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2011-2017 Tacoma 
2012 Tacoma
2016 Tacoma
Toyota Warranty Enchancement Program Customer Letter. <Download PDF>
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Mechanical Defect
Toyota has extended the warranty for structural corrosion of the vehicle frame on 2011-2017 Tacoma pickups to 12 years with unlimited mileage. Under this program, which is not considered a safety recall by the manufacturer, 2011 -2016 Tacoma pickups receive a wax coating applied to the boxed portion of the frame, and plugs installed in certain areas to prevent water from entering the frame under normal driving conditions. The 2017 models already have an anti-corrosion treatment applied at the factory, so they will receive just the frame plugs. To date, the APA has no reports of corrosion damage severe enough to require replacement of the frame on 2011-2017 Tacoma pickups.
Yellow: indicates sections of the frame to recieve additional rust protection.
Red: indicates areas most vulnerable to rust perforation.
1) Toyota`s structural corrosion warranty extension on the Tacoma to 12 years is conditional on an inspection at a dealership.
To benefit from the warranty extension, the pickup must undergo an inspection required by Toyota and application of additional rustproofing (except for 2017s) before December 26, 2021. The dealer will apply wax-based rust protection to vulnerable areas of the frame.
Toyota has undertaken to replace the pickup frame if the corrosion becomes too advanced. This is a substantial repair which can require a week or two in the shop, and has a retail value of several thousand dollars.
If not destroyed by rust, a Tacoma pickup truck will normally last 15-20 years, so the 12-year warranty is conservative. Toyota has granted up to 15 years in the past to repair corrosion on older Tacoma pickups.
Warning: no inspection, no extension of the warranty after December 26, 2021!
Toyota will not pay for a corrosion repair after this date if the original warranty has expired. The inspection and application of additional rustproofing before the end of 2021 are mandatory.
2) This sort of notice does not always reach owners. What do you do if you haven’t received it?
The factory warranty of 5 years or 100,000 km has expired on the older Tacoma pickups included in this campaign, and the majority of their owners no longer carry out maintenance at a Toyota dealership. In addition, if the pickup has been sold, there’s a good chance the second owner would not receive the notice, sometimes even if the pickup was purchased used at a Toyota dealership. Imperfect delivery of recall and service campaign notices is an industry-wide problem. The APA has posted the actual owner notification in the left margin of this column which you can show to a dealer.
Repair shops that service the Tacoma, including some Toyota dealerships, sometimes do a poor job of communicating the appearance of frame rust to owners. The customer is told about the problem only after the vehicle has become unsafe, and it’s too late to take preventive measures. By way of example, here is a complaint the APA received from a Toyota pickup owner about an earlier pickup truck warranty inspection program:
I never received a recall letter for the frame from Toyota. I asked my dealer many times over the years if there were any recalls on my truck and it was always “No” - until recently. After I escalated my complaint and had discussions with Toyota Canada, my dealer magically found a recall with an expiry date for an inspection that was years ago.
3) This is not the first extended warranty for the Tacoma. What are the precedents?
This is the third extended warranty to address structural corrosion on the Tacoma:
1995-2000 Tacoma: Toyota extended the warranty for chassis corrosion to 15 years. The program has now expired.
2000-2010 Tacoma: This program introduced a mandatory inspection, without which coverage could be refused. The more recent pickups in this group still fall under the warranty extension up to 12 years on the road, and are eligible for repair or replacement of the frame if required.
4) Is this structural corrosion problem a safety defect that requires a recall?
No, because advanced corrosion manifests itself quietly over a period of years. In the eyes of Transport Canada, a safety defect that meets the requirements of our federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act usually occurs with little warning. A defect that became obvious over time, which the owner didn`t resolve before the vehicle became unsafe is unlikely to be considered a safety defect that requires a safety recall under the Act.
5) Does the APA have other suggestions?
Store the notice from Toyota in the glove compartment or with your maintenance records. It could benefit a future owner of your Tacoma.
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