2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

DRIVING WB ON HWY 4 NEAR DOUGLAS FLAT, CA APPROX 55 MPH ON TWO LANE HIGHWAY. THE 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA 4WD DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL DETACHED, FOLDING UNDER FRONT LEFT SIDE FRAME BEHIND WHEEL WELL WITH THE TRUCK LANDING ON THE FLAT SIDE OF THE WHEEL. I WAS THEN IN A CONTROLLED SKID ON A STRAIGHT PART OF THE HIGHWAY AND HELD THE STEERING WHEEL IN THAT POSITION. I DID NOT APPLY THE BRAKES AS I DID NOT WANT TO ALTER THE DIRECTION OF THE SKID. THE VEHICLE DRIFTED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AFTER ABOUT A 150 FOOT SKID. THE WHEEL HUB HAD SEPARATED FROM THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARM, THE BALL JOINT HAD DETACHED FROM THE A-FRAME, AND THE WHEEL AND TIRE (REPLACED TWO WEEKS PRIOR) WERE DAMAGED. THE ONLY THING APPARENTLY HOLDING THE WHEEL TO THE FRAME WAS THE STEERING ROD. NOT BEING A MECHANIC OR HAD THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC AS YET I AM NOT SURE OF ALL DAMAGE SUSTAINED. PICTURES OF THE SCENE SHOW A SINGLE SKID MARK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I CONTACTED MY TOYOTA DEALER WHO DIDN'T SEEM TO INTERESTED SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WITH 72,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK MEANING THAT THE 36 MONTH, 36,000 MILE WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGE. IN RESEARCHING THE BALL JOINT COMPLAINT I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2004 TUNDRA. IT WAS LUCKY THAT I WASN'T INJURED SINCE THE PREVIOUS DAY I HAD BEEN RETURNING FROM A JOB SITE VIA NB PARROTTS FERRY ROAD WHICH IS ABOUT A 1000 FT DESCENT ON A CURVING ROAD WHICH IN SEVERAL PLACES DROPS OFF INTO THE CANYON AND RESERVOIR BELOW. *NM

DRIVERS CAPTAIN CHAIR CONTINUALLY MOVES AND MAKES A POPPING NOISE EVERYTIME I STOP AND GO.

TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK AS DESIGNED. FOR THE LAST 24,000 MILES THE SYSTEM HAS NOT WORKED AS INTENDED WITH MULTIPLE FAILURES OF MULTIPLE TYPES. INITIAL FAILURES CLUSTERED AROUND THE PRESSURE IN THE SPARE BEING SET AT A DIFFERENT PRESSURE THAN THE DRIVE TIRES. SECONDARY FAILURES CLUSTERED AROUND THE FACT THAT THE DRIVE TIRES HEATED DURING OPERATION AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY AT A DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE AND THUS PRESSURE THAN THE SPARE. INCLUSION OF THE MONITOR ON THE SPARE SEEMS A DESIGN FLAW. IF THE SPARE IS NEEDED THAN THEIR WILL ALREADY BE A TIRE ON/IN THE VEHICLE SIGNALING TO THE COMPUTER THAT A PRESSURE EVENT HAS OCCURRED. SINCE THE SYSTEM DOES NOT SIGNAL WHICH TIRE IS LOW THE INFORMATION FROM THE SPARE CAN ONLY BE A PROBLEM. THIRD THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAILED TPM SENSOR. CONSULTATION AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WITH THREE MASTER MECHANICS AND A SERVICE MANAGER ESTABLISHED THIS AS A CHRONIC PROBLEM IN TOYOTAS, ESPECIALLY IF A TIRE IS EVER REPLACED. THEIR PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION WAS A PIECE OF BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE OVER THE LIGHT ON THE DASH. THEY DID OFFER TO GET THE REPLACEMENT SENSOR IN. EVEN WITH THE VIN THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN WHAT PART IT IS THOUGH. TOYOTA HAS TWO DIFFERENT SENSORS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THERE IS APPARENTLY NO WAY TO DETERMINE THE PROPER PART UNTIL DISASSEMBLY. HAVING A DASH WARNING LIGHT ON FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES DESENSITIZES DRIVES TO IMPORTANT LIGHTS WHEN THEY ILLUMINATE. IF TOYOTA IS UNABLE TO PRODUCE A SYSTEM THAT WORKS PROPERLY THEY SHOULD PROVIDE SOME WAY FOR DEALERS OR OWNERS TO DISABLE THE SYSTEM. UNFORTUNATELY THE DEALERSHIP INDICATES THAT NO SUCH WORK AROUND IS AVAILABLE. *NM

CRUISE CONTROL DOWN SHIFTS TWO GEARS ON SLIGHT UPGRADES. EVEN ELEVATION CHANGES OF LESS THAN FIFTY FEET ON THE HIGHWAY CAN TRIGGER THIS. THE SUDDEN UNINTENDED APPLICATION OF FULL THROTTLE ACCELERATION IS ALARMING AND DANGEROUS. THIS SURGE OR POWER ALWAYS RESULT IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SURGING PAST THE SET SPEED USUALLY BY FIVE MILES PER HOUR. DEPENDING ON TERRAIN THIS CAN HAPPEN AS OFTEN AS EVERY TWENTY SECONDS! *NM

2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA QUAD CAB. FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS, EXTREME PULLING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT, CONSISTENT RATTLING IN THE FRONT END. CONTROL ISSUES AT 5 MPH, EXTREME SHIMMERING OVER 65 MPH. RECOMMENDED PARTS BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT KNUCKLE SUB ASSEMBLY, BEARINGS, RING HOLE, SEALS. VEHICLE LOSES POWER, AND STEERING CONTROL, CAUSED ACCIDENT. MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO HONOR WARRANTY AND REPAIR VEHICLE. PROBLEMS BEGAN AT 2000 MILES, TAKEN IN AT 5009 MILES FOR SERVICE AND REPORTED PROBLEM, 4 ATTEMPTS AT REPAIR WITH NO SUCCESS. *NM

WINDOWS ARE VERY LOOSE AND RATTLE EXCESSIVELY. TRUCK HAS BEEN TO DEALER SEVEN TIMES, THEY DID HAVE A BULLETIN ON THE WINDOW REGULATOR AND REPLACED IT BUT IT WAS NOT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER GAVE UP ON THE PROBLEM AND SAID IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. *JB

THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA DOWNSHIFTS THE ENGINE ON THE SLIGHTEST INCLINE. IT JUMPS FROM APPROXIMATELY 2100 RPM'S TO OVER 3500 RPM'S. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE TRACTION ON JUST A WET PAVEMENT, NOT RAINING JUST WET LAST VISIT TO THE DEALER THIS WAS PART OF THE ISSUES I WANTED THEM TO LOOK INTO. THE ONLY THING I GOT WAS "THAT'S JUST THE WAY THEY WORK". THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS SOME ATTENTION REAL SOON. TOYOTA WHICH OWNS SUBURAU HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AS THIS TUNDRA, I HAD ONE OF THOSE ALSO THAT DID THE VERY SAME THING. NOT ONLY A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT ALSO CAUSES MUCH MORE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE PARTS. THERE IS ALSO ISSUES WITH THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS, SOMETIMES IT DOES AND OTHER TIMES IT DON'T AND ALWAYS UNPREDICTABLE. THE CONVERTER LOCKUP LOCKS UP AT THE SLOWEST SPEEDS ,ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 55 MPH. IN CITY TRAFFIC THIS CAUSES YOU TO DOWNSHIFT CONSTANTLY AND ONCE YOU DO YOU HAVE TO GET RIGHT BACK OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND OR GET ON THE BRAKE. IT'S CRAZY TO BE "THAT'S JUST THE WAY THEY WORK". *JB

I WAS HEADING UP MY CLOSE FRIENDS SNOW COVERED DRIVEWAY IN MY 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA DOUBLE CAB 4WD. I HAD THE TRUCK ENGAGED IN 4H MODE BECAUSE OF THE SLIGHT SNOW COVER. AS I WAS 2/3 THE WAY UP I HEARD A POP AND LOUD BANG AND THE TRUCK CAME TO A STOP WITH THE REAR WHEELS SPINNING I LET OFF OF THE GAS THEN STARTED TO SLIDE BACKWARDS INTO A TREE AND THEN INTO A DITCH CAUSING CONTACT WITH THE R/F DOOR AND R/F FENDER REMOVING THE MIRROR IN THE PROCESS. UPON REMOVAL OF THE TRUCK FORM THE DITCH I FOUND THAT THE R/F (PASS SIDE)WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP. AT THIS TIME WE WERE MOVING THE TRUCK OFF OF THE ROAD WAY AND THEN THE WHEEL BEGAN TO MOVE AFTER GOING FORWARD AND BACK A FEW TIMES. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THEY SAID THAT THE TRUCK HAD A BROKEN R/F CV JOINT. THEY HAVE REFUSED TO FIX ANY BODY DAMAGE BUT REPLACED THE AXLE. AFTER THE AXLE WAS FIXED THE DEALER SAID TOYOTA WANTED ME TO PCK UP THE TRUCK AND DRIVE IT UNTIL THEY HAD MADE A DECISION ON THE BODY WORK. I REFUSED TO PICK UP THE TRUCK DUE TO IT NOT HAVING A MIRROR ON ONE SIDE AND I DO NOT FEEL THE DOOR IS SECURED. THE TRUCK HAS 652 ON IT AND THIS WAS ONLY THE 2ND TIME IN 4WD FOR A TOTAL USAGE OF ABOUT 2 MILES. THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO LET ME HAVE THE PARTS AND SAID THEY WOULD KEEP THEM ASIDE. I PROVIDED THE DEALER WITH A WRITTEN REQUEST TO HOLD THE DAMAGED PARTS FOR 90 DAYS AS OF 12/16/05. *JB

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA. AT TIMES, IT DOESN'T SHIFT UP PROPERLY AND THE ENGINE REVS UP VERY HIGH, BUT THE TRUCK DOESN'T ACCELERATE. AT TIMES, WHEN I AM COASTING DOWN A HILL, IT WILL SHIFT DOWN, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SLOW DOWN. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETELY ELECTRONIC AND THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. LAST WEEK, I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION. I PRESSED THE PEDAL BUT THE TRUCK DIDN'T ACCELERATE. I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY AN ONCOMING CAR. I'VE COME TO REALIZE THE THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT, AS WELL. I HOPE EVENTUALLY, THEY ASSES THIS PROBLEM AND ISSUE SOME KIND OF FIX. *JB

WE OWN "TWO" 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA DOUBLE CABS THAT ARE EQUIPPED THE SAME. BOTH OF THESE VEHICLES EXHIBIT THE SAME SAFTEY ISSUE. THE ISSUE: WHEN DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL "ON" AT SPEEDS OF 70 MPH, ON SLIGHTLY UPHILL TRACK, THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL COMMAND THE VEHICLE TO MAXIMUM THROTTLE, SHIFING THE TRANSMISSION INTO PASSING GEAR. THIS ACTION ON THE 287 HORSEPOWER VEHICLE, CAUSES THE REAR TIRES TO BREAK LOOSE ON WET ROADS AND CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, SENDING IT OFF THE ROAD OR INTO A SPIN. BOTH VEHICLES WE OWN EXHIBIT THIS BEHAVIOR AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO TOYOTA CASE # 200510040775. *NM