2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

ON MAY 17, 2010 THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF MY 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA WHILE IT WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN THE STREET. FORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A BACK ROAD AND NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE FALLING OFF. PART OF THE SPARE TIRE MOUNT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE WHEEL AFTER IT FELL OFF AND YOU COULD SEE THAT THE SPARE TIRE MOUNT HAD EXTENSIVE RUST/ROT. I WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA HAD A RECALL RELATING TO EXCESSIVE RUST WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE SPARE TIRE FALLING FROM THE MOUNT UNDER THE VEHICLE. ON JUNE 3, 2010 I TOOK THE TUNDRA TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE PASSED THEIR RUST INSPECTION SO REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. WHEN I REMINDED THEM THAT MY SPARE TIRE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY COULD REPLACE THE ROTTED SPARE TIRE MOUNT PARTS FOR $350.00. ON JUNE 11, 2010 I CONTACTED THE NATIONAL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT BASED ON MY VEHICLE'S VIN I WAS NOT LISTED IN THEIR SYSTEM AS THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THEY ADVISED THAT IF I WAS NOT LISTED IN THEIR SYSTEM I WOULD HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY RECALL NOTICE. AFTER UPDATING THE INFORMATION I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY VEHICLE AND WAS FIRST TOLD THAT BASED ON THE VIN, MY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THE PERSON THEN SAID THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WITHIN 3 DAYS TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER SERVICE APPOINTMENT. MY CONCERNS ARE THAT I AM NOW BEING SENT BACK TO THE SAME SERVICE CENTER THAT FIRST INSPECTED IT AND PASSED IT EVEN THOUGH THEIR INVOICE STATES "FOUND CARRIER HAS ROTTED AWAY FROM CROSS-MEMBER BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE TIRE" AND IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE SPARE TIRE HAD FALLEN FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO EXTENSIVE ROT. *TR

WE OWN A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA WITH 47,000 MILES ON IT AND ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS. ON FRIDAY WHILE PUTTING THE TRUCK INTO REVERSE IN A PARKING LOT, THE SHIFT MECHANISM SNAPPED OFF IN MY HAND. OUR CERTIFIED TOYOTA MECHANIC CAME AND MANAGED TO GET IT INTO DRIVE AND DRIVE IT TO HIS SHOP,AND IN OPENING THE STEERING COLUMN, FOUND THE ENTIRE THING WAS BROKEN WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN. OUR MECHANIC, WHO IS A CERTIFIED TOYOTA MECHANIC SAYS THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. AS WITH ANOTHER COMPLAINT LODGED ON THIS PROBLEM, IT IS NOT AS IF THE MECHANISM HAS EXPERIENCED ROUGH HANDLING IN ANY WAY. *TR

EXTREME WARPING ON FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND STEERING WHEEL SHAKES ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY. THIS LEADS TO LONGER STOPPING DISTANCES. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT IS NOT A RECALL AND IT IS BECAUSE THE ROTORS ARE TO SMALL FOR THE SIZE VEHICLE. I KNOW SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAD THEM REPLACED,BUT ABOUT 2000 MILES ON NEW EQUIPMENT AND THEY WARP AGAIN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I OWN A TOYOTA TUNDRA AND A TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND BOTH HAVE THE SAME PARTS AND SAME PROBLEM. *TR

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED: BRAKES LOCKED UNDER WET CONDITIONS. VEHICLE SLID OFF ROAD. VEHICLE HAS HISTORY OF PULSATING BRAKE PEDAL, SHUTTERING AND CLANGING NOISES UNDER BRAKING. *TR

MY FATHERS 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA GETTING CHECKED OUT RECENTLY BY A LOCAL MECHANIC WHEN HE WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE FRAME IS EXCESSIVELY RUSTY. WITH THIS INFORMATION THE TRUCK WAS BROUGHT TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER STATED THERE IS SO MUCH RUST THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DEALER ALSO STATED THERE IS NOTHING TOYOTA WILL DO ABOUT IT UNTIL THE RUST ACTUALLY CREATES A HOLE IN THE FRAME. MY PARENTS ARE IN THERE SEVENTIES ON FIXED INCOMES, THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO OPERATE THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE. IF A DEALER IS ABLE TO STATE A VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE TOYOTA SHOULD BACK THE DETERMINATION OF THE DEALER AND DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. MY PARENTS WERE TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK AFTER A HOLE RUST THROUGH THE FRAME AND THEN TOYOTA WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. A 2003 TRUCK SHOULD NOT HAVE RUSTED TO THE POINT OF BEING UNSAFE IN A 7 YEAR PERIOD. PLEASE HELP MY PARENTS. *TR

MY 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT FEBRUARY OF 2008 DUE TO SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN WHICH MY VEHICLE SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND WENT OVER A CONCRETE BARRIER, MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED HEAVY REAR END AND SIDE DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE COST ME $5,663.14, I HAVE THE ACCIDENT REPORT. HOW COULD I GET TOYOTA TO REIMBURSE FOR THE COST OF THE DAMAGE. PLEASE ADVISED.

I HAVE READ THE RECALLS FOR TOYOTA TUNDRAS 2003 MODELS WHICH DOESN'T REFLECT IN MY AREA WHERE I RESIDE, GUAM. DOES THESE RECALLS ALSO PERTAIN TO GUAM, SINCE THE ISLAND IS SURROUNDED BY SALT AIR AND SALT WATER? IF IT DOES, HOW DO I GO ABOUT IN FIXING OR REMEDING THE SITUATION? THANK YOU.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. THE CLUTCH PEDAL STUCK WITHOUT FULLY RELEASING AND THE GEAR SELECTOR FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF GEAR. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING SAFELY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SLOW DOWN UNLESS AGGRESSIVE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKES OR THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING UP AN INCLINE APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY OFF OF THE ROAD, AND ROLLED OVER TWO TIMES. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE ANKLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 119,000. UPDATED 6/3/10 *CN UPDATED 06/25/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA LI. THE DRIVER NOTICED A COUPLE YEARS AGO THAT THE FRAME WAS BEGINNING TO RUST. THE DRIVER ALSO STATED THAT HE SPRAY PAINTED THE FRAME. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A RECALL YET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000. THE DRIVER ALSO STATED THAT BACKING PLATE THAT HOLDS THE REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY IN PLACE WAS RUSTED AS WELL.