Well, I guess everything goes in cycles. This (and a few other things) might be the start of a 20-30 year period of Toyota decline.
I hope not, but empires rise and fall. Especially when the worms of "cost control" and "planned obsolescence" begin to crawl in under the cover of "marketing on one's past reputation of quality".
As much as I am not a Toyota fan and a Domestic fanboy this isn't just a Toyota problem. Every manufacturer that mounts the spare behind the axle and under the box has this issue. I've seen Chevy's fall off after a few hundred miles. The assemblies are a joke. I've seen Ford's become so rusted the assembly has to have the gas axe taken to it. I've seen Dodges that come down half way and freeze up.
Just a stupid design but there is no place else for a full size spare. At least they make it easy to cut the assembly out and put a new one in.
Lube, lube, lube and more lube so when your spare comes down it will slide out.
Edited by that ain't the way to have fun, son at 11/24/09 10:27 PM
that ain't the way to have fun, son was starred
that ain't the way to have fun, son was unstarred
"In those relatively rare cases where the rear cross-member is significantly corroded and can no longer safely support the spare tire, but the rear cross-member cannot be replaced due to excessive frame corrosion at the mounting location (e.g., if the side rails are too damaged), Toyota will develop an appropriate remedy for those vehicles on a case-by- case basis."
A properly contrite Japanese businessman would've seppuku'd himself by now. Toyota built themselves a gigantic reputation of stolid reliability, then built a mountain of hype on the Tundra, saying it would turn the fullsize truck market on its ear. Well, not so much - more like dropped the fullsize truck buyer on his ass.
@Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet: I doubt that frames in warmer weather states rust much at all. Actually, it's not the temperature so much as the corrosive crust they develop in the salt zones.
@Smells_Homeless: Good thing trucks that spend time in rust states ever get moved/sold into non-rust states. And then re-sold, even. Or vice-versa. Because then this "don't fix this weakness/proclivity in all trucks" crap would be bit of a bad idea.
@Danimal: ND doesn't use salt with reckless abandon like MN does. If you're jalopy-shopping in the Red River Valley it's easy to tell which side of the river a car came from.
From this valley they say you are going,
To shop for a truck with a smile,
For they say here is nothing but sunshine,
Much like that which you'll find on the Miracle Mile,
Come and sit by my side, if you love me,
Do not hasten to shift into third,
Just remember the Red River Valley,
Where you'll never get stuck with a turd,
I've been thinking a long time, my darling,
Of a Jap truck that starts with a "T",
Now alas, all my fond hopes must vanish,
Since the steel worm has found even me,
So remember the Red River Valley,
Where the class-action lawsuits abound,
Due to Toyota truck frames collapsing,
When you load them with more than a pound.
Now if anyone, even just one, person at Chrysler had half a brain, they'd really grab this opportunity. Safety is important, and a fantastic selling point.
This may be the one and only thing Dodge can shove into Toyota's face and actually have ground to stand on.
@Novaload: That photo was taken at the abandoned Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile, Alabama in the early 70's. I lived there and watched them stack the cars. There were wooden platforms between the cars to steady them. After the photo session wrapped, the crane operator knocked the stack over. BIG FUN! The next morning several of the cars came up missing - some of the neighborhood hooligans rolled them back on their wheels and 'liberated' them. The local fuzz found the cars and the ad agency refused to press charges. The cars were water damaged during shipping - they found one more use for them before the cars were crushed. Thanks for the memories!
@Novaload: I thought i heard somewhere a while back that this ad was debunked and that volvo had a bunch of 2x4s in the car to brace up the roof. Could have been a rumor though. Anyone know?
@Novaload: I did some googling around and it was actually an ad where they dropped the Volvo onto it's roof, but it had welded supports in it to prevent it from crushing in. I mixed up the 2 ad's.
11/25/09
11/25/09
I hope not, but empires rise and fall. Especially when the worms of "cost control" and "planned obsolescence" begin to crawl in under the cover of "marketing on one's past reputation of quality".
11/25/09
Just a stupid design but there is no place else for a full size spare. At least they make it easy to cut the assembly out and put a new one in.
Lube, lube, lube and more lube so when your spare comes down it will slide out.
11/24/09
/NTN trivia sucks all the cleverness from my brain on Tuesday nights
11/24/09
Like, replace the frame? :)
11/24/09
11/24/09
#tips
11/24/09
#tips
11/24/09
11/24/09
Smooth move, Toyota. Way to drop the ball.
11/24/09
All I know, Toyota isn't the automatic home run it used to be.
#tips
11/24/09
11/24/09
The real issue here is losing the rear brakes. Having the spare tire fall out is a problem, but not quite so disastrous.
11/24/09
11/24/09
Edit: New and improved with a link of sorts!
[www.autosafety.org]
11/24/09
Why can't all of North America be the Southwest?
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
From this valley they say you are going,
To shop for a truck with a smile,
For they say here is nothing but sunshine,
Much like that which you'll find on the Miracle Mile,
Come and sit by my side, if you love me,
Do not hasten to shift into third,
Just remember the Red River Valley,
Where you'll never get stuck with a turd,
I've been thinking a long time, my darling,
Of a Jap truck that starts with a "T",
Now alas, all my fond hopes must vanish,
Since the steel worm has found even me,
So remember the Red River Valley,
Where the class-action lawsuits abound,
Due to Toyota truck frames collapsing,
When you load them with more than a pound.
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/24/09
11/18/09
This may be the one and only thing Dodge can shove into Toyota's face and actually have ground to stand on.
11/18/09
11/18/09
Volvo says, put up or shut up. From a 1971 ad. The Headline was "Are you in the market for a hardtop?"
11/18/09
11/18/09
Heart clicky for you.
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/19/09