2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

I ENCOUNTERED THE SAME TRANSMISSION FAILURE THAT'S SIMILAR TO OTHER NHTSA ODI REPORTS. THE PROBLEM - WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS FAIRLY COMMON WITH THIS 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA - STARTED WITH ROUGH SHIFTING AND CLUNKING NOISES IN THE POWER TRAIN AT AROUND 60,000 MILES. THE ODD SOUNDS STARTED INTERMITTENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THEN BECAME MORE FREQUENT AND THEN FINALLY RESULTED IN FAILURE AT AROUND 111,000. THE TRANSMISSION QUIT AT A HIGHWAY INTERSECTION STOP 140 MILES FROM HOME IN JANUARY, 2010. IT WOULD NOT GO INTO PROPER GEAR AFTER STOPPING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER IN VICTORIA, TEXAS ON SATURDAY EVENING FOR REPAIR WORK THAT WAS EVENTUALLY DONE FOUR DAYS LATER AT A TOTAL OUT-OF-POCKET COST OF NEARLY $4,000 (PARTS, LABOR, RENTAL CAR, TOWING; DOES NOT INCLUDE MISSED WORK)...THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY BY MY TOYOTA DEALER. SO THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO SOON, AS MY OTHER TRUCKS (FORD, DODGE, AND EVEN NISSAN) NEVER REQUIRED TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS, LEAVING ME STRANDED IN HARM'S WAY ALONG A RURAL HIGHWAY. SO MY NEXT PICKUP TRUCK WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE A TOYOTA. *TR

THE STEERING RACK ON MY 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA RUSTED OUT, BURST AND CAUSED A POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A PERMANENT FAILURE AND THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. NOTHING WAS OFFERED TO FIX IT WITHOUT A $1400 REPAIR BILL. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT IS LEAKING GAS. INITIALLY I NOTICED A FUEL SMELL WHEN I WALKED BY THE TRUCK WHICH PROGRESSED TO SEEING FUEL ON THE GROUND. IF I PUT TOO MUCH GAS IN THE TRUCK, OVER 1/2 TANK, YOU CAN SEE THE FUEL LEAKING THROUGH THE 4X4 FUEL TANK PROTECTIVE COVER. I HAD THE TRUCK PUT ON A LIFT AND WAS TOLD THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE SEAM OF THE TANK. I RECENTLY TOOK MY TRUCK TO TOYOTA IN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL RE:EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST AND MY TRUCK PASSED THAT INSPECTION. I HAVE LESS THAN 51,000 MILES ON THIS TRUCK AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE LIVED IN MA FOR 22 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A FUEL TANK PROBLEM. ON 04/06/10 I TOOK MY TRUCK TO A REQUIRED YEARLY INSPECTION. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE GARAGE TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE HAD FAILED THE EMISSIONS TEST. I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING OTHER OWNERS REPORTS ONLINE AND HAVE NOTICED THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE REPORTING LEAKING FUEL TANKS. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT AFTERMARKET GAS TANKS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL/YEAR SO I MUST HAVE TOYOTA EITHER DO THE WORK, OR MINIMALLY, GET THE PART FROM THEM. BASED ON THEIR RECENT REPUTATION, I AM NOT THRILLED ABOUT TAKING MY TRUCK BACK TO THEM. I HAVE 60 DAYS FROM THE FAILURE DATE TO GET IT REPAIRED AND REINSPECTED TO AVOID LOSING MY REGISTRATION! I NEED THIS TRUCK TO BE SAFE FOR ME AND ALL THE OTHER DRIVERS THAT I ENCOUNTER. CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY CONCERN? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN MAKING A TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 4 MPH, HE BEGAN TO HEAR A LOUD NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AROUND A CURVE, THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK INVOLUNTARILY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD BE DONE AT NO CHARGE ACCORDING TO RECALL 05V225000 (SUSPENSION, FRONT CONTROL ARM, LOWER BALL JOINT). HE WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REMEDY WAS TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR SEVEN YEARS OR 90,000 MILES BUT THE CONTACT HAD OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR EIGHT YEARS. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HIM THAT WITH A RECALL IN EFFECT, BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS NO LONGER VALID, THEY WOULD NOT HONOR IT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 60,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA SHE STATED THAT THERE IS CORROSION ON THE ENTIRE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL # 09V444000 RECALL NOTICE; STRUCTURE FRAME AND MEMBERS, UNDERBODY SHIELDS AND NOTIFIED THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE CROSS MEMBER BEING CORRODED THROUGH OUT THE ENTIRE FRAME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

THE FRAME ON MY 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA IS RUSTING AWAY. I HAVE REMOVED RUST PIECES AS LARGE AS 11 INCHES LONG AND 1'8 INCH THICK. I TOW A 7000 POUND TRAILER AND I FEAR THE FRAME WILL FAIL. THE BODY LOOKS NEW AND I HAVE ONLY 80,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. *TR

MY 2002 TUNDRA RECALL ON THE FRAME. PASSED REAR CROSS MEMBER INSPECTION, HOWEVER THE REST OF THE UNDER BODY IS SEVERALLY CORRODED. DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT THE TRUCK NEEDS ABOUT $4500 TO PASS INSPECTION? THE FRONT END IS RUSTED OUT. AS OF NOW, MY TRUCK IS STILL AT DEALERSHIP, WAITING FOR TOYOTA REP TO INSPECT MY TUNDRA. I FEEL THAT IM GETTING THE BAD END OF THIS RECALL. I NEED HELP. *TR

WE BOUGHT A USED 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA ON 6-16-2005 THAT HAD 45,134 MILES ON IT. IT NOW HAS 109,000 MILES ON IT . WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT THE TRUCK FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED BEFORE WE TOOK IT HOME BECAUSE WE NOTICED A VIBRATION. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKES, PADS, ETC. TWICE. WE NOW HAVE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICE AGAIN BECAUSE WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK SHAKES VIOLENTLY AT AROUND 40 MPH AND BRAKING LITERALLY SHAKES THE ENTIRE TRUCK. IT SEEMS HIGHLY UNREASONABLE TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE BRAKING SYSTEM 4 TIMES IN THREE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS DEFECT IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN THE 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH. WHEN WILL TOYOTA RECALL THESE VEHICLES DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECTS IN THEIR BRAKING SYSTEM? I AM STARTING THE INCIDENT DATE AS OF THE DATE OF PURCHASE SINCE THAT IS WHEN WE FIRST HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED. I NOW HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY TO HAVE THE ENTIRE TRUCK BRAKING SYSTEM CORRECTED AGAIN SO THAT WE DO NOT END UP IN HARMS WAY. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND REVIEW ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED ABOUT THIS COMPLAIN. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE DRIVER LOST CONSCIOUSNESS WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, AND CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED A WEEK BEFORE THE CRASH OCCURRED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

I HAVE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE FRONT SUSPENSION SHAKING WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED TO MY 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. I HAVE JUST A LITTLE OVER 100K MILES BUT THE SHAKING IS GETTING WORSE. I HAVE HAD MY BRAKES PADS CHANGED IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARDS, I HAVE ROTATED MY TIRES AS WELL. *TR