2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA Complaints

MY COMPLAINT IS WITH TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY AND THEIR ADMISSION BUT YET NO RESOLUTION TO A KNOWN PROBLEM. MY STORY OF THIS TOYOTA TRUCK BEGINS WITH MY SON OWNING THIS TUNDRA FOR ABOUT 5-7 YEARS THEN SELLING ME, HIS FATHER THE SAME TUNDRA. BEFORE BUYING SAID TRUCK I WAS ASSURED IT WAS OF GOD STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, DUE TO AN INSPECTION AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. UPON INSPECTION THEY DID FIND THAT THE FRAME HAD VISIBLE RUST AND PROCEEDED TO TREAT IT WITH ANTI-CORROSION. FORWARD TO THREE WEEKS AGO A LOCAL INSPECTION WAS TO BE DONE IN WHICH I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD NOT PASS DUE TO FRAME PROBLEMS AS IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. TOYOTA ENGINEERS KNOW THAT THE FRAMES ARE GOING TO RUST BECAUSE NO EXTERIOR APPLICATION OF ANY ANTI-CORROSION IS GOING TO PREVENT ANY CORROSION WITHIN A TUBULAR BOXED FRAME. I WAS REFUSED ANY SOLUTION FROM TOYOTA, WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED THAT THESE PARTICULAR TRUCKS ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. HOW CAN YOU HELP WITH GETTING TOYOTA TO RESOLVE THIS COMPLETELY INSTEAD OF PASSING THE LITTLE GUY ASIDE?

WE SENT OUR TRUCK FOR THE INSURANCE (PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE) COMPANY TO THE GARAGE FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND THEY TOLD US THE FRONT/RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME IS BROKE. MAKING THE TRUCK UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

THERE WERE 2 ISSUES WITH THE FRAME ON THE 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT WERE ADDRESSED ON MY SON'S TRUCK WHEN THEY WERE ISSUED. NOW, THE FRAME IS EXTREMELY RUSTED AND POSSIBLY A HAZARD TO DRIVE. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO DID NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE FRAME BUT, PULLED UP INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA AND TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND AS I SEE OTHERS ONLINE TO THIS DAY GETTING FRAMES REPLACED. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE WHO CLAIMS THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE AS THE FRAME IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THIS IS REALLY A POOR WAY TO TREAT CUSTOMERS THAT PAY VERY HEAVILY FOR THESE TRUCKS AND EXPECT THEM TO LAST. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ORIGINALLY IN NY AND EVENTUALLY PA WHICH ARE THE COLD WEATHER STATES THAT WERE INVOLVED. THE COATING PLACED ON THE TRUCK DID NOTHING AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL AS THERE IS NOTHING THAT SHOWS IT WAS EVER THERE. I HAVE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS, VIDEOS, ETC THAT I WAS UNABLE TO UPLOAD.

REAR CROSS MEMBER THAT HOLDS ON SPARE TIRE IS COMPLETELY RUSTED. TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPLACE BECAUSE THE RECALL HAS EXPIRED.

MY TRUCK'S FRAME HAS LARGE, MAJOR RUST PERFORATION HOLES ALL OVER THE FRAME AND WILL SOON NEED REPLACEMENT. I FEEL THAT THIS WILL SOON BE A SAFETY FACTOR, AS THE FRAME IS THE ONLY PART OF THE VEHICLE THAT HOLDS THE TRUCK IN ONE PIECE WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I'M AFRAID MY FRAME WILL NOT PROTECT ME IN A COLLISION AND THAT MY TRUCK MAY SNAP IN HALF DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. TOYOTA CORPORATE HAD ME IMMEDIATELY BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO MY LOCAL DEALER FOR A FRAME INSPECTION AND THE RUST PERFORATION WAS NOTED AND VERIFIED, BUT TOYOTA CORPORATE WILL NOT REPLACE MY FRAME BECAUSE THE AREAS SPECIFIED IN THEIR CURRENT OPEN RECALLS AREN'T AS RUSTED AS WHAT WOULD BE NORMALLY DEEMED QUALIFIED FOR FRAME REPLACEMENT. THE CONDITION OF MY FRAME IS TERRIBLE AND MAY BE CONSIDERED MORE DANGEROUS SOON, COMPARED TO WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THE FRAME CONCERNS OF THE CURRENT RECALLS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS SERVICING HIS VEHICLE, HE LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND NOTICED THAT THE SWAY BAR WAS RUSTED ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE FRAME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V444000 (STRUCTURE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SPARE TIRE WAS ABSENT FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. AS A RESULT, THE SPARE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. WALDORF TOYOTA (2600 CRAIN HIGHWAY, WALDORF, MARYLAND 20601, (301) 843-3700) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE THREE YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY COVERAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED THE CONTACT WITH CASE NUMBER: 1811171313. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS COATED WITH A PREVENTATIVE RUST PROTECTION ON DECEMBER 24, 2011 PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL THAT EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 453,839.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS LOW SPEEDS AND APPROACHING A STOP, THE FUEL TANK DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND FELL ONTO THE GROUND. THE CONTACT TEMPORARILY RE-ATTACHED THE FUEL TANK TO THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. ROMANO TOYOTA (6400 BASILE ROWE, EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 13057, (315) 445-1070) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REQUESTED THAT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BE PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V444000 (STRUCTURE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 155,000.

FRAME CORROSION WAS NOT PROPERLY ADDRESSED DURING 2012 RECALL. AS A RESULT THE FRAME HAS CORRODED IN MULTIPLE AREAS AND THE BRAKES JUST FAILED DUE TO BRAKE LINE CORROSION. TOYOTA IS REFUSING ANY ADDITIONAL CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES. HOWEVER THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE TO ADDRESS THE FRAME CORROSION DURING THE 2012 RECALL.

AFTER MECHANIC RECENTLY INSPECTED UNDER SIDE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAD SIGNIFICANT RUST AND ROT. FRAME IS NOT EXPECT TO MAINTAIN STRUCTURE FOR VERY LONG.