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Toyota addresses corrosion issues

Local Tacoma pickup owners receive repairs, extended warranties, generous buyback checks

By Betty Lin-Fisher
Beacon Journal business writer

Published on Thursday, Apr 03, 2008

Brent Parkinson's 10-year-old Toyota Tacoma pickup had more than 200,000 miles on it — and he was counting on another 200,000.

But now it's sitting in a row among 20 other Tacomas at Ganley Toyota on East Market Street — waiting to be salvaged for scrap or donated to a school with an auto technician program.

And Parkinson of Bolivar is expecting a check in two to four weeks from Toyota for $12,600 — nearly four times what it might have brought on a trade-in.

Because of corrosion on the frames of some 1995 to 2000 Tacomas that are creating holes, Toyota Motor Sales USA has announced a ''Customer Support Program'' to extend warranty coverage, repair or repurchase the trucks.

So far, the program has only been through word of mouth and on Internet forums, but Toyota officials said letters will be sent to about 813,000 owners with vehicle identification numbers believed to be affected.

Some trucks might not have had adequate corrosion protection, and driving on road salt in the winter in Northeast Ohio could cause advanced surface rust, Toyota said.

If there are rust holes due to corrosion, Toyota will either repair or repurchase the vehicle. If there's no rust perforation present, the extended war
ranty of 15 years — with no mileage limitation — will be given for the problem.

If the truck is repurchased, Toyota will give owners 11/2 times the Kelley Blue Book Value's ''excellent'' condition retail price. Usually during a trade-in, dealers will use the ''fair'' condition estimate for wholesale prices, which are much lower.

In Parkinson's case, the ''fair'' wholesale value was about $3,400. The retail ''excellent'' value was about $8,400, so he will receive the $12,600.

There's a big difference between wholesale and retail value, said Ken Ganley, vice president and general manager of Ganley Akron.

''There's no way I'm going to get $8,000 retail for a truck with 200,000 miles on it,'' said Ganley. ''That retail value is sky high, then to give them 150 percent? That's incredible.''

Unique move

Greater Cleveland Auto Dealers Association President Gary Adams said he's never heard of a manufacturer willing to pay such a lucrative rate. Usually manufacturers may buy a vehicle back at that wholesale rate.

''In many cases, these vehicles are considered unsafe,'' said Ganley. ''It's actually great for us because it brings buyers back in our doors.''

Ganley said his staff has told him that some of the frames are in bad shape.

''There are some that the common word going out here is 'Swiss cheese on the frame,' '' he said.

Toyota officials have said the vehicles have not been recalled and this is not a special service campaign, but a goodwill assistance program. The vehicles in the program are not all of the Tacomas made in 1995 through 2000, said spokesman Bill Kwong, but all owners of those vehicles can take their trucks in for an inspection.

Rae Tyson, a spokesman with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said no investigation is ongoing with the Toyota Tacomas, but the agency is aware of Toyota's voluntary program.

 

Ganley said it's possible his dealership was among the first to report the Tacoma problem to Toyota. In September, the frame snapped on a Tacoma truck that was in for a routine oil change when it was being lifted in the service bay, said Service and Parts Director Michele Baum.

''We were lucky because the technician wasn't in the truck,'' she said.

 

Within a couple of days, about six Toyota engineers from Japan were at Ganley Toyota looking at the vehicle, she said.

Kwong said he could not confirm if Ganley's was the first reported incident.

Don Strauss of Canton said he brought his truck to Ganley after trying to take it to a Canton area dealer who wasn't as willing to help him out.

 

He'll be getting $13,890 for his 1999 Tacoma truck, which also had more than 200,000 miles on it.

''I'm pretty thrilled. I'm either going to go ahead and put that money down on a new truck or find a good used one,'' said Strauss, adding that it would be a Toyota.

 

Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at
330-996-3724 or blinfisher@
thebeaconjournal.com.

 

Brent Parkinson's 10-year-old Toyota Tacoma pickup had more than 200,000 miles on it — and he was counting on another 200,000.

Get the full article here.


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