Rust on rear hatch - warranty?

Yeah, hoping it won't be a tooth and nail battle. It really shouldn't be and I doubt they could sell me with a straight face how this is not covered under 3-year comprehensive warranty which includes corrosion.

Hopefully this will speed up when the bodywork guys have a look, hopefully they'll be more versed in this issue than the service manager.

 

No update yet other than I was out shopping today and spotted another 4Runner in a parking lot. Think it was a TRD Pro or something, heavily modified and clearly enthusiast owned. Out of curiosity I went up close to check out the tailgate and sure enough....

The fact that I can just stumble on this flaw at random out of a sample of just one other 4Runner is telling. I will be paying more attention to other 4Runners I see and will be snapping pictures to document for the dealer if I need to. Super disappointing but at least my truck seems to be far from the only one with this issue.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=do-KDkx8dMo


Here is another Canuck with same issue then body shop dented roof. He comments on other issues also. Long detailed video but feel for the dude

 

It's a good video and I feel bad he had the kind of luck I usually have.

 

What an absolute nightmare. Very much questioning what I am doing considering a 4th gen Tacoma or any other Toyotas as my warranty experiences in the past have been hit or miss but everything the guy is saying is believable. Had a dealer (not my current one, a different one) scratch up my 3rd gen's plastic grille valence like they dropped it on the ground and dragged it across the shop floor when I paid them to replace a broken lower bumper piece.

Manager gave me the option of one of their "partner body shop repairs" or $300 credit and a paint pen. Took the pen and the credit because like hell I would going to have these guys now painting the vehicle when they couldn't even handle swapping out some plastic in the bumper assembly.

I realize these are not roll royces but come on, day 1 of training for shop techs should be how to not damage customer property. When we come back to trade the vehicle we get grief over anything that might diminish value and yet this is their service department.

Toyota must realize this and use their underpaid, under trained shop techs as leverage to scare people off from even claiming warranty work and making people thinking that they will breaks two things for every one thing they fix so why bother.

 

His was a nightmare of the worst order but most people do not have this bad of an experience. The 4Runner is one of the most reliable vehicles out there.....I know broken record. The rear garnish rust issue needs to be dealt with and if you're in the rust belt the vehicle needs Krown or Fluid Film treatment every year. Aside from that, most people aren't having major issues. Toyota should have done better with the known hatch issue.

 

Part of my thinking process of going with a total dinosaur like the 5th gen in 2022 was that practically all of the kinks should be ironed out by now. This is apparently a very avoidable issue with some 3 cent rubber spacers but Toyota can't be bothered it seems. Incredible.

 

I agree. And they have ironed out almost all the issues.....almost.

 

As much as this sucks and unfortunately there is no perfect vehicle or manufacturer. All we can do is the research most of us on here did and make the best decision at the time. We can put statistics on our favor and statistically I think the 4R is still a winner.

could toyota do better sure! They could fix these issues and even the frame issues. But these sell as quickly as they can build them so why bother. They read these forums too I am sure. They know most of us are going to stay to a Japanese brand also

 

Actually I just watched this video. Checked my '22 which is ok so far. So I pulled the license plate lights to take a look. There is a gap between the plastic moulding and the sheet metal where i could see daylight but it seems to be inconsistent especially at the bottom outside edges and at the top where the Toyota logo is. Toyota looks at this as a perforation warranty so it becomes a game. I could ignore it until is a problem and fight Toyota and pay a 50/50 deal and risk a paint mismatch or be proactive. So for now I just sprayed the whole inside area with Krown rustproofing in a can and will keep an eye on it.

 

No doubt it's calculated on their part but they don't seem particularly concerned about the poor customer experiences. So far at least I have never been stiffed as hard as this guy but if I was the only way I would buy another Toyota was if it was a used landcruiser.

Let's see how it plays out but I'm still in shock as to how a 2 year old vehicle that has been sold virtually unchanged since 2010 has a rust related defect. To my knowledge it is unheard of. Even if I parked it on salt gravel daily I would not expect this outcome this soon.

 

I've been lucky to have a good dealer to deal with the issues I've had in the 3 years and 50,000km I've had the 4Runner. That includes the rear hatch rust issue and what could have been a bigger $$ issue if I hadn't caught it 2.5 months before the bumper to bumper ran out, and that was the front KDSS piston leaking. If I would have had to pay for that, it would have been at least $4k to $5k.

I still like and enjoy the 4Runner and statistically it may be one of the most reliable vehicles on the road today but don't kid yourself and think this generation doesn't have it's share of issues.

 

KDSS piston leaking? Good grief, how did you catch that and how many kilometers did you have at the time?

 

Good post. How easy is to pull the bulbs? Would spraying fluid film in there benefit perhaps?

 

At approx 48,000km is when I caught it while swapping on my winter wheels. Took the dealer a month and a half to get the special tool from Toyota to re-pressurize the system. The work was finally done a week and a half before the bumper to bumper expired.

 

Toyota's logic when it comes to adding features and making improvements: "If we do nothing, are people going to stop buying 4Runners? No? Carry on..." They'll fix issues when it hurts their bottom line in terms of warranty costs.

If this dealer hees and haws about warranty covering the repair, go to another dealer.

 

Easy peasy. Couple of Phillips screws. Wiring is really short like just barely enough to change bulbs. Any creaping rustproofing would work. I
will apply annually. The problem is the rub factor. Where ever the plastic moulding contacts the paint it will eventually wear thru to bare metal. You can fight Toyota and have it redone but it doesn't correct the underlying problem. I really think Toyota should have sealed this area off with a gasket of some sort rather than try to gap it.

 

Watching for this one. KDSS is great until you have to fix it.

 

Crazy how a vehicle can be so reliable yet shoddy at the same time.

 

^By 2025 Toyota should fix it, by switching to aluminum.

 

Thank you sir!

 

My is 2021 and it is starting to do it. Still in early stages but I can already see a 2mm rust spot just at the edge of the cover. I was contemplating on putting a touch up paint on it since I'm over 60K km. This sucks, so far this car has been more trouble that anticipated. The famous wheel shake, coolant leak that developed into oil leak at the dealership, now this rust, all in 1.5 year of ownership.

 

I would take it in now and see if they will do something to make right even though you’re close to out of the warranty. Show them this thread. Longer you wait I’d say less likely they will assist.

 

The selling dealer is more likely to go to bat for you. But perforation is the key. Which is a game they like to play. Why Toyota hasn't dealt with this over the years is beyond my pay grade. So much for "Kaizen". Seems that only applies in the factory. I would rather not let it start in the first place. Have seen various pics of this and can only guess flexing, expansion/contraction and rub thru is the issue. I mean even door handles have had gaskets of some sort forever now. Maybe a bead of sealer around the moulding before it starts?

 

Does anyone think pulling the trim and using something like this on the edge of the trim and reattaching would be a long term solution?

$12 Yotache Weather Stripping (.25) 1/4" Wide X 1/16" Thick (New Adhesive Craft), Thin 1.5mm Foam Seal Gasket Tape for Window, Dashboard, Sliding Door Jamb, 65 Ft Length (2 Strips of 33 Ft Each)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z4QYYDK

 

Would be good for abrasion. Question is would the foam hold water and be self defeating. As well as hard to make it look good. If you sealed with silicone at least you could remove the silicone without damage. But if you used urethane sealant maybe not so much.

 

I'd think ppf would be the best bet

 

This is what I am going to investigate. The place that did my
Xpel and windows said he has seen the rust on few 4Rs and the repaints. One good customer had a spacer of some sort under the 4r badge that was very narrow. They cut some custom ppf to go around that area to prevent rubbing.

I plan to take mine in the spring for him to look at and see if anything can be done now.

 

Will have to look into ppf.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2gdF21VIWg&ab_channel=Xerkaw Thinking I might try this.