Toyota didn't become a global auto manufacturing conglomerate by accident. Japan's largest automaker has steadily built a reputation for quality, dependability, and reliability since debuting its first car in 1936. That's why we find it unusual when reports about poorly built or unreliable Toyotas hit the spotlight, especially when it concerns a Toyota pickup truck.

We're referring to the Tacoma, a workhorse truck launched in 1995 and has undergone four generations, the latest of which debuted in 2023. Unfortunately, the Tacoma has had a string of missteps since launching in the mid-90s, and it primarily has to do with the one thing that holds everything together: the frame or chassis.

The Toyota Tacoma suffered from deteriorating frames caused by excessive rust buildup, and the problem covers Tacomas from the first generation to near the end of the third-generation lifecycle, which is from 1995 to 2017. Toyota announced numerous recalls to address the rusted frame issues, but many owners were unaware of the looming problem and only found out about the damage after the recalls expired.

"I climbed underneath yesterday and was looking around because it seemed to be riding a little squishy. I noticed extensive rusting and missing metal, plus a crack or two in the frame," said a 2008 Tacoma owner at TacomaWorld. "I talked to a dealership that forwarded me to corporate and then forwarded me to the resolution department that dead-ended; it sure sounds like now I have a broken truck with few options other than buying frame sections and welding them in."