Toyota To Pay $3.4 Billion To Fix Trucks With Corrosion Issues

Image courtesy of (frankieleon)

Toyota has agreed to pay a total of $3.4 billion to the owners of more than 1.5 million Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia vehicles that have a tendency to corrode prematurely because they lack proper rust protection.

This is according to the Wall Street Journal, which reports that a federal judge in California recently approved the deal, which will close the books on a lawsuit involving owners from multiple states who accused Toyota of making vehicles that “allegedly lacked adequate rust protection on the vehicles’ frames that would allegedly result in premature rust corrosion.”

The case originally focused on the Tacoma truck, but the Tundra and Sequoia models located in California, Florida, Ohio, and Louisiana were added.

Under the settlement, Toyota will inspect and replace the frames for model year 2005 to 2010 Tacoma, model years 2007 to 2008 Tundra, and model years 2005 to 2008 Sequoia vehicles. The settlement estimates that each replacement will cost about $15,000.

“We want our customers to have a great ownership experience, so we are pleased to resolve this litigation in a way that benefits them and demonstrates that we stand behind the quality and reliability of our vehicles,” a rep for Toyota, which does not admit any wrongdoing, tells the Journal.

This isn’t the first issue Toyota has faced related to corrosion of its trucks. Back in 2008, the company announced a buyback program for Tacoma trucks made between 1995 and 2000 as a result of severe rust corrosion. Under that plan, the company would either repair the truck or buy it back as a vehicle in “excellent condition.”

Toyota in $3.4 Billion Settlement Over Corrosion in Some Trucks and SUVs [The Wall Street Journal]

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