Toyota Sued for Defective Clear Coat on Tacomas

Toyota’s now facing a federal class-action lawsuit, thanks to premature paint and clear-coat damage on 2015 Tacomas and similar vehicles.

Toyota Motors North America (TMNA) landed in hot water in April after plaintiff and California resident Mark Greif filed a class-action lawsuit. The complaint: premature oxidation of the clear coat, leading to faded paint all across the hood and roof of Toyota pickups. Following multiple failed attempts to get Toyota to fix the issue, Greif took his 2015 Tacoma to a number of body shops for estimates. Some of which totaled at around $6,000 for a new coat of paint. The Los Angeles resident filed his complaint on April 17, which was then removed on May 16. In this context, removing means that the defendant takes the lawsuit from state to federal court. In this case, Toyota removed the lawsuit from the California Superior Court to the US District Court for the Central District of California.

Toyota faces a total of four claims, outlining deceptive and misleading advertising, faulty manufacturing processes, and a breach of implied warranty. In plain terms, Greif alleges that Toyota’s advertising of the Tacoma’s durability extended to its paintwork. Which apparently isn’t exactly as durable as they claimed, given that it faded within less than 10 years. He tried contacting Toyota about the defect and received no response. Noting that this isn’t exactly an uncommon issue, he finally resorted to filing the class-action lawsuit. Which, believe it or not, isn’t even the first such lawsuit that Toyota faced this year. Over in Australia, Toyota’s battling yet another lawsuit regarding paintwork of Corollas.

Breaking Down the Case

The false advertising claims stem from Toyota’s advertising campaign showcasing the Tacoma’s durability. According to the claim, the plaintiff was led to believe the Tacoma was “rugged, built to last, and capable of holding up to the elements for years to come. [The plaintiff] understood to mean it would remain free of clear coat and paint damage for many years, in all types of terrain, weather, and climate, because that is what the representations said and implied.”

In short, Toyota’s phraseology in its ad campaign misled customers. They claimed the Tacoma – and its paintwork, by extension, would hold up for many years. All the while exposed to the elements, if properly maintained. This issue extended to a number of customers, with many taking independent steps to remedy the peeling paint. Such as some people spraying the roof and A-pillars with Line-X and similar products to prevent rusting.

The reason behind the peeling, Greif alleges, is clear coat “of poor quality and/or not properly or adequately applied,” causing the oxidation. This falls under faulty manufacturing processes, which would make Toyota liable to respray the affected vehicles as part of a recall. Furthermore, when the oxidation sets in, this can lead to premature rusting. Which has its own inherent issues with body panel integrity. Basically, Toyota faces a potentially very costly lawsuit here. Should everything land in Greif’s favor, the company will likely have to answer for damages related to respraying, rusted body panels, and false advertising practices.

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M.C. Cuccio

I've been an automotive aficionado since I had baby teeth. My path was set when I first leaned on my grandfather's classic Porsche as I learned how to walk. One of my first memories was my mother sitting me behind the wheel of her Pontiac and talking me through the instrumentation and controls. Even though I was a mere three or four years old, I was instantly sold, and filled notebooks with technical drawings, sketches, and collections of manuals of all sorts of cars. I've actively tracked developments in automotive and motorsport technology for well over 20 years, and pride myself on being intimately familiar with the functions and history of a wide range of vehicles.

My primary goal as a writer and enthusiast is to equally learn and share what I've learned in a constructive and interesting way. I maintain connections with people from around the world and can read technical manuals in Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, granting me access to a wide array of resources. My primary focuses are deep-dives into historical topics, motorsport discussion, and learning about the complex mechanical elements of such vehicles. As such, my research is never perfect; as anyone into cars will attest, the more you learn about cars, the more you realize how little you actually know. Therefore, I always welcome fresh knowledge and corrections to help me better my work in the future.