2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A YEAR GO WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND WAS GOING AROUND A CORNER, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE JERKED, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A TREE. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAINED INJURIES AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO FOR INSPECTION AT AN INSPECTION STATION. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE INSPECTED DUE TO A HOLE IN THE FRAME AND WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVER UNDER THE WARRANTY AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 240,000.

A WARRANTY ON THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK WAS SATISFIED ON 5/6/2014. THE FRAME WAS RUSTY AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, THE FRAME IS RUSTY AGAIN AND WE NOW HAVE A SAFETY CONCERN.

THE FRAME IS RUSTED TO THE EXTREME THAT PREVIOUS OWNERS HAVE ALREADY HAD IT REPAIRED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE JUST BEHIND THE FRONT AXLE FOR THE SWAY BAR TO MOUNT. I HAVE FOUND THE SAME ISSUE OF RUST THROUGH THE FRAME IS NOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND BOUT TO DO THE SAME THING. I ALSO FIND EXTREME RUST JUST IN FRONT OF THE REAR AXLE. EXTREME RUST HOLDING THE TRANSFER CASE IN THE VEHICLE IS VERY THIN ALSO.

REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND IS LEAKING OIL. EMERGENCY BRAKE LINE HAS RUSTED AND SNAPPED. THE RIMS HAVE OXIDATED. LEAF SPRINGS HAVE ALSO RUSTED VERY BADLY.

VEHICLE FAILED ITS YEARLY STATE INSPECTION DUE TO SEVERE RUST MAKING THE FRAME STRUCTURALLY COMPROMISED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY TOYOTA IN 2014 AND TREATED WITH A CORROSION RESISTANT COMPOUND UNDER A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN. SIX YEARS AFTER THE APPLICATION TOYOTA NOW ADVISES THE FRAME IS STRUCTURALLY COMPROMISED DUE TO SEVERE RUST.

ORIGINAL OWNERS OF A 2004 TUNDRA DOUBLE CAB 4WD, PURCHASED NEW. WITHIN 3 YEARS, THE WHEELS BEGAN TO CORRODE. REPORT WHEEL CORROSION TO TOYOTA, THEY REPLY NOTHING THEY CAN DO. IN 2007, WITH 25K MILES, TRUCK WAS RECALLED AND HAD BALL JT REPLACED. AT 60K MILES, PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM WAS FROZEN (CORRODED) AT THE REAR WHEELS. AT APPROXIMATELY 90K MILES, FRONT SUSPENSION LEFT SIDE VERTICAL LINK FRACTURED. REPLACED LINK ON BOTH SIDES, AND RIGHT SIDE HAD DETERIORATED AND FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. WHEEL BACKING PLATES ON ALL 4 WHEELS BEGAN CORRODING. REAR BUMPER AND SUPPORT BRACKETS BEGAN TO CORRODE AT 90K MILES. NOVEMBER OF 2014, VEHICLE IS RECALLED FOR INSPECTION OF FRAME. TOYOTA DETERMINES IT DID NOT NEED REPLACING, AND SPRAY SOME TYPE OF COATING ON THE FRAME. IN OCTOBER OF 2019, AT 140K MILES, ONE OF THE TWO FUEL TANK STRAPS FAILS DUE TO CORROSION, FUEL TANK SUSPENDED BY ONE STRAP UNTIL DISCOVERED. JULY OF 2020, DISCOVER REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER LEAKING DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION OF THE AXLE METAL. ATTEMPT TO TRADE IN VEHICLE AT TOYOTA IN OCT OF 2020, AND THEY PROVIDE A VALUE LESS THAN BOOK VALUE DUE TO CORROSION, AND STATE THEY ARE TAKING A RISK AS THE VEHICLE MAY NOT PASS INSPECTION. CALL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE OR DISCOUNT TO PURCHASE A NEW TRUCK, AS WE HAD NO INTENTION OF SELLING THE TRUCK WE HAVE CARED FOR FOR 16 YRS, WITH ONLY 150K MILES, AND NOW WITH A BAD AXLE MUST BUY ANOTHER TRUCK ASAP IN 2020. THE TRUCK WAS NOT A DAILY DRIVER, WAS NOT DRIVEN FOR A WORK COMMUTE. IT IS AN EXTRA VEHICLE, OUR "NEW" DEPENDABLE VEHICLE FOR FAMILY TRIPS, VACATIONS, COLLEGE, ETC.., AND THE CONDITION AND CARE IS OBVIOUS IN THE PHOTOS. I WOULD NOT EXPECT TOYOTA TO BUY BACK THE VEHICLE, BUT SOME ASSISTANCE COULD BE PROVIDED TO THE OWNERS FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TRUCK PREMATURELY. OUR TRUCK NEVER TRAILERED OR LAUNCHED A BOAT. RARELY DRIVEN IN SNOW.

YES I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA CREW CAB TRUCK IS IN GOOD SHAPE BUT RECENTLY FOUND MY FRAME IS RUSTING AWAY I'VE CONTACTED TOYOTA BECAUSE THEY HAD A RECALL BEFORE BUT THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT I'VE READ SOME TOYOTA FORMS AND APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT A RARE CASE THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE THIS IS THE REASON PEOPLE ARE KILLED GOING TO WORK FRAME JUST BRAKES I WANT SOMETHING DONE BEFORE THAT SOMEONE KILLED IS ME

STARTED HEARING CLUNKING NOISE IN TRUCK. MADE APPOINTMENT WITH ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HE ASKED US TO COME BACK TO THE SHOP. THE STRUCTURE OF THE FRAME THAT HOLDS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING AND ANTI-SWAY BAR MOUNT WAS GONE. BOTH OF THE TOPS OF THE FRAME OF THE CROSS MEMBER THAT GOES UNDER THE ENGINE WAS MISSING. THE FRAME RAIL UNDER THE CAB IS SEPARATING. HE ADVISED THAT THIS CONDITION WAS A MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AND ADVISE THEM. I CALLED A DEALERSHIP IN ZANESVILLE AND THEY ADVISED THEY COULD NOT HELP BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A RECALL AND TOYOTA GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER AND TRANSFERRED ME TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. HE ALSO GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE MORE PHOTOS AND I NOW KNOW I CAN NOT DRIVE A TRUCK THAT I SPENT $24,000 ON JUNE OF 2019. I AM GLAD I DID NOT WRECK MY VEHICLE AND HURT MY FAMILY OR ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. PLEASE HELP ME REPAIR MY TRUCK. WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE FACTORY UNDERCOATING WAS STILL IN TACT AND THIS WAS NOT VISIBLE UNDERNEATH.

VEHCILE WAS REACLLED AND THE FRAME WAS REPAIRED FOR POTENTIAL ROT. NOW HE REAR DIFFERENTAIL IS ROTTING OUT AND LEAKING OIL. IT APPEARS TO BE AN EXTENSION OF THE RECALL FOR THE ROTTING FRAME. LOOKING TO SEE IF THER HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS SIMILAR

OUR TUNDRA HAD A FRAME RECALL AND IT WAS THE DEALERS DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO REPLACE DRAM OR JUST COVER UP WITH UNDERCOATING. WE DISAGREED WITH THE DECISION TO UNDERCOAT AS THE DEAL WAS SHOWING SIGNS OF EXTENSIVE RUST. NOW, OUR FRAME IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO THE POINT OF FALLING AWAY FROM THE BODY. JUST ABOUT ALL PARTS UNDER THE TRUCK HAVE NOW SUFFERED AS WELL. WE HAVE NEVER HAD THE TRUCK LAUNCH A BOAT, GONE OFF ROAD, OR ANY OTHER DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES. BASICALLY A TRAIN STATION AND DUMP RUN VEHICLE. I AM TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA AND THEIR POOR HANDLING OF THE SITUATION. BASICALLY THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUPER EXPENSIVE FRAME REPLACEMENT; TOO BAD. ENGINE, BODY, AND INTERIOR ARE IN GREAT SHAPE. I NEED HELP AS I 1) CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE AND 2) CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS TRUCK AND IT IS VITAL FOR US. JUST FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THE FRAME IS DISINTEGRATING QUICKLY WHEN WE BROUGHT CAR TO SHOP FOR A STEERING ISSUE WHICH WE NOW FIND OUT WAS CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE RUST. THANK YOU