Do new 4runner frames have rust problems?

Hi all, so a little back story. I was a proud owner of a 2nd gen tacoma that had a recall for frame corrosion. My father had his fully replaced on his 2006. This past weekend I became a proud owner of a 2022 4runner TRD OR. I called the toyota dealership nearby that recalled my tacoma and inquired about an undercoat service for my 4runner while is still untouched from winter and salt. The service department told me they don't offer it on that vehicle because starting in 2017, the new vehicles come from the factory with some sort of frame that has an chemical (carbon) inside it that helps prevent corrosion. I also heard this on a YouTube video last night. Can anyone here confirm this?

This video (1:00 minute mark) mentions the carbon component to the frame, similar to what the dealership told me
https://youtu.be/srJ2TfYsQHU

 

If you live in the rust belt the frame is going to rust. Don't believe anything they say. Get it protected from a reputable company/product. These are too expensive to just hope it lasts.

 

I don’t know if that last part is particularly true, but I have not heard of 5th Gen T4R’s having rust issues. Of course, if you live in Michigan where they constantly salt the roads during the winter, it could eventually begin to rust. But as far as there being a problem with the frames that would make it more susceptible to rusting, I believe the answer is no.

 

Yes they do.

If you live someplace like New York or Michigan, it will get eaten alive by 5 to 6 years.

 

What the dealer told sounds kinda bullshitty to me.

I’d have to hear much more specific information, documentation, video and picture evidence of application, signed affidavits, and sworn testimony in the court of law under penalty of perjury, in order to believe the dealer.

And after that, I’d still soak down the underside with woolwax.

 

yota already has a frame rust campaign or what ever they are calling it for 3rd gen Tacomas. My guess is, if they figured a way to reduce or stop the 4Runner frames from rusting, they would be doing the same on the Tacoma.

I plan to wool wax/fluid film the underside yearly, after the first year or 2 of double applications.

 

YES. If you live in a road salt state, it WILL rust. If it's new, I HIGHLY recommend getting it Fluid Filmed, Woolwaxed, or New Hampshire Oil Undercoated now.

Do this every year, and your 4R will fare much better in the elements.

Whatever you do, just stay away from that Zietbart type rubberized goop stuff. That does more harm than good.

 

I think part of the issue is that these are fully boxed frames, and it is easier for water to get IN than OUT.

 

Boy I sure wish it was true, that we don’t have to worry about frame rust.

Fortunately, it’s not as big a concern where I live.

 

In its defense, the frame has plenty of drainage. I hose the inside of my frame out through the little holes after every off road trip to make sure mud doesnt pack in and block up drain holes.

Also open C channel frames havent helped out Tacomas any.

 

Fluid Film the last three winters on my frame, still looks great. Switching to WoolWax next year.

 

Have you heard of surface shield by blaster? Wondering if it's any good. I've read that fluid film can soften the factory paint on the frame

 

I saw a review from the same guy that convinced me fluid film was good stuff. He is switching to the blaster stuff, he said it was the best he had seen for coating and seeping.

 

The amount of carbon in the steel used in the frame has everything to do with strength and absolutely nothing to do with corrosion resistance. As for the "new" Tacoma frame being more corrosion resistant than the old one, that would not be backed up by the fact that 3rd generation Tacoma frames are now covered under the same frame replacement program that the 2nd generation trucks.

Personally, I would highly recommend anybody living in an area where road salt is used getting the inside (and outside) of their T4R coated with a wax or oil-based corrosion inhibitor. I had mine coated with a process called Waxoyl.

 

Thanks for info, yeah I'm also suspicious of that claim and felt i needed to ask about it

 

Congrats on your new runner. I call B.S. on that dealer like my dealer. When I purchased my '22 ORP they said the same thing. Oh no frame rot is a thing of the past. I called B.S. to their face and told them I was going to have it aftermarket undercoated. Their response was "We can void your warranty for doing that". My response was thanks I'll take my chances.

 

What a bunch of douche canoes.

 

Remember, classic "undercoating" will not address the root cause of Toyota frames rusting through. The vast majority of the damage comes from the inside. (Trust me, I work at a Toyota dealership, and I've seen enough of them.) That said, conventional undercoating is only applied to the outside of the frame - which does next to nothing to prevent the issue. To truly reduce the chances of rust through, you need a high-quality product properly applied to the inside and outside of the frame.

 

Agreed. But your preaching to the choir here. Living in a salt belt I rustproof all my vehicles with a product that creeps and spreads. Yet they still require multiple applications to slow the rot down.

https://www.4runners.com/threads/lets-talk-under-coating-rust-prevention.11152/

 

So you have an actual inside scoop then. Can you tell us if this carbon component added to the newer frames is true, and is it effective?

 

See reply #15.

 

I’ve said it before, but wouldn’t it be so nice if they soaked the frames in some magic chemical BEFORE they assembled the truck.

 

I hear good things about fluid film but others warn that it will soften the factory frame paint. Blaster makes surface shield which I hear is better but wondering if that has the same paint softening effect

 

I have personally used Fluid Film for years on a wide variety of vehicles and paints. I have never had a problem with it. There are a number of similar products out there that use an oil-based product with lots of corrosion inhibitors. Woolwax and Krown are two that come to mind. The advantage of these is that they creep into the smallest areas like seams where corrosion actually begins. The downside of the thinner oil-based products is that they can get blasted off in areas where road debris get kicked up. The inside of a frame is not one of those areas though. I would not hesitate to use any of the products I mentioned on a T4R frame.

 

They do. It's called Electrodeposition paint. (EDP)

 

That Blaster stuff is supposed to be the best of them so far, but only in spray cans right now, if you can find it.

 

Nice, yeah I just bought a gallon and spray kit for it on Amazon

 

Cool, I hadn’t seen it in the bigger containers. Hope it’s good, looks to be 30 bucks more a gallon over the fluid film. From the review I watch it looks to be great at holding on and creeping.

 

It would be nice if they just galvanized the whole thing. That paint hasn't been enough.