Rust!!

[MarcDW]

I bought this 07 Tundra on Feb 6, 2007, actually it was the first sold in New England the day after the Super Ball!
So my Tundra gets next week one year old. I really like it, however, there is a growing cloud which seems to grow to a storm!



As you can see on these pictures, there is rust on the rear bumper.
Everyone ever seen such rust knows, it will get ugly in a short time.
First it will bubble and spread then and in about 3 years the whole corner of this bumper will have a hole!

Now I was at Emerson Toyota in Auburn Maine and showed this to the service manager.
He told me, that the factory rep has to look at it, who comes once a month!
I live 40 miles away from the dealer and it takes me about an hour to get there. So I would have to drive 80 miles and waist at least 2+ hours.
Then I would have to drive there again to get the bumper replaced!
So I told the service manager, that the factory rep can come out to my house, if he does not trust him!
He said that this has nothing to do with trust and would be Toyota policy and there is nothing he could do and gave me their phone number.

On the way home I called Toyota then and talked to a female rep who told me that it would be their policy and I would have to come to the dealership when the rep would be there.
I told her that I can’t take off from work that often and I also did not see a need, since the service manager seen it and I’ll be happy to supply any pictures.
She put me on hold and my cellphone cut out.
Since she had my number(s), I thought she would call me back.
No such luck! Two days later I called them again.
I got a guy named “Montell” on the telephone who had a chip his shoulder with a big attitude.
The conversation turned quickly hostel with him cutting me off and telling me basically “that’s how it is” and “what is the big deal”!
He gave me a case number and told me, that a manager would call me within a day back!

Now
1. I am wrong?
2. Should I take off work and drive the extra 80 miles?
3. What would you do next?

[Codiac]

1. Your not wrong for being pissed about it.

2. If you can take off work then do it.

3. To get it fixed you are going to have to jump thru their hoops. Sucks that it is rusting and you have to drive that far to a dealer. I would take it and show the rep. I wouldn't like it but to get it done correctly I would.

Any warranty work will have to be done by a dealer. Is there a dealer closer to your location?? If not then unfortunatley you will have to suck it up and take it there.

Good Luck!!

[Hawaii 5.7]

Fight the dealer for it. They should take care of it. Good luck!

[MarcDW]

Update:
Today the "Case manager" called back and gave me a 10 minutes story why the manager can’t and will not and bla bla bla….
What really po’s me was the sentence: “There is only one manager for all VT, NH and ME. His time is too valuable for individual customer visits!”
Well excuse me, I guess my time is free and I am only the little idiot call customer!

Here is what my next step will be:
1. Letter of demand to the dealer and TUSA with the other required stuff by state law.
2. Should that not be answered within 30 days, I will go to three garages and get estimates to replace this bumper. Actually I will do this when ever I get to it already!
3. Since this is below $4,500, I will safe my money for an attorney and sue in small claims court. Since the dealer and TUSA have to be represented by an attorney even in small claim court, I wonder if they rather fix it then spend some money for attorney and then fix it.

[TampaTundra]

You will get a letter back saying make an appointment and drive to the dealer to meet with him. Thats the end of the story to all your "plans of action". Do what they say and end of story.

You cant expect them to drive an hour away to your house all at "your convenience". Go on the weekend, use a sick day for work, or whatever you want but this whole acting like a child about them doing what is expected for anybody to do is crazy. As well as you live in NE, when driving on salty and icy roads you should wash off your car, especially the metal bumpers and under carriage around once a week just to make sure it will all be ok.

Toyota can't change the laws of physics.

[DCTRDPYRITE]

Originally Posted by TampaTundra

You will get a letter back saying make an appointment and drive to the dealer to meet with him. Thats the end of the story to all your "plans of action". Do what they say and end of story.

You cant expect them to drive an hour away to your house all at "your convenience". Go on the weekend, use a sick day for work, or whatever you want but this whole acting like a child about them doing what is expected for anybody to do is crazy. As well as you live in NE, when driving on salty and icy roads you should wash off your car, especially the metal bumpers and under carriage around once a week just to make sure it will all be ok.

Toyota can't change the laws of physics.

I have similar problem ( 4 months old ) and have washed the truck twice per week to remove any road salt.
I suspect this is going to be the next big nightmare for Toyota as spring approaches and more owners start to detail their vehicles for the summer.
I have two other vehicles which are not washed every week. One 17 years old and one 9 years old both have no rust on the chrome bumpers.
Besides chrome should not rust this easily and so soon unless it has a damaged surface or imperfection in the chroming process.
By what I see on mine the problem lies with the chroming process such as poor coverage or impurities.
You can clean the rust off and I have with polish but if you look closely there is a stain left which appears to be deep into the chrome surface radiating out from where the rust spot was and which appears as a pits on corner surface of the rear bumper.
As far as having to go to the Dealer for service that is just part of the claim process and failure to do so will not give you a leg to stand on legally.

[TampaTundra]

I have seen pics of several other tundras on here with some rust starting on the bumpers.Im not saying I dont beleive it or anything like that. but saying Im gona wright a letter then take them to small claims court and all that is a waste of time. You have to take it to the dealer and have the guy look at it. No matter how you look at it.

he even said he will soon go to 3 local garages and get quotes for the repairs, which there is no way that the time spent driving around town and getting quotes is not equal to the time going to the dealership to have the guy look at it. Marc needs to grow up and stop having a hissy fit.

[seadragon]

Have you guys tried a product called Autosol on it? It works wonders on chrome and removes any surface rust. I've used it on previous vehicles with chrome and it works really good. The surface rust just comes right off.

AUTOSOL - Metal Polish

[MarcDW]

The rust comes from the inside out, it's not surface rust, which actually is not covered by warranty!
But thanks for the tip!

Update:

I called this morning the AG of Maine and they told me some interesting things:
1. There are actually two warranties in Maine:
a) the manufacturers.
b) a 4 year warranty to the original buyer which has to be provided from the seller.
2. Under this warranty, the seller has to fix any defects at no additional cost to the buyer/consumer!
3. Since the dealer had seen the bumper, an additional visit (so that the factory rep can see it) is considered “additional cost”.
Either the dealership has to pay for my time and traveling or fix it right after the factory rep sees it.

After talking to the service manager again, who finally said, that the conversation is over since he could not do anything else (he also was not familiar with the law and even said that there is no such law), he had the general manager call me back who actually did this within 5 minutes. My guess the general manager knows the ME law a little better!

This gentlemen (and I mean this truly) asked me to come when the factory rep is there and they would replace the bumper right afterwards, even if that means taking a bumper of a new vehicle.

We’ll see what will happen, I will keep you updated!

[seadragon]

Hi Marc,

After reading this thread, I checked my bumper and noticed the same problem! Rust spots were mostly on the leading edge of the bumper (facing forward).

I looked in my garage and I had an old can of stuff called "Ouator" metal polish. Its a very fine steel wool that has stuff impregnated in it. Anyway, I thought I'd try it. Well, it got rid of all the rust spots! The spots looked exactly like the ones in your pictures. But this stuff got rid of them. I wish I had grabbed my camera first and snapped some pics of before and after. If any spots form again, I will take pics for sure.

Here's a link I found on the web for this stuff:
01213 - OUATOR METAL POLISH (3 OZ. WT.) - First Class Shine - Wizards for Auto, Bike, and Boat Products

You might just want to find something like this and try it and see.

[TndraCru]

I am experiencing the same problem with rust on the surface of the bumper.

I talked to the head mechanic at the Toyota garage and he told me they have been receiving numerous complaints on this issue! So then, I talked to the service manager about it, he said "it's just surface rust it will wash off!"

I have owned Toyota trucks all my life and never had this issue of rusting on a chrome bumper before. My truck is only a few months old and to me this is unacceptable!

[MarcDW]

Yes, you can wipe it off a few times.
After a week or so the spot comes up again and gets bigger, also more of them surface!

[TndraCru]

Originally Posted by MarcDW

Yes, you can wipe it off a few times.
After a week or so the spot comes up again and gets bigger, also more of them surface!

I have a very good relationship with the owner of the dealership. I will be giving him a call on Monday to see what can be done to resolve this problem.

MarcDW, I'm sorry you live so far away from the dealership, but it has been my experience that you will get much better service by not going to extremes. I suggest going in to see what can be done with a calm and reasonable attitude.

TampaTundra, this only has been an issue on my toyota tundra! I could see years of use, but 4 months...no way is that acceptable.

[UW-Lance]

Just noticed the same rust on my 07 CrewMax (6 months old with only 10K).

Took it to the dealer (Smart Toyota, Madison WI), service rep told me that it was just surface rust, a little polishing and waxing it will come right off. Issue is it will come back! Toyota needs to get this resolved.

And the bumper is not covered under warranty.

Was told that i have to go back and have the Service Manager look at the bumper to see what the next step is. I'm heading back right after work to talk with them to see what the next step is.

More to come.

[MarcDW]

Why is the bumper not covered under the warranty??
Also, the fact that you can wipe it off and it comes back proofs, that it is rust comming form the inside out.
By the way, is your rust right at the same spot??