‘That’s totaled’: Mechanic puts Toyota Tacoma on a lift. Then it snaps in half
An automotive shop found itself in a precarious position. TikTok account @todayearsold uploaded footage of a Toyota Tacoma that appears to have been severely damaged while on a lift.
The poster's clip shocked other viewers, many of whom believe there's no saving the vehicle.
"How do we explain this to the customer?!" a text overlay in the video reads. Right from the get-go, it's apparent that something has gone terribly wrong in the shop.
That's because the bed of the Toyota Tacoma is broken in half. The latter portion of the vehicle dangles off the lift. It appears that its rear axle may have not received sufficient support whilst up on the lift. Consequently, the car folded unto itself, leaving its truck bed precariously hanging off the back part of the lift.
The person behind the camera then pans to the side of the vehicle to get a closer look at the damage. It seems as if the components joining the pick-up's bed came undone during the lifting process.
Lift fails
Unfortunately, there are numerous documented cases of auto shop lifts damaging vehicles. This YouTube compilation features a series of lift accidents involving a variety of techniques for working beneath cars. First, a shop worker crashes a car into the ground after attempting to drive it carefully down from a lift.
It's apparent there isn't enough clearance to get the car safely down from the lift. Consequently, the hatchback crashes into the floor of the shop before driving off. Next, the video shows a jacked-up Mercedes-Benz surrounded by automotive workers. One employee stands beneath the car, inspecting its undercarriage. He's soon joined by another worker when disaster strikes. The vehicle begins to move and then falls right on its passenger side.
Additionally, one Toyota Nation forum poster said their car was damaged while in a shop. According to the Corolla owner, the shop damaged the bottom portion of the frame. The driver said the harm their vehicle sustained was a direct consequence of it being propped up on the lift. Moreover, they contested that the damage wasn't present on the car when they purchased it.
Bed removal
The drastic damage displayed in @todayearsold's video appears to detail an unintentional pick-up bed separation. There are ways to do this without damaging a pickup truck, however. YouTuber @MotorCarNut demonstrated how to do just that on a Ford F-150 SuperCrew Crew cab.
The step-by-step process shows how folks can go about disassembling the truck in this fashion. First, they indicate that several components must be disconnected before specific bolts, nuts, and fasteners are disengaged. Failure to do so can cause severe damage to critical vehicle components.
Furthermore, it should be highlighted that a car's fuel lines and tank, and electrical wiring, run beneath the truck. Snapping the bed in half inadvertently could sever or crush these mechanisms. Consequently, this could necessitate further repairs or replacements on a vehicle. This means the shop in question could be at fault and on the hook to fix this damage.
@todayearsoldwhen Aint no way
♬ LOCK IN - Destroy Lonely
Viewers blame the Toyota Tacoma
However, several viewers said repairs would be impossible in this instance. One TikTok user said the shop should immediately contact their insurance provider. That's because, in their estimation, the truck was totaled.
"You don’t explain it to the owner you explain it to your insurance company because that’s totaled," one wrote.
Another chalked the problem up to a known issue with older Toyota Tacomas. They contest that the frames on these trucks are prone to rust. "The frames on these Tacomas get rusty and break. They’re known for this sadly," they said.
Another viewer echoes, "Knew it was a Toyota right away. I've seen it happen! I believe those were recalled or there was a lawsuit over the frame rot."
One commenter said the damage was directly attributed to improper lift usage, however. "Maybe tell them that yall dont know how to use a lift," they wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @todayearsold via TikTok comment and Toyota via email for further information.
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