Toyota is set to replace the rust-prone frames of all 2000-2003 Tundra trucks under a special repair campaign. After numerous complaints, the beleaguered automaker issued an
initial recall in November for 110,000 Tundras registered in 20 cold-weather states plus the District of Columbia. Now, Toyota will expand its campaign to the rest of the Union to avoid another recall notice -- and accompanying headlines.
For those unfamiliar with the issue, the NHTSA originally ruled that winter road salts were causing “excessive corrosion” of the rear cross-member of the Tundra’s frame. If the rusted cross-member is compromised to the point of separation, potential damage includes loss of the rear brake lines, loss of the spare-tire carrier, and, in the worst case scenario, loss of the fuel tank. As one could imagine, losing the carrier or fuel tank at road speeds would be a huge hazard.
Affected owners can bring their Tundras to dealerships for assessment and repair. According to Toyota, a Tundra with serious rust problems could require more than seven hours of labor to repair.
As a result of Toyota’s more prominent floormat- and accelerator-related recalls, the automaker has stated it would pay vehicle rental fees for up to 60 days for Tundra owners. Toyota is currently developing a rust-resistant compound to be applied on Tundra underbodies and dealers have been alerted to the prospect of irreparable trucks.
From 2000 to 2003, Toyota produced around 400,000 Tundras. The original twenty targeted states were Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.