2001 Toyota Tundra Suspension

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HEARD A BANGING FROM THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT PIECES OF METAL HAD DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE LEAF SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT, HOWEVER, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS/IS A RECALL ON LOWER BALL JOINTS FOR 4BY2, 4.7 LITRE TOYOTA TUNDRAS, MODEL YEAR 2001. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA LIMITED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE BALL JOINT FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO COME TO IMMEDIATE HALT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TILTED AND AS HE EXITED THE VEHICLE, NOTICED DAMAGE TO THE TIRE, FENDER AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THAT ALL THE FRONT BALL JOINTS WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE BALL JOINTS WERE ALL REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF PARTS TO HAVE THE BODY DAMAGE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

THERE WAS NO WARNING OF AN IMPENDING FAILURE. WHILE TRAVELING ON A STRAIGHT LEVEL INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH THE FRONT DRIVER-SIDE WHEEL COLLAPSED UNDER THE VEHICLE. CONTROL WAS REGAINED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NEGOTIATED TO THE SHOULDER. SINCE THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS RECENTLY SERVICED, I SUSPECTED AN INSTALLATION ERROR. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD SEPARATED. HAVING NOT BEEN INFORMED OF A MULTI-YEAR RECALL, I WAS UNAWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED FOR UNDER $300 DURING THE LAST SERVICING. CURRENT REPAIRS ARE BEING MADE AT A COST OF OVER $3000. *TR

I OWN A 2001 TUNDRA SR5 ACCESS CAB TRD PICKUP. I PUT 75,000 MILES ON IT IN THROUGH 8 NE IOWA WINTERS BEFORE MOVING TO A WARMER PART OF THE COUNTRY. MY TRUCK NOW HAS 132,000 MILES ON IT. ON AUGUST 17TH, 2010 I DROVE THROUGH A POTHOLE AND HEARD A CRACK FROM THE FRONT LEFT SUSPENSION. UPON INSPECTION AFTER WORK I FOUND A BUSTED LEFT SWAY ARM LINK. THE LINK HAD RUSTED SEVERELY AND SHEARED AT THE SWAY BAR BUSHING LOCATION. I REPLACED THE LINK MYSELF WITH FACTORY TOYOTA PARTS AND TORQUED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS ON AUGUST 22ND. I FIGURE THE NEW LINK WILL LAST AT LEAST AS LONG AS THE PREVIOUS ONE, BUT I'M GUESSING THE RIGHT LINK IS NOT IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION. PICTURES AND THE WHAT I HAVE LEFT OF THE OLD LINK ARE AVAILABLE. NO INJURIES OR SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED, BUT THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS, AND PROBABLY SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL. *TR

MY GIRLFRIEND WAS DRIVING MY 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA, TRAVELING APPROX. 30-35 MPH, WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN SHE HEARD A TERRIBLE CRASHING SOUND, THE PASSENGER FRONT SIDE OF THE TRUCK HIT THE GROUND AND THE TRUCK BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER WHICH FORCED THE VEHICLE INTO A LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THANKFULLY NOBODY WAS TRAVELING IN IT AT THE TIME. SHE GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE & WHEEL HAD COME COMPLETELY OFF OF THE TRUCK, AS WELL AS SEVERING THE BRAKE LINE, WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT, I FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINT HAD COMPLETELY COME UNATTACHED AT THE KNUCKLE. *TR

ON JANUARY 2, 2010 THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT. THE WHEEL HAPPENED TO COME OFF OF THE VEHICLE WHILE I WAS DRIVING LESS THAN 25 MPH. MY VEHICLE IS A 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA, 8 CYLINDER 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK. I DEMAND THAT THE GOVERNMENT TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PREVENT DEATH AND INJURY FROM THIS APPARENT DEFECT. *TR

ON 10/14/09 WHILE DRIVING ON LA 15 THE LEFT FRONT BALL JOINT CAME APART ON MY 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA PICKUP. THERE WAS NO WARNING, JUST A LOUD BANG LEADING ME TO BELIEVE, AT FIRST, I HAD A BLOWOUT. WHAT FOLLOWED NEXT WAS A LOSS OF CONTROL AND BRAKE FAILURE BEFORE I SPUN OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CAME TO A STOP. LUCKILY I WAS UNHURT. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2002-2004 VEHICLES BUT I AM MORE THAN A LITTLE SURE SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE TOO. *TR

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA SR5 4WD TRUCK. MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE MY HOUSE AND I WAS PLANNING ON REPOSITIONING IT SO THAT I COULD PUT SOME THINGS IN THE BED. I PULLED FORWARD ABOUT 10 FEET AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN I HEARD A BREAKING NOISE AND THEN A LOUD SCRAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE TRUCK. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND GOT OUT TO INSPECT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I NOTICED THAT THE LOWER SUSPENSION WAS BROKEN AND HAD SEPARATED ITSELF FROM THE TIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY. WHEN IT BROKE OFF SOME PARTS HAD GRINDED/SCRAPED THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I LEARNED THAT IT WAS THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT THAT HAD BROKEN AND SEPARATED FROM THE KNUCKLE. LUCKILY, I HAD AN EMPTY UNLOADED VEHICLE AND WASN'T DRIVING FAST SO NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT EVALUATING THE DAMAGE IT WOULDN'T BE HARD TO BELIEVE HOW LARGE AND DEVASTATING THIS COULD HAVE BEEN IF I HAD A FULLY LOADED TRUCK AND WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH IT WILL BE TO REPAIR AND/OR REPLACE THE PARTS YET. HOWEVER, TOYOTA HAS BEEN RELUCTANT TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING MY 2001 TUNDRA 4X4, ON HIGHWAY 1, WEST OF WATSONVILLE CALIFORNIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FREEWAY THE LEFT FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED DETACHING, EXCEPT FOR BRAKE LINES, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. THE VEHICLE SKIDDED ON WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY AND HE WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE TO THE CENTER MEDIAN. THE TRUCK SUSTAINED MINOR BODY DAMAGE AND LUCKILY NO INJURIES TO MY SON OR THE PASSENGER. TOYOTA HAS AGREED TO REPAIR THE DAMAGED BALL JOINT BUT NOT THE BODY DAMAGE OR THE NON DAMAGED BALL JOINT. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ANY LONGER. *TR

MY HUSBAND FIRST NOTICED A VIBRATION AND SAID THAT THE STEERING FELT ODD IN OUR 2001 TUNDRA. HE WAS THEN SUDDENLY SURPRISED WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL DETACHED AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT END SLAMMED TO THE GROUND. HE WAS LUCKY BECAUSE HE WAS DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED ON A SECONDARY ROAD AND NO COLLISION OR INJURIES OCCURRED. JUST MINUTES BEFORE HE WAS DRIVING ON A MAIN CONGESTED ROAD AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED AND THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR COLLISION AND SUBSTANTIAL INJURIES. THE TUNDRA WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL TOYATO DEALER IN OUR TOWN OF BOONE, NC. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINTS SEPARATED. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CONTACTING TOYOTA TO SEE WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PLACED AND IF THEY ARE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR US. IT SEEMS AS IF THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THESE TRUCKS WHEN PEOPLES LIVES ARE AT RISK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE FRONT TIRE DETACHED FROM THE DISC BRAKE, BUT THE TIRE BEARING WAS STILL ATTACHED. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE BALL JOINT. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SLAMMED INTO A CONCRETE WALL ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACTS HUSBAND SUSTAINED MILD BUMPS AND BRUISES. SHE STATED THAT HER HUSBAND WOULD HAVE DIED IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE CONCRETE WALL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS LIABLE FOR THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 104,000. UPDATED 07/24/07 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH SHE FELT A BUMP THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE DRIVER FRONT TIRE DISENGAGED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LEFT LOWER BALL WAS WEAKENED AND WORN. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE AXLE WAS DAMAGED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER BALL JOINT, THE AXLE AND THE TIE ROD END. APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND HALF LATER THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM; HOWEVER, IT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE BALL JOINT, AXLE AND TIE ROD END. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA FOR THE LOWER BALL JOINT (RECALL #05V225000). THE CONTACT FELT HER VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

IN MAY 2005, TOYOTA RECALLED 775,000 PICKUPS AND SUV'S BECAUSE OF POSSIBILITY OF EXCESSIVE WEAR TO A FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT; HOWEVER THEY ONLY RECALLED 2002-2004 AND RECENTLY 533,000 2004-2006 TUNDRA TRUCKS. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE TUNDRA 2000-2001 ARE MADE FROM THE SAME CASTING THAT THE 2002-2004 AND YET, TOYOTA NEVER MADE AN EFFORT OF THINKING OF ANYONE SAFE WHEN THE LOWER BALL JOINT SNAP OUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. JUST AS MIND DID ON 27 OF MARCH 2007 WHICH PINNED THE LEFT TIRE UNDER TRUCK. IT TOOK NEARLY 1 HOUR TO PLACE THE TRUCK ON TOW TRUCK, DUE TOO THE DAMAGE. I WOULD LIKE A INVESTIGATION WHICH WOULD EXPOSE TOYOTA FOR IGNORING THEIR LIALBILTY TO PROPERLY RECALL THEIR DEFECTS ON THE 2000-2001 LOWER FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT. THANK YOU. THE COST IS ABOUT $5000.00 PARTS AND LABOR. *JB

WAS ABOUT TO MERGE ON TO FREEWAY WHEN DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL BROKE AWAY FROM VEHICLE DUE TO LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, AND SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THAT SOME TUNDRAS WERE UNDER RECALL FOR THIS SAME MALFUNCTION BUT NOT MINE. EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERS PARTS THAT MALFUNCTIONED BUT NOT THE BODY DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE MALFUNCTIONED PART(S). CALLED TOYOTA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SITUATION, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE DAMAGES TO MY VEHICLE, INCLUDING DAMAGE TO DRIVER SIDE DOOR, DRIVER SIDE FRONT FENDER AND FRONT BUMPER WERE MY RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT TOYOTA'S, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS OR RECORDS OF THIS INCIDENT WITH MY YEAR MODEL TRUCK. *NM

DRIVING MY 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA AT SPEED ABOUT 10 TO 15 MPH. HAD RAPID INCREASING DIFFICULTY STEERING, SUDDENLY THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL (DRIVER'S SIDE) BROKE OFF AND TRUCK SLID TO A STOP. I LOOKED AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND FOUND THE LOWER BALL JOINT /ARM HAD BROKEN OFF AND THE TRUCK FELL ON TO WHEEL. I COULD NOT STEER AND LUCKY, WAS ON A SIDE ROAD. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. REPAIR COST ESTIMATE IS PENDING AT THIS TIME. *NM

(1) I LEFT MY WORK AT 6:00 AM THE MORNING OF SEPT. 22 . I HAD ONLY GONE APPROX. 2 MILES AT ABOUT 50 MPH, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AND SPARKS WERE FLYING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL I COULD GET IT OFF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. (2) I GOT OUT TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND FOUND THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE OFF AND WEDGED UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I WAS REALLY SHAKEN ABOUT THIS. IN ANOTHER 10 MINUTES I WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING HOME THROUGH A REAL WINDY CANYON DRIVE THAT I COMMUTE ABOUT 54 MILES ONE-WAY TO WORK, WITH MOUNTAIN ON ONE SIDE AND A CANYON WITH RIVER ON THE OTHER. I DEFINITELY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WE FOUND THE LOWER BALL JOINT DOWN THE ROAD . IT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY SHEERED AT THE THREAD AREA. I CALLED THE BAKERSFIELD TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND MY 2001 TUNDRA WAS NOT COVERED FOR THIS. I ALSO CALLED THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER AND IT WAS NOT COVERED FOR THIS. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY TUNDRA. I HAD NO CLUE AS TO A PROBLEM WITH MY BALL JOINTS. THE BALL JOINT SHOULDN'T HAVE FAILED LIKE THIS. (3) I HAD MY TUNDRA TOWED TO A LOCAL BRAKE AND FRONT END SHOP AND HAD THE WORK DONE THERE. I HAD BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES DONE. IT COST ME $624.00. *JB

SAFETY COMPLAINT ON TOYOTA TUNDRAS - LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURES RESULTING IN FRONT WHEEL TO COME OFF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THIS FAILURE RESULTS IN SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRONT-END OF TRUCKS AND COULD RESULT IN DEBILITATING OR FATAL ACCIDENTS! THREE KNOWN CASES IN CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA AREA!