2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

CO2 SENSOR. RANDOMLY BREAKS. THERE WAS A RECALL ON CO2 SENSORS SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND BOTH MINE WERE REPLACED AT SEPARATE TIMES (WHEN THEY BOTH WENT OUT). NOW A THIRD CO2 SENSOR (RIGHT REAR) IS BAD AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, NOT UNDER A RECALL. FAILURE RESULTS IN "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT." COST $282. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. IN 2004 THE CONTACT REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSORS, AND THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME REPAIR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED LESS THAN 20,000 MILES APART FROM ONE ANOTHER. HE DISCOVERED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WITH ITEM # 10007090 ( CONCERNING ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS HAD THE SAME FAILURE, AND FELT THAT THE MANUFACTURER PLACED A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT ON THE VEHICLES. THE CONTACT AND THE OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 53,000, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.*AK

BELOW YOU WILL READ MY COMPLAINT TO MICHELIN ABOUT THE QUALITY. THE SIDEWALL BLEW COMPLETELY OFF THE RIM WHILE TRAVELING AT A LEGAL SPEED OF 70 MPH. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH A PREMIUM TIRE MADE BY THE ABOVE COMPANY. IT ONLY HAD A PUNCTURE WHICH CAUSED IT TO LOSE AIR. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY THE DEALER OF DISCOUNT TIRE IN SANTA FE. HE DID TELL ME THAT NOW TIRES FAIL IMMEDIATELY WHEN THEY LOSE PRESSURE AND BLOW APART. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN! YOU SHOULD AT LEAST BE ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN TO EXAMINE THE TIRE. WITH THIS HAPPENING, THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM REPLACING THE TIRE AS A FAILURE AND GET AWAY WITH SELLING YOU A NEW TIRE PRO RATED!! HOW CONVENIENT!! THESE TIRES WILL KILL SOMEONE IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY. SEE BELOW MY RESPONSE TO MICHELIN AND DISCOUNT TIRE. IT HAD HALF IT'S TREAD LEFT!! OK.............SO I AM UNDER THE 6 YEAR LIMIT AND THE TIRE DID HAVE A PUNCTURE AS TOLD TO ME BY THE SELLING MANAGER. THE FACT THAT THE TIRE BLEW APART SIGNIFIES TO ME THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TIRE. I HAVE HAD MANY FLATS IN MY 66 YEARS AND NEVER SAW A TIRE COME APART LIKE THIS ONE. BY THE WAY, IT WAS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. I HAVE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE TIRE FOR YOU TO SEE AND I WILL CONTACT THE DEALER TO SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. I CAN TELL YOU THIS..............IF THIS IS THE BEST EXPLANATION YOU HAVE FOR A PREMIUM TIRE, I WILL NOT PUT ANOTHER SET OF YOU TIRES ON ANY OF MY VEHICLES. I WILL ALSO DO MY BEST TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF YOUR POLICIES. I WOULD EXPECT MORE FROM A COMPANY THAT I HAVE HAD A LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP. TOO BAD...........I SEE IT AS A SIGN OF THE TIMES!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAS A DESIGN FLAW. HE CAN DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE BUT THE REAR BRAKES DO NOT ENGAGE. THIS FAILURE CAUSES THE FRONT BRAKES TO OVERWORK AND DAMAGE SEVERAL ROTORS. THE CONTACT CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS FOUR TIMES IN ALMOST FOUR YEARS. THE BRAKES FAIL MORE AT HIGHER SPEEDS (55 MPH) AND IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ROAD IS WET. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 88,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

I BOUGHT MY 2002 TUNDRA NEW AND EXPERIENCED BRAKE VIBRATION ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE VIBRATION HAPPENS WHEN IT IS COLD (BOUGHT IN NOV 2001) AND IT IS NORMAL. I DID NOT BELIEVE THIS LOGIC, THEN THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE AND REFUSED TO DO ANY WORK ON IT UNDER WARRANTY (BUT WAS WILLING TO WORK ON IT IF I PAID; GO FIGURE). FIVE YEARS LATER THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE AND HAD TO REPLACE MY PADS SEVERAL TIMES. STOPPING DISTANCE ON THE HIGHWAY IS GETTING LONGER AND MORE DANGEROUS. I SEE HERE THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THESE ISSUES. WHAT IS THE NHTSA WAITING FOR TO INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION? FOR A BAD ACCIDENT TO OCCUR AND SOMEONE DIES?

ADDENDUM TO MY ODI 10150678: MY REFERENCE TO1/5/2006 NAPA "REPAIR" WAS TO NO AVAIL. LARGER TUNDRA PADS ALONE DO NOT SOLVE THE VIOLENT DOWNHILL BRAKING PROBLEM THAT SO MANY OTHERS ALSO DESCRIBE. 2/20/2006 MILEAGE 35,800. 3/07/2007 MILEAGE 41850. AS CAN BE SEEN DRIVING IN COLORADO TERRAIN IS BEING DONE MOST RELUCTANTLY.*JB

I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT HAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS DEFECT CAUSES THE FRONT ROTORS TO WARP, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES MY TRUCK TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY DURING BREAKING AND ALSO HINDERS OVERALL BRAKING ABILITY. AFTER HAVING MY BRAKES SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES, I LEARNED THAT TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ADDRESSING THE DEFECT IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM OF MY MODEL TRUCK AND DETAILING HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE COST OF SAID REPAIRS EXCEEDS $2000. I FIND IT ABSURD THAT TOYOTA RECOGNIZES THE DEFECT BUT REFUSES TO EXECUTE A RECALL FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM. BASICALLY, THE CONSUMER IS LEFT WITH THREE OPTIONS: 1) PAY $2000+ TO REPAIR A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT; 2) PAY FOR BRAKE SERVICE ABOUT EVERY 2 OR 3 MONTHS; OR 3) DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH POORLY FUNCTIONING BRAKES. I, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS I, AM CURRENTLY DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH POORLY FUNCTIONING BRAKES, BECAUSE I CANNOT AND WILL NOT AFFORD THE COST OF EITHER OF THE FIRST TWO OPTIONS. IT REMAINS BEYOND MY UNDERSTANDING HOW TOYOTA CAN GET AWAY WITH RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES BUT NOT ATONE FOR THEIR POOR CRAFTSMANSHIP. ADDITIONALLY, MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THAT, WHILE THEIR VEHICLES WERE UNDER WARRANTY, THEIR TOYOTA SERVICE FACILITY BLAMED THE BRAKE PROBLEM ON INDIVIDUAL BRAKING HABITS. HOWEVER, AFTER THEIR WARRANTY EXPIRED, THEY INFORMED THEM OF THE DEFECT AND OFFERED TO FIX IT AT FULL COST. RIDICULOUS. *JB

TUNDRA 2002 V6 VIBRATED BADLY AT 45 MPH. WHEN CHECKING, FOUND 3 BROKEN STUDS IN THE FRONT WHEELS, 2 FROM THE DRIVER SIDE AND 1 FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. WITH SOME ON-LINE RESEARCH, A TSB FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND YEAR HAS ISSUED BACK IN 2003. YET, OWNERS OF THIS TUNDRA MODEL HAD NEVER BEEN MADE AWARE OF IT. WHILE MAKING A CALL TO TOYOTA CORPORATION, A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THERE IS AN UPGRADE BRAKE SYSTEM-CALIPERS, BRAKE PADS, AND OTHER PARTS RELATED TO THE FRONT BRAKE-AVAILABLE FOR FREE OF CHARGE FOR TUNDRAS THAT HAVE HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS. WHEN TAKING THIS PROBLEM TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, NO ONE SEEMED TO TAKE ANY ACTION. 3 MONTHS LATER, THEY STILL DIDN'T FIX MY CAR. BRAKE HISTORY-SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BRAKES AND ROTORS BEING WORN OUT AND WARPED FAST HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP THE LOCAL DEALER. EVERY TIME A COMPLAINT WAS MADE, THE ANSWER WAS THAT BRAKE IS NOT COVERED BY THE 3-YEAR/36K WARRANTY. WHEN THE STUDS BROKE OFF, DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T DOCUMENT ANY OF MY COMPLAINTS DUE TO THE FACTS THAT I NEVER ASKED THEM TO REPAIR MY BRAKE. WOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE TO RIP ME OFF BEFORE THEY DOCUMENT MY COMPLAINTS. IF OTHERS GOT THEIR BRAKE SYSTEM UPGRADED FOR FREE OF CHARGE, THEN WHY NOT ME? *NM

BREAKS ON TOYOTA TUNDRAS ARE DEFECTIVE AND TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT IT AS STATED IN TSB #BR004-02. MY FRONT BRAKES HAVE WORN OUT PREMATURELY. THE ONLY REASON THAT I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM SOONER IS THAT I MAINLY USE THE TRUCK FOR OCCASIONAL LONG DISTANCE HIGHWAY TRIPS. I AM EXPERIENCING VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AND THEY WORE OUT PREMATURELY. NUMEROUS OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS WELL. BASED ON SOME OF THESE ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS, TOYOTA IS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVOID FIXING THE PROBLEM. PLEASE REFER TO THESE ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THIS BLOG: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/TOYOTA_TUNDRA.HTML. *NM

MY '02 TOYOTA TUNDRA WOULD SUDDENLY NOT IDLE ON ITS ON. THEN IT WOULD RUN NORMALLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW. NOW I HAVE TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL HALF WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET ANY RESPONSE. IN RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS ALL RELATED TO EITHER THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR OR THE THROTTLE LEVEL SENSOR. THESE PARTS COST AROUND $275 EACH. TOYOTA MECHANICS KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE BUT TOYOTA WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP. *JB