2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

SHIFT CONTROLLER ASSEMBLY BRACKET (TOYOTA P/N 33501-0C011) HAS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THAT THE PART IS CAST WITHOUT THREADED BOLT HOLES, RELYING ON THE INSTALLATION OF THE SCREWS TO CUT THREADS, BY THE ACT OF INSTALLING THE PART AT THE FACTORY, THE RADIAL OUTWARD FORCE THAT THE SCREW EXERTS CREATES A CIRCUMFERENTIAL TENSILE STRESS AROUND THE HOLE, AND MICROFRACTURES IN THE CAST ALUMINUM. OVER TIME, THE MICROFRACTURES CAUSE FAILURE OF THE PART. WHEN THE PART HAS FINALLY BROKEN, UNKNOWN TO THE OWNER, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT FULLY ENGAGE INTO THE PARK GEAR, SUCH THAT THE PARKING PAWL DOES NOT ENGAGE, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE POTENTIALLY ROLLING WHICH CAN CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH. MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND BEGAN TO ROLL AS I WAS EXITING THE VEHICLE, AND NEARLY PINNED ME UNDER THE VEHICLE. I BARELY ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED TOYOTA HAS DEVELOPED A REVISED PART (P/N 33501-0C012) APPARENTLY TO ADDRESS THIS DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT. SINCE OWNERS DO NOT SEE THE PART TO KNOW ITS BROKEN (ITS CONCEALED IN THE STEERING COLUMN), THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE DANGER. TOYOTA SHOULD INITIATE A VOLUTARY RECALL OR TSB TO INSPECT THE PART, AND REPLACE IT WITH THE NEWER PART IF BROKEN OR SHOWING EVIDENCE OF FRACTURE.

MY TUNDRA WAS UNDER THE FRAME RUST RECALL IN 2014. TOYOTA'S CLAIM WAS THAT THE SALT FROM THE ROADS CAUSED THE SEVERE CORROSION. AS WE ALL KNOW THIS WAS ACTUALLY FROM THE USE OF SUB STANDARD STEEL IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. MY FRAME WAS ACTUALLY DE LAMINATING, NOT JUST SIMPLE SURFACE RUST. WHEN I HAD TAKEN IT IN FOR INSPECTION ALL THAT WAS DONE WAS WIRE BRUSH THE FRAME AND SPRAY WITH AN UNDERCOATING. NOW JUST A LITTLE UNDER THREE YEARS LATER THE COATING IS PEELING OF ALONG WITH MORE LAYERS OF METAL. MOST OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW WITH TACOMAS AND TUNDRAS HAD THEIR FRAMES REPLACED WHEN THEIRS WERE TAKEN IN. SO NOW I HAVE A TRUCK THAT IS NO BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE. ALSO MOST OF THE CHASSIS COMPONENTS ARE RUSTING OUT PREMATURELY AS WELL. MY SPARE TIRE WINCH MECHANISM (CARRIER) BRACKET WAS ABOUT TO RUST THROUGH, LUCKILY I CAUGHT THIS BEFORE I POSSIBLY COULD HAVE DROPPED MY SPARE WHEN TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE. I WOULD APPRECIATE SOMEONE FROM NHTSB TAKING A LOOK AT MY VEHICLE TO SEE THE EXTENT OF WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT. I DID CONTACT TOYOTA SERVICE ABOUT THIS, BUT THEIR ANSWER WAS YOU HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING FURTHER. I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THIS SITUATION. MY FRAME SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THANKS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 40 MPH, SHE WAS STRUCK HEAD-ON BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE SPINE, STERNUM, AND RIBS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED AND THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE AND THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V286000 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NHTSA RECALL NOTIFICATION REGARDING RUST ON THE VEHICLE'S FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE SERVICED PER THE RECALL, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED; THEREFORE, NO RECALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND A CASE WAS FILED. THE RECALL DETAILS WERE NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

CAR A RUSTY MESS. PARTS FALLING OFF. TOYOTA SAID TOO BAD, WE ARE NOT REPLACING FRAMES ANYMORE. WON'T PASS INSPECTION NEXT TIME. LESS THAN 35,000 MILES ON CAR.

THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT THE ORIGINAL OWNER SHOULD HAVE HAD IT INSPECTED I HAVE BEEN TOLD NOW THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE HAVE NOTIFIED TOYOTA THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER LIABLE THE UNIT STILL DRIVES

JUST PURCHASED AS A USED TRUCK, THE BODY IS IN REAL GOOD SHAPE BUT THE FRAME IS RUSTED. CALLED TOYOTA TO BE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO UNDERCOAT THE FRAME BUT THAT CAMPAIGN HAS ENDED. I TRIED TO REMOVE THE HITCH FROM THE RECEIVER A COUPLE DAYS AFTER I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE TRUCK, IT WOULD NOT COME OUT. I CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK TO SEE IF IT HAD BEEN WELDED UP OR SOMETHING TO KEEP IT FROM COMING OUT, NO WELD JUST RUST. I DIDN'T NOTICE THE RUST AS IT IS UNDER THE BACK SIDE OF THE FRAME AT THE RECEIVER. THE REST OF THE FRAME LOOKS AS IF THE UNDERCOATING IS HOLDING WITHOUT ADDITIONAL RUST. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA WILL DO RIGHT BY THIS AT SOME POINT.

MY 2004 TUNDRA FRAME IS ROTTING OUT, AND TOYOTA WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. OR TO HELP ME..

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE FRAME RODS FRACTURED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST AND CORROSION. THE CONTACT TEMPORARILY LOST STEERING FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH A CASE MANAGER NAME MARQUITA FROM TOYOTA. I HAD CALLED THREE DAYS EARLIER AND WAS TOLD A CASE MANAGER WOULD CALL. I RECEIVED NO PHONE CALL, AND HAD TO CALL THEM MYSELF. MY TUNDRA IS ONE OF THE VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THE LACK FRAME PROTECTION RESULTING IN A SEVERELY RUSTY FRAME. I HAD THE FRAME INSPECTED BY A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE UNDERCOATING THAT WAS MEANT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WAS POORLY APPLIED. HUGE CHUNKS ARE MY FRAME ARE FALLING OFF AND THE FRAME IS EXPOSED CAUSING IT TO CONTINUE TO RUST. THE MASTER TECHNICIAN BROUGHT ME BACK TO SHOW HOW THE FRAME WAS NOT ORIGINALLY PREPPED AND THE UNDERCOATING WAS THINLY APPLIED. SO BACK TO THE CONVERSATION WITH THE CASE MANAGER. MARQUITA PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THE UNDERCOATING WAS A ONE TIME REMEDY TO THE FRAME RUST PROBLEM. WHETHER OR NOT THE UNDERCOATING WAS DONE WELL OR NOT, TOYOTA IS NOT WILLING TO RECTIFY A POORLY DONE "SOLUTION". THE SAME RUSTY FRAME IS UNDER ALL THE SLIME THEY APPLIED AND NOW IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET WORSE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, AND I BELIEVE TOYOTA SUED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FRAMES. AND ME AND THE OTHER OWNERS ARE LEFT TO RUST.