2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED FOR AN UNRELATED ISSUE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V444000 (STRUCTURE). THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DEALER SPRAYED CORROSION PROTECTION INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE FRAME. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE RECALL REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,000.

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT AN UNSAFE CONDITION DISCOVERED ON MY 2002 TUNDRA. WITH 158000 IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT HALF OF THE FRAME HAS ROTTED OUT/ SEVERAL LARGE PERFORATIONS MAKE THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAD GONE THROUGH A PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN IN WHICH THE FRAME WAS INSPECTED AND RUST INHIBITOR APPLIED TO REAR OF FRAME. *TR

VEHICLE HAS 121,000 MILES ON IT. THE FRAME HAS NOW CRACKED DUE TO RUST PERFORATION AND MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO OPERATE. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE RUST ISSUES ON THEIR TUNDRA MODELS YEARS 2000-2003 AND HAS COMMENCED AT LEAST 3 DIFFERENT CAMPAIGNS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THE TRUCK WAS BROUGHT IN FOR ALL 3 RECALLS THE LAST ONE IN 2012. TOYOTA'S SOLUTION WAS TO SPRAY THEM WITH RUST INHIBITOR AND SEND THE CUSTOMER ON THEIR WAY. THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN PUTTING A BAND AID ON A HEMORRHAGING WOUND. MOST OF THE FRAMES HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED FRAME CORROSION. WHEN I SPOKE TO TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER ON 4/15/15 THEY ISSUED ME A CASE NUMBER AND SAID I WOULD RECEIVE A CALL BACK. TOYOTA CALLED BACK TODAY 4/16/15 AND SAID THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME AS THE RUST CORROSION CAMPAIGN ENDED IN DECEMBER 2013. I THINK THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN AND FORCE TOYOTA TO FIX OR REPLACE THESE TRUCKS.I AM SURE MANY OWNERS HAVE NO IDEA THEY ARE DRIVING AROUND WITH PERFORATED FRAMES THAT ARE UNSAFE. MY DAMAGED FRAME WAS DISCOVERED DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. *TR

TRUCK NEEDED SENSOR REPLACED FOR SAFETY INSPECTION STICKER (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON). MECHANIC FOUND FRAME UNDERNEATH TO BE SO RUSTED HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WORKING ON THE TRUCK. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO LOCAL DEALER AND THEY AGREED THE TRUCK IS RUSTED TO POINT OF BEING UNSAFE. THEY TOOK PICTURES TO SEND CORPORATE FOR FRAME REPLACEMENT APPROVAL. REQUEST WAS DENIED. I THEN CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THEY AGREED TO ASSIGN A CASE NUMBER. I WAS EVENTUALLY TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH TRUCK IS UNSAFE, THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO SINCE CAMPAIGN IS CLOSED. I HAD THE TRUCK SPRAYED AS INITIAL RECALL STATED. I RECEIVED NO OTHER RECALL OR REQUESTED SERVICE INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA. I NOW HAVE A TRUCK WITH LOW MILEAGE THAT WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND TOYOTA WILL DO NOTHING TO MAKE SURE THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE SAFE OR CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD SHOULD PARTS OF MY FRAME START FALLING OFF WHILE DRIVING. I FIND THIS PRACTICE VERY NEGLECTFUL ESPECIALLY FOR A LARGE CORPORATION. I HAVE SEEN THAT MANY OTHERS ARE IN THE SAME POSITION WITH THEIR TUNDRA. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE TO RECTIFY THIS SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING REPAIRS PERFORMED, THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME REEL THAT CONNECTS THE LEAF SPRINGS HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 5/28/15 *TA UPDATED 9/17/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FRAME DEVELOPED HOLES DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN REPAIRED THE SEALANT FOR THE FRAME; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO REVERSE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE BRAKE APPLIED, UNEXPECTEDLY THE COLUMN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER COMPLETELY BROKE LOOSE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE COLUMN BRACKET AND HOUSING WERE BOTH FOUND TO BE FRACTURED, WITH THE BRACKET SEPARATED FROM THE HOUSING. THIS RENDERED THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. *TR

CRUISING AT 50 MPH SUDDENLY VEHICLE ACCELERATOR STOPS FUNCTIONING AND TRUCK COASTS SLOWLY TO SIDE OF ROAD. ENGINE SEEMS TO BE RUNNING NORMALLY, BUT NO ACCELERATION AT ALL. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

VEHICLE HAS "GROWLING" NOISE COMING FROM FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. NOISE IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH VIBRATION IN STEERING AND AFFECTS STOPPING AND ACCELERATION AS FAULTY PARTS BIND IN GEARING. THIS FAULTY EQUIPMENT HAS OCCASIONALLY LOCKED ONE WHEEL WHILE TURNING, FORCING VEHICLE WEIGHT TO ONE SIDE. IN WET ROAD CONDITIONS VEHICLE HAS SLID WHILE CORNERING. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, AS SEVERAL OWNERS REPORT THE SAME ISSUE. DIFFERENTIAL IS REPLACED AS A LAST RESORT BY THE MANUFACTURER AND ONLY COVERS THIS FAULTY PART(S) UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. *JS

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT I BOUGHT FROM DEL TOYOTA IN THORNDALE PA. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW FROM THIS DEALER. TOYOTA SENT ME A LETTER FOR THE RECALL OF THE FRAME. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO DEL TOYOTA TO HAVE THE FRAME LOOKED AT IN 2012 AND THEY SAID THE FRAME JUST NEEDED SPRAYED. I WAS FINE WITH THAT. THE PROBLEM IS NOW MY FRAME HAS 4 INCH HOLES IN IT UP BY THE ENGINE ON BOTH SIDES. THERE IS NOT WHEY MY FRAME WOULD HAVE RUSTED OUT THAT FAST SINCE THE DEALER LOOKED AT IT IN 2012. SO I TOOK MY TUNDRA BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM INSPECT THE HOLES AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD CALL TOYOTA TO GET A NEW FRAME ON IT BECAUSE I HAD THE TRUCK IN DURING THE RECALL PERIOD THE FIRST TIME. LITTLE DID I KNOW TOYOTA SAID THEY WILL NOT REPLACE MY FRAME BECAUSE THE RECALL PERIOD IS OVER. THEN DEL TOYOTA TOLD ME TO CALL TOYOTA CORP AND TALK TO A CASE MANAGER. SO I CALLED TOYOTA CORP AND TALKED TO [XXX] (THE CASE MANAGER) AND SHE TOLD ME TOYOTA WOULD NOT REPLACE THE FRAME BECAUSE THE RECALL PERIOD IS OVER. I TOLD HER MY TRUCK WAS IN FOR THE RECALL AND THEY SPRAYED IT WHEN THE FRAME SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. SHE TOLD ME AGAIN TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE MY FRAME. SO NOW I AM STUCK WITH A UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION ANYMORE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR