It is ironic isn't it? Japanese cars used to be notorious for body rust. They didn't fix the problem, they just migrated it!
Even newer ones are showing body rust after 5 years here on Long Island. Ford and Chevy and Dodge and most of the Euro cars? Nothing.
And the ones that don't have body rust, look underneath at the exhaust system, brake lines, and fuel lines. For whatever reason, they insist on using galvanized heat shields on the exhaust. If a Japanese car/SUV isn't rattling it's heat shields by 5 years old, they already fell off.
Can't say about the most recent years, but the stigma sticks
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- art k. - Moderator for the Superduty, V10, and FE forums
'01 F250SD SC SB XLT V10 4x4 auto 3.73 Warn hubs Volant CAI, eBay headers and y-pipe - 5-star custom tunes on SCT X3
'97 Cougar XR7 30th Anniv Edition 4.6L
'74 F250 Highboy FE390 deceased! I've been wrong before, I'll be wrong again. Just wait and see.
Well, I've read the posts on this interesting topic. Here's my two cents.
We have once again managed to to take a companies efforts to right a bad situation and turn them into something that we can use to make us feel better about our own choices on what we drive.
While I'm not saying that Toyota deserves a free pass on this, at least they have made some attempt to rectify the situation. I don't remember Ford doing that with the Pinto incident.
Ken made an excellent post in which he sang the praises of how J&J handled one of the biggest scares in OTC medicines in history. It would be nice if other companies could use this as a model of how to act in the face of serious issues just a little more often.
Finally, Ford vs. Chevy, vs. Toyota vs. whoever......in this day and age of rising pricings (and minimal rising income) can't we just be happy that some of the little guys are getting a piece of the pie back from the big boys instead of being bent over the proverbial barrel continuously. I know personally that if I were the lucky recipient, my first thought would be...."good for me".
Okay here are my two experiences with a Ford and a Toyota.
I was 17 when I bought my 94 Toyota Tercel (yeah it was cheap, it was new and it ran good inspite of me beating it like a rented mule from it's birth until I sold it with 135,000 miles after it was rear-ended three times). This was a good car from day one, it was in Northeast Ohio and of course I had rust, including rust through within about 3 years in the rear fenderwells. Toyota regional warrenty rep denied the claim inspite of the quarter size hole through the skin. For this reason alone I will never buy another Toyota.
However at 22 years of age, relatively newly married (still young and dumb) my wife and I bought a 99-f150 used. We got the shaft from the dealership and talked into buying insurance and warrenties. A few years later with 50k on the clock I'm really glad we bought the extended warranty when the engine cratered. There wasn't anything left of the inside of the engine, the dealer didn't know how or why it was still running when they tore it down for inspection. Ford corporate tried to insist upon a rebuild of the engine that would have taken months (according to the dealership where I was now living in central PA). They went to bat for me and a new crate motor was installed and rental car provided. Cost to me $50.00. Not long after all of this the auto-tranny started slipping slightly. I traded it in on my 01-f250 and have been happy with it ever since.
I liked all of my vehicles, the only one that ever let me down was the 99-f250 but the Toyota people gave me the shaft so I may own another Toyota if the price is right and it is out of their warrenty but I would never trust them to honor their warranties either. Though I'm not all to sure how much faith I have in Ford for this either.
__________________ If you EVER think something you are about to do is a dumb idea and will cost you a lot of money when it falls apart; it WILL!!
2001 F-250SD V10-BSEG 5-Speed Stick, Manual 4X4, 4.30LS SC SB XL - Bilstein HDs
1999 F-150 V6 Auto XLT - Traded
1988 F-250 351W Auto 4x4 - Sold
1961 F-100 292 Y-8 3-Speed Unibody, Custom Cab - Gave Away
I don't remember Ford doing that with the Pinto incident.
I do.
In 1975, Ford recalled all the Pintos built 1971/74 and installed a kit to correct the issue. The kit consisted of a curved plastic shield and a longer fuel tank filler neck.
The cause: The Pinto gas tank was made up of two pieces of galvanized steel which formed a seam. When rear ended, the seam hit the rear end, spliting it open, this also caused the filler neck to be pulled out of the fuel tank.
The shield was placed between the seam and the rear end, the new filler neck was 4" longer.
The Pinto wagons were not affected.
__________________ Bill / Retired Ford Partsman 1962-1997 / Ford Historian / SoCal Chapter Member.
Part Number Research: Trucks: 1928/2002 / Cars: 1928/1979
1963 Galaxie 500XL / 1965 F100 Styleside Pickup ~ Original Owner / 2008 Fusion S / 2008 Edge SEL
Even newer ones are showing body rust after 5 years here on Long Island. Ford and Chevy and Dodge and most of the Euro cars? Nothing.
I live up in canada and we always have the rust issues up here. Now I dont have a toyota to compare your statement too, but I do have a honda civic, and my truck is a 03 ford super duty. The superduty is getting rust on it in the "common" places under the door and the tail gate. The honda so far has none, but is two years newer, but has zero signs of rust.
Toyota is dealing with their problem in the best way anyone could ever imagine. Im not gonna run out and buy one tomorrow (specially a truck, not for me) but it is reassuring to know they take care of their problems, not let the customer deal with them.
Im just starting my own business, and I have quickly learned the good reputation a person gets if you address and properly fix your mistakes. You get a great rep, and lots of people wanting you to do a job for them, cause IF you screw up, and you dont screw the person around and in the end they are happy, they will pass that along. Seems like alot of people remember the fact you will fix any problems that arise, then remember the problems in the first place.
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$Sheldon$
2003 F-250 supercab shortbox 4x4 lariat
~Everythings legal man as long as ya dont get caught~
We have an 02 Toyota Solara in northern KY and it has very little if any rust anywhere on it. Only thing wrong with it was a water pump went out at 58000 miles and it was replaced under warranty, no questions asked, in less than 24 hours.
My F150s, let's just say that they've had problems.
Mike
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Confusing people's opinions with facts here since 09-30-2002
Something else to consider, and believe me, Toyota has considered this, There will be NO used parts available for these surviving trucks to get ahold of. You will have to buy New parts. Profit=Toyota. There will be 800,000 Trucks going into Service departments all over the nation. Some will be fine rust-wise but will need other maintanence work such as brakes, oil changes, and other issues. Toyota will profit from all of this.
Does anyone remember the steering relay-rod recall Toyota did a few years ago? EVERY 89-95 truck and 93-98 T-100 was recalled to replace a relay-rod that didn't really have any problems except a select few that were beaten to death. These rods were 15 years old when Toyota announced the recall. What happened? They made a TON of money on other labor from brakes, clutches, idler arms, pitman arms and other items because they needed service that wasn't included in the recall. While some people opted not to do the work, others had it done. Toyota made money and the customers were happy. They brought lost customers back to thier own dealers.
This is what will happen again. Toyota will sell New Tacomas with the check's they provide that will eventually need to have maint done and they will make money servicing the trucks that don't need to be crushed. They will also make money on the lack of available used parts for these trucks.
The superduty is getting rust on it in the "common" places under the door and the tail gate. The honda so far has none, but is two years newer, but has zero signs of rust.
Funny how that works. They salt almost constantly during the winter around here - the humidity from the ocean and freezing temps means black ice everywhere. So there's always a coat of salt on the road until spring. One year, they started using plain old sodium chloride (table salt) because the regular stuff (potassium/calcium chloride?) was too expensive or just plain gone (bad freezing winter). It was obvious when they used that stuff... But no body rust on my '01 and I do use it when it snows - which it hasn't lately.
But most of my friends and family with non-american non-euro cars suddenly started finding rust on their cars...
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- art k. - Moderator for the Superduty, V10, and FE forums
'01 F250SD SC SB XLT V10 4x4 auto 3.73 Warn hubs Volant CAI, eBay headers and y-pipe - 5-star custom tunes on SCT X3
'97 Cougar XR7 30th Anniv Edition 4.6L
'74 F250 Highboy FE390 deceased! I've been wrong before, I'll be wrong again. Just wait and see.
I think it is time I find out what company owns RUST OLEUM and buy some of that stock. Probably a private company, owned by the Chinese, and for our Chinese members, I do not mean that to be derrogatory!
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2001 Excursion Ltd. V-10 (the GOOD)
2003 Excursion Ltd. 6.0 (the BAD)
2005 F-350 6.0, KR, long bed, 4x4 (the UGLY)
2008 F-350, 6.4, KR, long bed, 4x4 (LEAN, MEAN & BEAUTIFUL)
My SD had the bottoms of all 4 doors rusting in large spots after 4 years.
I have had them repainted twice at my own expense.
Yeah, Superdutys rust just like Toyota's.
Not exactly. You have rusting body panels and the Tacos have rusting FRAMES. Your rust is annoying and looks bad but probably won't cause you to wreck.
Not exactly. You have rusting body panels and the Tacos have rusting FRAMES. Your rust is annoying and looks bad but probably won't cause you to wreck.
I do agree with you that body rust isnt half as bad as a frame rusting that bad, but a guy can twist it around too. IF (they never will Im going to repaint) the doors on my truck rusted so there was holes in there, and the exhaust was able to leak in, it could POTENTIALLY kill a person too!
All rust sucks, and i dont think no one means any different
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$Sheldon$
2003 F-250 supercab shortbox 4x4 lariat
~Everythings legal man as long as ya dont get caught~
Funny how that works. They salt almost constantly during the winter around here - the humidity from the ocean and freezing temps means black ice everywhere. So there's always a coat of salt on the road until spring. One year, they started using plain old sodium chloride (table salt) because the regular stuff (potassium/calcium chloride?) was too expensive or just plain gone (bad freezing winter). It was obvious when they used that stuff... But no body rust on my '01 and I do use it when it snows - which it hasn't lately.
But most of my friends and family with non-american non-euro cars suddenly started finding rust on their cars...
You are lucky!! I did buy my truck used, and noticed that the dealer I bought it from did touch up all the paint on the bottom of the doors, but it still did rust.
I have thought too that my civic doesnt rust as much, because there is alot of "plastic" stuff on it, like the bumpers.
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$Sheldon$
2003 F-250 supercab shortbox 4x4 lariat
~Everythings legal man as long as ya dont get caught~
IF (they never will Im going to repaint) the doors on my truck rusted so there was holes in there, and the exhaust was able to leak in, it could POTENTIALLY kill a person too!
LOL... only if you're sitting in your garage with the doors closed and the engine running. If a rust hole in your door is potentially fatal then you could say the same thing about rolling the windows down
I was kinda thinking of it moreso in the exhaust coming in because maybe its near the bottom of the door, also the exhaust would be leaking down there.
Ive personally had a truck that had rust in the similar area where that would be, but it wasnt on a ford. it was a rusty ol datsun, and the exhaust did develop a leak, and you could smell it in the cab.
It could happen
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$Sheldon$
2003 F-250 supercab shortbox 4x4 lariat
~Everythings legal man as long as ya dont get caught~
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