2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

I TOOK THIS TRUCK INTO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER ON JULY 09, 2015 AS PART OF A RECALL FOR A FRAME INSPECTION. THE MILEAGE AT THAT TIME WAS 295,801. THE DEALER SAID THE FRAME WAS IN GOOD SHAPE AND APPLIED A CORROSION INHIBITOR AS PART OF THE PROGRAM. IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, (2020) I DECIDED TO INSTALL NEW BREAK PADS. WHEN I REMOVED THE WHEEL ON THE DRIVER SIDE, I FOUND A SIGNIFICANT HOLE IN THE FRAME AND CRACKING ALL AROUND THE AREA. IN APPROXIMATELY 5 YEARS AND 17,000 MILES, THIS DEVELOPED. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE TRUCK IN THE WINTER FOR ABOUT 8 YEARS AS THIS BECAME A SECONDARY VEHICLE ONLY FOR SUMMER PROJECT USE AROUND THE HOME. I CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION AND I WAS BASICALLY OUT OF LUCK. I RECENTLY TOOK THE TRUNK TO A FRAME & BODY SHOP AND WAS SHOWN MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE FAILURE IN THE FRAME ON BOTH SIDES. HE DETERMINED THE FRAME IS UNREPAIRABLE BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF ROT AND THE TRUCK WILL NEED A COMPLETE NEW FRAME. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IN 5 YEARS DRIVING, AVERAGING 3,400 MILES A YEAR THAT THE FRAME WENT FROM GOOD (AS THE DEALER DESCRIBED IT) TO BEING UNDRIVEABLE. TOYOTA NEW THE STEEL WAS BAD IN MANY OF THEIR TRUCKS AND SUV;S BUT HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR ALL THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE BAD STEEL AND LACK OF PROTECTION APPLIED DURING MANUFACTURING. I HAVE HAD TO PULL THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD AS IT HAS BECOME UNSTABLE AND HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE.

2005 TUNDRA WITH MAJOR FRAME RUST. TOOK IT IN DURING THE ORIGINAL RECALL WHERE THEY SPRAYED THE FRAME WITH A "RUST PREVENTATIVE COATING" WHICH FELL OFF IN A YEAR. THE FRAME IS NOW DANGEROUSLY RUSTY AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING MORE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING ALL OF THE AFFECTED FRAMES, NOT JUST THE ONES THAT DIDN'T PASS THEIR "INSPECTION" BACK WHEN THE ORIGINAL RECALL HAPPENED. THE RUST THROUGH PROBLEM IS A VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF TUNDRAS AND TACOMAS ON THE ROAD THAT ARE DANGEROUSLY RUSTY BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S FAITHLESS RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO REPLACE THE REMAINING FRAMES THAT WERE PART OF THE RECALL.

I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE FRAME ON MY 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA HAS RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH AND THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY. WE NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF A REPAIR CAMPAIGN. BOTH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND CORPORATE REJECTED MY REQUEST TO HAVE THE FRAME REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 56,000.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS 2005 TUNDRA AND LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS MASSIVELY RUSTED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE TOYOTA FRAME RECALL BUT WAS NEVER REPLACED AND AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE FRAME. TOYOTA SAID THE FRAME WAS 'TREATED' IN 2015 AND THAT SHOULD'VE TAKEN CARE OF ANY ISSUES. GIVEN THE PHOTOS THIS RUST HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR YEARS. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT ONLY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BUT IS EFFECTIVELY USELESS. CONSIDERING IT ONLY HAS 77,000 MILES ON IT THIS LEVEL OF RUST SHOULD NOT BE PRESENT. *TR

THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO FRAME FOR. THE BODY AND ENGINE ARE IN GREAT CONDITION FOR THE AGE. AN UNDERCOATING WAS APPLIED BUT DID NOT PREVENT THE RUST FROM SPREADING. TOYOTA HAS REPLACED MANY FRAMES FOR THIS SAME REASON AND SHOULD INCLUDE THE '04-'06 MODEL YEARS TO ENSURE ALL OWNERS OF TRUCKS WITH FAULTY FRAMES ARE SAFE. *TR

THE FRAME AND CROSS MEMBERS ARE DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF BREAKING. THE FRONT DRIVESHAFT AND STEERING LINKAGE IS EXCESSIVELY DETERIORATED. THE BRAKE AND FUEL TANK BRACKETS ARE ALSO DETERIORATED AND ARE FAILING TO SUPPORT ATTACHED COMPONENTS

UPON CLOSE INSPECTION (VEHICLE PARKED) THE TRUCK HAS SEVERE (MORE THAN AVERAGE) CORROSION/ PERFORATION (RUST) OF THE MAIN FRAME/ CHASSIS. TOYOTA HAD UNDERCOATED THE VEHICLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE ALTHOUGH THIS ONLY MASKED THE UNDERLYING CORROSION, ALLOWING FOR THE CORROSION TO GO UNNOTICED. THE FRAME HAS CURRENTLY PERFORATED (VISIBLE HOLES/ RUST IN THE INTEGRAL STRUCTURE). THE VEHICLES MAIN STRUCTURE IS COMPROMISED DO TO THE POOR MATERIAL/ EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THE VEHICLES SAFETY MAY BE SEVERELY COMPROMISED.

SIGNIFICANT FRAME CORROSION IN MULTIPLE AREAS TO INCLUDE ONE AREA WITH A HOLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE FRAME RAIL, AND MOST ACUTELY WHERE THE REAR LEAF SPRING CONNECTS TO THE FRAME WITH ONLY 50% OF THE CONTACT AREA APPEARING TO BE STRUCTURALLY SOUND. INSPECTED BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO RATED DAMAGE AS JUST BARELY BETTER THAN UNSAFE TO DRIVE, HOWEVER NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. VEHICLE HAS 175K MILES ON IT, AND HAS SPENT THE MAJORITY OF ITS LIFE IN SC AND MD WHERE ROAD SALT USAGE IS LOW. FREQUENTLY CLEANED UNDERCARRIAGE, AND PERIODIC APPLICATION OF CORROSION PREVENTATIVE COMPOUNDS DID NOT ALTER OUTCOME WHICH IMPLIES POOR MATERIALS AND/OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. *TR

MY 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA THE FRAME HAS ROTTED THROUGH BEHIND THE FRONT TIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS A NEW YORK STATE INSPECTION. TOYOTA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY UNTIL 2015 IN 2014. THEY KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES BUT CURRENTLY THEY REFUSE TO ADDRESS. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION. THERE APPEARS TO BE A LOT OF TOYOTA VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS REFUSING TO ADDRESS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING A ROUTINE INSPECTION FOR AN OIL CHANGE THE DEALER (LOYALTY TOYOTA 2000 WALTHALL CENTER DR, CHESTER, VA 23831, (804) 796-1800) NOTICE CORROSION AROUND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO A RECALL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V444000 (STRUCTURE) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.