2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE A HEAVY VIBRATION AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.

DT: THE LOWER BALL JOINTS HAVE FAILED CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FALL OFF SEVERING THE UPPER BALL JOINTS. THIS ALSO DAMAGED THE BRAKE LINES AND THE ABS SENSORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE CONSUMER CONTACTED TOYOTA WHO REFERRED HER TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE. TOYOTA DENIED THERE WAS A RECALL. NO REPAIRS AS OF YET. *JB

THIS COMPLIANT IS APPLICABLE TO TOYOTA TUNDRA TRUCKS ~2000 TO 2003 MODELS. A VERY STRONG BRAKE VIBRATION FELT THROUGH-OUT THE VEHICLE COMING DOWN MOUNTAIN PASSES (I LIVE IN COLORADO). EVEN WITH THE APPROPRIATE DOWN-SHIFTING THE BRAKE VIBRATION IS FRIGHTENING CAUSING THE DRIVER TO WONDER IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE ABLE TO BE SLOWED AFTER A WHILE. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO TOYOTA MOTOR CORP AND IS ADDRESSED IN THE TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN BR004-02 AND IS ONLY ADDRESSED UPON COMPLAINT BY THE CUSTOMER AND THEN AGAIN ONLY AT NO CHARGE IF THE VEHICLE IS WITHIN THE WARRANTY LIMITATIONS. THE FIX IS A DESIGN CHANGE IN THE FORM OF REPALCEMENT OF THE FRONT CALIPER ASSEMBLY AND THE FRONT ROTORS. THE REAR DRUMS MIGHT ALSO HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH DRUMS OF GREATER MASS AND RIGIDITY, ACCORDING TO THE TSB BR004-02

I OWN A 2002 TOYATA TUNDRA. I, LIKE MANY, AS I AM NOW FINDING OUT, AM PLAGED BY THE SAME BRAKING PROBLEMS THAT SO MANY ARE EXPERIENCING. BEFORE THE 36,000 MI WARRANTY WENT OUT I TOOK THE RRUCK TO MY DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE BRAKES. THEY REPLACED ROTORS, AND CALIPERS. AFTER A WHILE THE SAME VIBRATING CAME BACK AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN AND THEY TURNED THE ROTORS AND SAID THAT FIXED THE PROBLEM. SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT , I HAVE REPLACED THE ROTORS TWICE AND NEW PADS EVERY TIME. I LOVE MY TRUCK BUT THERE IS NO DOBT THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. I JUST NEED A SOLUTION, ALONG WITH SO MANY OTHER TUNDRA OWNERS!!

STOP LAMP SOCKET FAILURE. AT 1ST THE BULB WOULD STAY IN THE SOCKET AND WOULD ONLY FALL OUT EVERY SIX MONTHS OR SO. IN THE LAST 1/2 YEAR THE BULB WOULD FALL OUT AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. MOST OF THE TIME THE BULB WOULD FALL OUT AND END UP LAYING IN THE LENSE CASING AND COULD BE PLUGGED BACK IN AND STILL WORK. THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM IN THE TOYOTA TUNDRA. THEY HAD A RECALL FOR THE 2002 MODEL TUNDRA FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THAT RECALL # WAS SSC-Y01. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THE PLUG WAS TOTALLY CUT OFF AND REPLACED. THE REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRENTY BUT WITH A $50 DEDUCTABLE THAT I HAD TO PAY. MY SERVICE MAN DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE 2000 RECALL, BUT ANOTHER SERVICE MAN INDICATED TO ME THAT IS WAS A PROBLEM IN PREVIOUS YEARS AND GAVE THE 2000 RECALL INFORMATION ABOVE. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. THE EXACT WORDING FOR 2000 SSC-Y01 TUNDRA STOP LAMP RECALL SAID THE FOLLOWING " THE PLASTIC BULB SOCKET IN CERTAIN REAR COMBINATION LAMP (INCLUDES STOP LAMP) MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MOLDED PROPERLY IN CERTAIN 2000 MODEL YEAR TUNDR'S. THIS COULD CAUSE A REDUCTION OF BULB RETENSION FORCE IN USE. IN THE WORST CASE, THE BULB COULD FALL OUT OF THE SOCKET RESULTING IN AN INOPERATIVE STOP LAMP." THIS IS EXACTULLY WHAT OCCURRED WITH MY STOP LIGHT BULB. WHAT THEY DO NOT INDICATE IS THE WOREST THING COULD HAPPEN WOULD SOMEONE COULD REAR END YOU SINCE THE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING WHICH COULD BE FATAL. YOU MAKE THE CALL.

1.EXCESSIVE BREAK VIBRATION DURING STOPING. THOUGHT TO AT FIRST RELATED TO TIRE BALANCE. 2.FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED FROM HEAT BUILDUP AND IMPROPER VENTILATION. 3.CONTACTED LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ADVISED OF (TOYOTA TSB #BR004-02 BRAKE UPGRADE) AUTHORIZING REPLACEMENT OF: DUST SHIELDS, FRONT ROTORS, CALIPERS,PADS,REAR DRUMS,AND PADS. TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPAIR WITH MILEAGE BEING 41,000 AS TRUCK IS NOT IN WARRENTY. TOYOTA WOULD LIKE TO REPAIR FOR $1803.25. TOYOTA WOULD NOT COMMENT ON WHY I WAS NOT ADVISED OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE WARRENTY EXPIRED. AS OF NOW, HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA SOUTHEAST AND ISSUE NOT RESOLVED. TUNDRA WILL NOW HAVE TO BE REPAIRED OUT- O-F POCKET, AS BREAK FAILURE IS IMMINENT, AND SAFETY IS COMPROMISED. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SUGGEST REPLACING ROTORS WITH PERFORMACE COOLING DISC AND CERAMIC PADS TO MINIMIZE WARPING.

MY 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA HAS VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. TOYOTA TRIED TO SAY IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AFTER 50K MILES TO HAVE WARPED ROTORS. NEVER HAPPEN ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAD. I SPENT $400 ON THERE 60K MILE INSPECTION (WHEN TRUCK HAD ONLY 52K MILES AND THEY CHECKED BRAKES OK. THEN I DROVE OFF AND BOOM VIBRATION IN FRONT BRAKES. NOW THEY CLAIM IT IS THE ROTORS AND

AFTER THE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION 1 YEAR EARLIER (SEE ODI#10121403) THE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION COLLAPSED AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY. RESULTS WERE THE SAME AS THE PRIOR FAILURE WITH THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY COMING OFF AND THIS TIME JAMMING UP INTO THE WHEEL WELL. ENTIRE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED BY SAME SERVICE DEALER. AS WITH PRIOR RIGHT FRONT FAILURE THERE WAS NO WARNING OF IMPENDING FAILURE.

FAILURE OF RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION RESULTING IN WHEEL ASSEMBLY COMING OFF OF VEHICLE. WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING DRIVESHAFT, BRAKE ROTOR AND ALL ATTACHED WIRES AND HOSES CAME OFF THE TRUCK AND ENDED UP UNDER THE VEHICLE.

THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINTS GAVE WAY AS I WAS DRIVING AT 75MPH ON INTERSTATE 40 WEST IN TEXAS AT MILE MARKER 14. THE ENTIRE WHEEL, BREAK, AND AXLE ASSEMBLY DETATCHED AT HI SPEED. THE BREAK LINE WAS SEVERED. THE ASSEMBLY FOLDED UNDER THE TRUCK AND I SKIDDED ON THE WHEEL WITH LITTLE CONTROL UNTIL I COULD MANEUVER OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AND MAINTAIN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE VEHICLE. THE TWISTED TIE ROD KEPT THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY FROM COMPLETELY SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE WEATHER WAS LIGHT SNOW WITH A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 34 DEGREES. TIME WAS APPX 9.50 AM. THE TRUCK WAS REPAIRED WITHOUT COMMENT BY STREET TOYOTA OF AMARILLO, TEXAS AT A COST OF APPX. $ 2,200. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF WEAR ON THE FRONT END STEERING COMPONENTS. THE TRUCK IS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH A GOOD DOCUMENTED SERVICE RECORD. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN STEERING "LOOSELY" AND I HAD A MECHANIC EXAMINE THE STEERING THE PREVIOUS WEEK. HE SAID IT LOOKED AND DROVE OK, BUT HE COULDN'T REALLY TELL. THE TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLOVED IN AN ACCIDENT OR INSURANCE CLAIM.