2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. IN 2006, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, HE ENGAGED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. HE CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF A VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE BODY SHOP MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT FOUND NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCELERATION. HE TRADED THE VEHICLE IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 32,000.

I READ WITH INTEREST THE AP STORY ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES ON THE TOYOTA PRIUS. THE FIRST GENERATION TUNDRA (2000-2006) HAS HAD FRONT BRAKE PROBLEMS FOR YEARS (UNDERSIZED) AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR ISSUE A RECALL. THE BRAKES ON MY 2003 TUNDRA ARE HORRIBLE. THEY VIBRATE AND SHIMMY. I HAD TO REPLACE PADS AND TURN THE ROTORS TWICE ALREADY AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THE ENTIRE FRONT BRAKES NEED TO BE REPLACED AS THE ROTORS CANNOT BE TURNED AGAIN. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THESE BRAKES TSB BR004-02 BUT THAT'S IT, AND THE SUGGESTED FIX IS VERY EXPENSIVE. CHECK OUT SOME OF THE ONLINE FORUMS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ANNOYING, EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM/FORUMS/BRAKES/65633-UPGRADE-YOUR-EARLY-TUNDRA-BRAKES-1-A/ HTTP://WWW.TUNDRATALK.NET/ HTTP://WWW.YOTATECH.COM/F28/TIRE-SIZE-STOCK-2003-TUNDRA-RIMS-92790/ JUST IN CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED... THANKS FOR LISTENING. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA ON THE H3 FREEWAY, CHANGING FROM THE RIGHT LANE TO THE LEFT LANE, WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CRASHED INTO THE CENTER CONCRETE HIGHWAY DIVIDER, AND CONTINUED TO CRASH INTO THE DIVIDER UNTIL IT STOPPED RUNNING. SHE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME BUT THE TRUCK WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP UNTIL THE ENGINE DIED. WHEN OUR INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED THE TRUCK IT FOUND THAT THE REPEATED IMPACT INTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER HAD BENT THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK AND THEN DECLARED THE TRUCK A TOTAL LOSS. AFTER THEY INSPECTED THE TRUCK OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRUCK TO CAUSE IT TO SUDDENLY SPEED UP AND GO OUT OF CONTROL. *TR

FRONT ROTORS KEEP WARPPING. TURNED THE ORIGINAL SET AT 40000, THEN REPLACED THEM WITH SLOTTED ROTORS, WHICH HAVE NOW WARPPED. UNDERSTAND THERE IS A TECHINNCAL SERVICE BULLETIN STATING THE REAR BRAKES DO NOT SELF ADJUST, SUBSEQUENTLY INCREASING THE BRAKE LOAD ON THE FRONT, CAUSING THE WARPPING. THE REAL FIX MIGHT BE TO FIX THE REAR BRAKES. APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE FRONT WHEELS SHUDDER OR SHIMMY OFFICALLY CALLED "PULSATION" INCREASED WHEN BRAKING ON A DOWNHILL OR WITH SOME LOAD IN THE BED. TOYOTA SHOULD FIX THIS!!!

AT LEAST SINCE 2003 TOYOTA HAS HAD MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES WITH STICKING ACCELERATORS. I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT I HAVE TAKEN TO AUTO DEALER TO HAVE WORK DONE TO RESOLVE ISSUE. THEY HAVE ALSO HAD TROUBLE WITH THEIR 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES WITH THEIR CLUNKING UNIVERSALS ON THE SECOND DRIVE SHAFT. TOYOTA FIGHTS OFF THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REPEATEDLY AND WILL NOT ADMIT TO THEIR MANY FAULTS. *TR

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT HAS SEVERE FRAME RUST. BIG PIECES OF METAL ARE FLAKING OFF, SOONER OR LATER SOME COMPONENT ATTACHMENT POINT WILL FAIL. THE REST OF THE UNDERNEATH, AND TRUCK AS A WHOLE, IS RUST FREE. I RELIGIOUSLY WASH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK. THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THESE FRAMES. *TR

MY 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA IS RUSTING AWAY ON THE FRAME. THE FRAME OF MY TRUCK LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BEND, CRACK OR BRAKE AT ANY TIME. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN WASHED TOP AND BOTTOM AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH SINCE IT WAS NEW AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I NOTICE THE ENTIRE UNDER CARRIAGE IS BRITTLE AND LOOKS UNSAFE. I HAVE LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS TRUCK BUT AM NOW WORRIED THAT IT MAY BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE.*TR

WHEN RETURNING TO MY2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA, FROM A DOCTORS APPT, I NOTICED A POOL OF LIQUID, UNDER THE REAR AXLE OF THE TRUCK. HAVING WIFE BACK TRUCK UP, I CHECKED THIS VISCOUS, CLEARISH FLUID, FINDING IT TO BE A REAR END OIL/GREASE, AND HAD BEEN LEAKING FROM MID HOUSING OF THE REAREND. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THIS HAD BEEN LEAKING FOR ENOUGH TIME THAT OIL SPOTS WERE ALL OVER THE REAR WINDOW OF AND TAILGATE OF TRUCK. I CALLED TOYOTA TO LOOK AT IT AND THEY WANTED ?$120 JUST TO LOOK AT IT, SO I BROUGHT TO A MECHANIC DOWN THE ROAD FORM TOYOTA AND HE FOUND THE REAR AXLE HOUSING HAD RUSTED THRU. HE IN 40 YEARS HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, AND WHILE SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT REAR END, COULD ONLY FIND ONE "GOOD USED" ONE IN NEW ENGLAND. HE OBTAINED AND REPLACED MY DAMAGED ONE, FOR A COST OF >$1000. HE LATER TOLD ME HE HAD ANOTHER ONE COME IN LESS THEN A WEEK, SAME PROBLEM. AT HOME, I FOUND OIL HAD BEEN LEAKING FRONT THE BACK OF THE TRUCK FOR SOME TIME, EVIDENCED BY OIL ON THE GROUND AND WOOD NEAR WHERE THE BACK OF THE TRUCK WAS BACKED INTO DRIVEWAY. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA WHICH IS EXPERIENCING A GREAT AMOUNT OF RUST UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. I SEE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED YESTERDAY REGARDING THAT PROBLEM. I LIVED IN FLORIDA FOR 6 MONTHS AND IN VERMONT THE OTHER 6 MONTHS. WE LEFT THE LATTER PART OF OCTOBER AND RETURN TO VT THE LAST PART OF APRIL OR EARLY MAY. I DO DRIVE THE TRUCK UP TO VT AROUND THE HOLIDAYS SO IT HAS EXPERIENCED A VT WINTER FOR 2 TO 3 WEEKS A YEAR. SEVERAL YEARS AGO THE TRUCK STARTED TO SHOW SIGNS OF RUST ON THE BACK BUMPER AND THE UNDERSIDE. 2 YEARS AGO I HAD TO REPLACED ALL THE BOLTS ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM REPLACED DUE TO RUST. DUE TO A FLAT TIRE THIS PAST SUMMER I HAD TO USE THE SPARE. THE TIRE RIM WAS EXTREMELY RUSTY AS WELL AS THE HOLDER. I SPRAYED BOTH WITH OIL IN HOPES OF STOPPING THE RUST. THE FRONT SKID PLATE BOLTS WERE SO RUSTY THAT. YESTERDAY, THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE 4 BOLTS SAYING THE 5TH HOLE WAS SO RUSTY THAT IT COULD NOT ACCEPT THE BOLT. THE RECALL IS FOR NORTHERN TRUCKS ARE FOR STATES THAT USE ROAD SALT DURING THE WINTER BUT, GIVEN THE RUST ON MY TRUCK, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT 2 TO 3 WEEKS PER YEAR IN VT CAUSED THAT MUCH RUST. I BELIEVE IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE METAL USED FOR THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK, THEREFORE I BELIEVE MY FL TRUCK SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECENT RECALL. EVEN THE DEALER COMMENTED ON THE AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE UNDERSIDE. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN USED ONLY FOR PLEASURE AND NOT COMMERCIAL USE. TO SUMMARIZE I WOULD REQUEST THAT MY TRUCK THAT WAS PURCHASED IN FL BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND BE SUBJECT TO THE INSPECTION THE SAME AS THE NORTHERN TRUCKS. ALTHOUGH WE LIVE A FEW MILES FROM THE GULF IN FLORIDA MY WIFE'S 2004 HIGHLANDER SHOWS NO UNDERSIDE RUST SO THE FLORIDA WEATHER CAN'T BE THE PROBLEM AND IT IN VT THE SAME TIME AS THE TRUCK EXCEPT FOR THE 2 TO 3 WEEKS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS. THANK YOU. *TR

THE FRAME ON MY 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA IS RUSTING BADLY. TOYOTA WAS UNABLE TO ALIGN MY FRONT END DUE TO RUST, AND IT HAS CAUSED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM TO COMPLETELY FREEZE UP AND THE BRAKE WILL NOT WORK. IT IS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM, I HAVE NO BRAKE. TOYOTA TRIED TO FREE UP THE BRAKES BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO. THEY GAVE ME A CAN OF LUBRICANT AND TOLD ME TO KEEP LUBING THE FROZEN SECTION. THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO ALIGN MY FRONT END. *TR