Friend had 08? Tundra with a V8 oh, she doesn't drive much maybe 8,000 miles a year it was basically her farm truck. They sprayed the frame and sure enough the frame broke on lift putting it up for inspection.. She was livid not covered!!

 

Thanks! Very helpful.

 

Do you know someone with a body shop? When I lived in northern Maine, we saw this all the time. When I left in '12 a OEM GM truck frame was between $1,000 and $1,500. The cheapest thing to do is by a new OEM frame to put under your truck. You will be out about $3,000 in labor and the frame.

 

Yes! I'm looking into this option now. OEM frame is $4500, but a used frame is ~$1000-1500. So, for $4000-5000 total, I can probably have a nearly new truck that will last several more years.(???) Considering how crazy the truck market is right now, this seems like the best option. You can't get much of a truck for $5K, certainly not an '08 with 30K miles.

 

Maybe you could find a good deal on another truck like yours (higher miles probably) but with a good frame, to use as a donor, then you'd have a spare...well, everything! (except frame )

 

Give Robbie or Scott a call see if the can help you out.

 

Thanks.

 

I don’t miss the salt. Interior Alaska uses sand, God bless em.

 

Read somewhere in the local paper an are close by is using beet juice with gravel, would take that over salt any day

 

Nope, my first thoughts were it would look like a herd of deer getting smacked by a train, color wise, but looks brown like gravel
Supposed to be more earth friendly

 

It just sounded funny to hear this. I had to look into it.

 

Apparently getting good results

 

An attempt was made to sue GM over that body style truck due to rust issues with the brake lines as well. GM admitted to using lighter steel in the lines & I think the frames also. NHTSA didn't allow the suit, gave some B.S. reason, but I'm sure had to do with the Gov't bail out. I've built lines in 100's of those trucks with fairly low miles & 7-15 yrs old. GM knew they were headed for bankruptcy & really cheapened some stuff up. IMHO I wouldn't buy any GM from 2006 to 2010 model year. We fight the same rust issues here & it wrecks more vehicles than mileage does. I've got a 1999 Suburban 2500 that has 205,000 on the clock & is better rust wise than a lot 2009 stuff that I work on. I do oil the bottom side every fall with a mix of drain oil, diesel fuel, & black paint. For 20 years old it's very solid. I wouldn't want to be the tech swapping that frame, rusted bolts are a nightmare in my world. If you opt to get the frame done, make sure to oil the pizz out of it & pay close attention to the brake & fuel lines. That can run another 12 to 1500.00. Sand on the roads would be like a gift from above here. Good Luck mike bayerl !

 

My 09 F150 does not have any rust anywhere. Some light surface rust on the frame and suspension but nothing you wouldn't expect from a truck with 130K. My FIL who lives right up the road has an 08 Sierra 1500 and the rear wheel wells and cab corners are showing serious rust...brake lines rusted out where they enter the doghouse along the frame, factory hitch is nearly gone, etc. Night and day difference....that generation of truck is a rust factory.

 

Well, here in Wisconsin, we've also been using cheese brine that is a byproduct of the cheese making process. So we use beet juice, salt, magnesium chloride, and cheese brine, if not other stuff to de ice the roads here. Sand it's used in some places, but only way rural counties.