2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT MY 2002 TOYOTA MAY BE RECALLED DUE TO THE SPARE TIRE MOUNTING BEING RUSTED. I HAVE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS TRUCK SINCE THE GAS TANK THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER AND FUEL LINES HAVE RUSTED THROUGH. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE TOYOTA RELIABILITY REPUTATION. WOULD YOU PLEASE REVIEW THE FREQUENCY OF RUST ON THESE AREAS AND ISSUE WHAT EVER RECALLS APPROPRIATE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I WOULD OCCASIONALLY HEAR A SLIGHT "CLUNK". SOUNDED LIKE IT MIGHT BE THE TRANSMISSION. THIS FIRST OCCURRED AROUND 85K MILES. THEN AGAIN ABOUT A YEAR LATER. AFTER THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME, I TOOK THE CAR A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. THEY REPORTED THAT THE OVERDRIVE GEAR BEARING WAS FAILING AND THIS WAS COMMON ON THE EARLY TUNDRAS. APPARENTLY THE NEEDLE BEARING BEGINS TO FALL APART AND EVENTUALLY THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT. REBUILDING THE TRANSMISSION COSTS JUST ABOUT AS MUCH AS REPLACING IT AND THERE WAS ALREADY DAMAGE TO THE GEARS. END RESULT -- I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION AT 100K MILES. IF THIS IS TRULY A COMMON FAILURE, IT SEEMS THAT TOYOTA PUT THESE TRUCKS ON THE ROAD WITH A TRANSMISSION THAT WASN'T UP TO THE TASK. I RARELY HAUL HEAVY LOADS OR TRAILERS AND CONSIDER MY USE OF THE TRUCK TO BE VERY GENTLE. HARDLY ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THE EARLY DEMISE OF A TRANSMISSION. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA PU THAT WAS BUILT IT 2001. THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SEVERE RUST. PIECES OF RUSTED METAL HAVE FALLEN FROM THE VEHICLE'S FRAME. THE SPARE TIRE IS ALSO IN A RUSTED/PITTED CONDITION. THE VEHICLE HAS GONE ONLY 40,247 MILES AND I LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS. THE TRUCK IS IN MINT CONDITION THROUGHOUT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RUST AND METAL DETERIORATION LOCATED ONLY ON THE FRAME. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE RUST/DETERIORATION WAS SEVERE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LOW MILEAGE. HOWEVER, THEY DID CONDUCT AN INSPECTION AND DETERMINED THAT THE FRAME WAS NOT PERFORATED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE DETERIORATION WILL GET WORSE OVERTIME, AND DUE TO THE LOW MILES THE VEHICLE WOULD BE ON THE ROAD FOR MANY YEARS. AS A RESULT, A SAFETY FAILURE IN THE FRAME WOULD BE PROBABLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT I COULD CALL THE TOYOTA REP. TO VOICE MY CONCERNS. HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE'S FRAME EACH TIME I BRING THE TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE, IF I REQUESTED IT. THIS TYPE OF FRAME DETERIORATION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR ONLY 40, 247 MILES. I ALSO KEEP THE TRUCK IN A GARAGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. *TR

I WAS UNDER MY 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA INSPECTING THE FRAME. I NOTICED SEVERE FRAME RUST ON PARTS OF THE FRAME AND CROSS MEMBER. NOT JUST SURFACE RUST SEVERE RUST. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE RUST IS SO SEVERE THAT IT HAS COMPROMISED THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME AND THEREFORE THE SAFETY OF THE TRUCK. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING DONE YET TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

FRAME RUST AND ROT COMING UP THROUGH THE BED OF THE TRUCK FROM THE FRAME RAILS. ALSO RUST AND ROT ON MAJORITY OF UNDERCARRIAGE INCLUDING SPARE TIRE AREA AND SUSPENSION MEMBERS. *TR

FRAME RUST CONCERN AND REAR BRAKES / PARKING BRAKES NEEDING TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO RUST... MY CONCERN IS THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION INTO SEVERE RUST PROBLEMS. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED (2 YRS. OLD). THE TRUCK WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY UNDERCOATED. THE TRUCK IN SERVICE DATE IS OCT 01. I BOUGHT IT USED IN 02. I THEN HAD IT UNDERCOATED AND HAVE DONE SO EVERY FALL SINCE THEN. MY CONCERN IS WHAT MAY BE GOING ON UNDERNEATH THE UNDERCOATING THAT I CAN'T SEE. ALSO, I HAD TO HAVE THE REAR BRAKES TORE APART AND REBUILT DUE TO RUSTING COMPONENTS. *TR

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I GOT UNDER MY 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA TRD SR5 EXTRA CAB TO ASSESS THE RUST THIS PAST WEEKEND. I WAS DUMBFOUNDED! CONTROL ARMS, FRONT WISHBONE, SUSPENSION BRACKETS, AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOOK LIKE A SHIPWRECK THAT'S BEEN UNDER THE SEA FOR 100 YEARS. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH AND IS LEAKING THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE HOUSING! THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER IS SO RUSTED THE WHEEL IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. ALL SHIELDS AND SAFETY GUARDS HAVE FALLEN OFF OR WILL SOON. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW IN NOV OF '01. IT NOW HAS 84,000 MILES. I'VE HAD ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICES PERFORMED AT THE DEALER.THEY NEVER MENTIONED THE RUST ALTHOUGH THEY DO A "SAFETY INSPECTION" AT EVERY SERVICE. I'VE ALWAYS WASHED OFF THE SALT IN THE WINTER. THE BODY PANELS SHOW NO RUST AT ALL AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRUCK LOOKS LIKE NEW. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAD A CHEVY TRUCK KEPT UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS THAT AFTER 15 YEARS AND 250,000 MILES LOOKED NOTHING LIKE THIS. I CANNOT DRIVE THIS TRUCK IN THIS CONDITION. *TR

TOYOTA TUNDRA 2002 - FRAME RUST MY 02 TUNDRA ONLY HAS 60K MILES ON IT AND THE RUST UNDERNEATH IS CAUSING PARTS CONNECTED TO THE FRAME TO FLAKE OFF AS WELL AS PARTS OF THE FRAME. THE SMALLER PIECES FOR EXAMPLE THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER IS ALMOST TURNED TO DUST. ARE YOU INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM WITH 2002 MODEL'S ? I WAS TOLD THAT 2000-1 HAVE BEEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE SPARE TIRE DISENGAGED FROM THE REAR SPARE TIRE CARRIER WITHOUT WARNING. HE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE TIRE WAS RETRIEVED FROM THE ROADWAY. THE CARRIER BRACKET HAD FRACTURED BECAUSE OF SEVERE CORROSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,841.

UPPER BALL JOINTS, REAR SPRINGS, BRAKES FRONT & BACK, AND MANUAL TRANSMISSION, AND O2 SENSORS TOO! THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN REPAIRING AND WAS NOT AWARE OF ALL OF THE RECALLS ON MY TRUCK! SO FAR I HAVE JUST REPAIRING IT UNTIL TODAY, AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE NEWEST RECALL! I WILL BE CALLING MY DEALER MONDAY.... *TR