62k mile 2003 Toyota Tundra Shows Frame Rust
UPDATE: As of May 2010, Toyota has extended the warranty on 2000-2003 Tundra frames. Please see Toyota Tundra Frame Replacement Program for more details.
UPDATE (10/7/09) – NHTSA has begun investigating 2000-2001 Tundras for frame rust issues.
Last week the owner of a 2003 Toyota Tundra contacted us about significant rust on the frame of his 2003 Toyota Tundra. If the pictures aren’t shocking enough, the owner says the vehicle only has 62k miles:
“Have 2003 Tundra with rusted out frame and 62,000 miles. I can’t adjust alignment because the frame has fused with those parts. So much for my new tires. Cross members are also shot as well as rear bumper attachments. I love the truck, it’s just that it is now worthless and dangerous in this condition. Two years ago the gas filler pipe rusted out – what gives?”
This 2003 Tundra has 62k miles and significant frame rust.
The stark contrast between the rust on the frame and the nearly rust-free underside of the body panels is quite telling. Read more…
Truck Bed Liners: 7 Tips For Buying The Right One
Bed liners might be the most popular truck accessory of all time. Truck owners love them for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is their role in protecting the shiny factory finish inside the truck bed. If you’re a new truck owner thinking about getting a bed liner, here are 7 truck bed liner buying tips for you: Read more…
WTF NHTSA? Toyota Tundra Crash Test Results Shenanigans
When the 2nd generation Toyota Tundra debuted in 2007, Toyota was quite confident that the Tundra would be the safest pickup in it’s class. With standard ESC, side airbags, and Toyota’s latest and greatest crash test technology, Toyota had every reason to be confident.
Then NHTSA’s results (that’s National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration) came out. 4 stars. Toyota was devastated.
Time passed and the IIHS (that’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) issued their first ever Top-Pick rating to a pickup when they declared the 2007 Tundra to be the safest truck in it’s class.
IIHS crash test of 2007 Toyota Tundra
NHTSA said 4 stars, IIHS said top pick – and anyone shopping for a Tundra was (understandably) confused.
However, yesterday NHTSA released the results of a “re-test” of the 2010 Tundra and guess what – it got 5 stars. Great news right? Except the structure of the 2010 TUNDRA DIDN’T CHANGE! Read more…
Mahindra Markets Value-Priced Diesel Power
A company known as Mahindra will begin selling small diesel trucks in the U.S. market in the next few months (PickupTrucks.com reports February 2010). The very first models have yet to be named, but Mahindra has released some data and some photos that give us enough information to start forming an opinion.
Mahindra's new two-door value-priced diesel truck.
First, here’s what we know: Read more…
A Real Flying Car – Terrafugia Transition
Back in the 1940’s and 50’s a number of futurists declared that flying cars were “just around the corner,” and that they would revolutionize the world of personal travel. That never quite happened, but almost 60 years later it is now possible to own a very similar contraption that promises to extend the utility of the personal airplane in a brand new direction.
Terrafugia Transition's Flying Car
The Terrafugia Transition is less a flying car and more an airplane that can be safely driven on public roads. In terms of appearance, the James Bond-style transporter is either an odd-looking airplane or a completely off-the-wall automobile…depending upon how you look at it. But one thing is certain: it succeeds both in the sky and on the ground in providing its pilot with excellent flying and driving characteristics. Read more…
