Problems with 2000 Toyota Tundra SUSPENSION

I have a 2000 toyota tundra and it is rusted to the point where i cannot get a new inspection sticker. this past weekend i was driving and the spare tire was so badly rusted it broke loose from the mount and nearly caused me to crash as it jammed beneath my vehicle. it then bounced back and almost hit the car behind me. this was a very near miss! i have been fighting with toyota to have them help me with this problem but they are doing nothing. i am hoping that they will do for us what they did for tacoma owners. *tr updated 03/25/10 *bf received pictures. updated 09/15/10

2000 toyota tundra 2wd 4dr pickup. severe frame rust. the back joint that holds the leaf spring to the frame rusted on the driver side and the spring separated from the frame. the vehicle swerved some going over a highway road dip at highway speed when the spring apparently separated from the frame. the driver side rear leaf spring is close to separating also on account of the severe rust of the vehicles frame. it is sitting at a dealership in east stoudsburg since oct. 12 awaiting toyota field rep and company to make some kind of decision. *tr

I brought my 2000 toyota tundra in to be serviced at my toyota dealership. it was determined then to be unsafe to drive. the dealership determined that the frame is rusted out and the leaf spring has penetrated the truck bed. this truck has regularly been maintained at the dealership where it was purchased. additional rust proofing was purchased at the time of purchase. other than the rusting frame, the vehicle works very well. now it cannot be driven and there is no suggestion that it can be fixed. i am aware that toyota has had the same problem with the tacoma model and that toyota has reimbursed tacoma owners one and one half times the blue book value. i am also aware that toyota acknowledges the problem with the tundra. unfortunately, they are unresponsive to me. i am currently renting a vehicle in order to get to work as i await the next step in this process. the dealership has told me to leave the vehicle with them as it is unsafe and unfit to drive. there seems to be some inequity in this situation. i have been encouraged to report this to you. *tr

I was told by service technician changing my oil that i had some very significant rust on the frame of my 2000 tundra. i have been finding rust flakes on my garage floor and after reading about people having frame failures i contacted the toyota customer center to see if there was any type of recall. they took my information and specifically asked if i had holes in the frame? toyota representative was most cordial but explained that toyota has not yet taken action to address how they might assist tundra owners with this issue. i have scheduled an inspection for my tundra's frame with a toyota dealer for next week. there is rust on entire frame and it is very rusted on the springs and holders. every welded joint has flaking and showing separating layers. i don't believe i will be towing or carrying heavy weight till i'm assured the rust ed parts have proper integrity to support weight and speeds. tell everyone you know to with a 2000-2001 tundra with rust to call toyota!!!!!! and file a complaint here. toyota wants to know, and we need some answers and assistance in making sure frames are safe. *tr

I am writing on my 2000 toyota tundra. i just noticed the recall due to rust found on the rear frame. i also would like to alert you rust found on the front suspension joints. i just replaced my front sway bar links due to rust. the links snapped off and this caused the truck to lean more in the turn or cause more body roll. this i believe is safety issue because if you need to perform and emergency maneuver this could cause the truck to loose control. while i was under the truck repairing the links i did notice a lot of rust in the front suspension that looks like it could fail. the upper control arms have heavy amounts of rust. i did not look at the spare tire bracket as mention in the recall but i have notice the rust in rear section of the frame. the location both shocks have heavy rust at their points of attachment as well as the break line holders. i hope you find this information helpful feel free to contact me with any question. *tr

(1). i purchased a new 2000 toyota tundra extended cab limited at price toyota in delaware. in february 2009 i observed rust through of bracket from bed to frame visible through rear wheel well. requested that my wife report this to liberty toyota in nj during routine 5000 mile oil change. she was told that this was "not a problem". (2). in september 2009 truck was again taken to liberty toyota for 5000 mile oil change, purchase of 5 new tires and alignment. liberty toyota service told my wife that the truck was rusted to the point where they could no longer align the vehicle and no service was performed. liberty took photos of the underside of the truck and transmitted them to toyota. approximately two weeks later liberty told my wife that toyota's position was that because of the age and mileage (9 years and 110,000 miles ) that they would do nothing to resolve this issue. (3). in late september 2009 i purchased a 2006 toyota tundra crew cab 4 door tundra limited as a replacement vehicle for my wife a toyota runnemead, nj. on that same occasion the 2000 tundra was put on lift and inspected with a powerful light. observed various rust through of brackets and at least one fist sized hole through the frame. this was witnessed by the toyota runnemeade sales person, general manager, sales manager, and service manager. all agreed that this was worst case of rust they had seen, and were of the opinion that the truck was not safe to operate. (4). in october 2009 i contacted toyota customer service and received a case number. a few days later i again contacted toyota customer service and was told that "toyota is studying the problem". this sounded like a stall tactic and gave me little hope for any voluntary positive action from toyota. as of today 11 november 2009 i have had no further contact from toyota. (5). i have purchased or helped purchase 5 toyota trucks for my family. total expenditure approximately $150,000. *tr

2000 toyota tundra sr5 xcab 4x4 has extreme flaking rust all over frame, front bumper to rear. body metal is fine. part of frame is buckling/flexing, front right stabilizer mount has snapped off with nothing to weld to. several weld areas have weakened or let go. problem became noticeable in 2005 (at 60,000 odometer miles). slowly got worse. logged case with toyota in 2008 when frame began to flex. no program to help. severely worse in 2009. updated case with toyota. still no offer of help or remedy, just "we are looking into it". no longer able to safely tow, will soon be unable to safely drive. body looks great, but chassis frame is flaking to nothing. *tr

I have a 2000 toyota tundra and the frame is rotting,i have had to have the leaf spring shackles replaced, and the whole front of the bottom of the truck is very rusty,the shocks are rotted also. *tr

The frame of my 2000 toyota tundra is rusted out to the point of being unsafe to drive. large, solid chunks of rusted steel come off by hand. others pieces fall off onto the driveway when you close the door too hard. it's a shame, too because everything else runs great and i wanted to keep the truck to give to my son when he gets his license, but it is now a safety hazard, unfit to drive. *tr

After hearing the complaints about the 2000 toyota tundra, i decided to put my 2000 tundra up on a lift. boy what a surprise i have 55 pictures of problem areas that are very concerning. there is a 3" section on the drivers side frame rail by the front of the leaf spring carriage holder that is wavy it is visible in the pics that is how bad it is. major rust all along the passenger side of the frame rail from front to rear. before lowering the truck all the way i looked at the top of the front shock holder and was not impressed with the amount of rust that is eaten through at this point. *tr

2000 toyota tundra with rust holes through frame over and beside rear shock brackets and spring brackets. i am at my wits end with toyota and have tried to resolve this obvious defect at every level. this has become a safety issue for my self and other drivers, it is just a matter of time before the frame will snap in half. this truck is only 8 years old and the problem is getting worse by the day, i reported this with toyota almost two years ago and they said they would put it in the system? now march of 2009 toyota has inspected the truck and admits there is a problem but does not want to resolve it. i can go on line and find alot of complaints about this same problem with toyota dodging the issue. i was wondering if this would be something that should be looked into since they have already had this problem with some of the other trucks they manufacture. i plan to also notify my insurance company that they possibly could be insuring a potential disaster. your help and input would be greatly appreciated. *tr

The brake line tubing at the proportioning valve on the left rear inside frame rail corroded and burst causing all brake fluid to escape and the brake pedal went to the floor and made the vehicle difficult to stop. i was traveling close to home at a speed of approximately 25 mph. i down shifted and was able to slow to 5mph to drive the vehicle to my home garage where i replaced the tubing,fluid and bled the brakes. fortunately no accident occurred, i discarded the old tubing and fittings after the repairs were made. the frame area behind the tubing near the left rear shock mount is corroded so badly that i am able to pass a tennis ball through the left rear frame rail. the right and left frame rails are perforated where the spare tire carrier is riveted to the horizontal frame channels directly above the rear axle. the frame is corroded badly and paper thin in areas that surround the perforations. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 toyota tundra. while the contact was having his vehicle inspected, he was informed that there were 2 rust holes in the frame near the rear end of the vehicle. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the contact stated that the rear brake lines previously needed to be replaced due to rust. the current mileage was 88000 and the failure mileage was 85000. updated 11/9/09. *nj updated 11/10/09 *bf the brake lines had rusted and were leaking. the mechanic replaced both rear leaf springs. updated 11/10/09

Excessive rust. sway bar ends links rusted off. power steering rack rusted thru and leaked needed replacement. exhaust header leak because of rust. several tech's have called it a 'rust bucket' underneath. *tr

While driving at approx. 50 mph, with no warning the right front suspension came apart. the tire folded underneath and the truck skidded to a stop. fortunately we were on a 2 lane macadam road. there were no injuries. the truck was towed to a garage where the mechanic replaced the upper and lower ball joints right hand side, right hand drive shaft, and inner and out tie-rod ends and a new tire. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 toyota tundra. the contact stated while braking to a complete stop, there was an abnormal bang from the rear of the vehicle. the dealer advised the rear axle was fractured and the axle was replaced. in addition, the contact noticed an unknown leak coming from the rear wheels. the dealer replaced the brake seals to correct the failure. the failure recurred within eight months. the dealer then replaced the brake seals and shoes. within one year, while driving at 60 mph and depressing the brakes, there was an abnormal increase in stopping distance and the brake warning light illuminated on the warning panel. the contact replaced the brake line himself to correct the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 128,000.

2000 tundra pickup truck lower ball joint failure. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60mph on the interstate, the front driver's side lower ball joint fractured and punctured the left front tire without warning. the contact managed to pull over on the side of the road without incident. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where the front lower ball joints were replaced. the manufacturer was contacted.

Four fasteners that attach the lower control arm/ ball joint to the spindle/ hub assembly failed on the front right tire and came apart pulling into a parking lot after a 1.5 hour drive at highway speeds. recalls on the lower ball joint assembly in 2002-2005 tundras seem to result in the same type of separation. *nm

A loud noise was coming from the front of the vehicle, and the driver was able to pull over. the truck collapsed to the ground. the driver was able to get out of the truck, and observed that driver's front wheel sheared off. driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the right lower ball joint and driver's wheel needed to be replaced. *ak

I pulled out of my driveway and heard a thump, stopped, got out of my truck,and checked to see what happened. i found the top portion of my front sway bar (linkage) in the road. it had rusted away between the two rubber bushings, (on the passenger side). if i had been driving down the road, i would never have noticed this had happened... isn't the sway bar a needed component in the handling of any vehicle? *jb

Bought a 2000 tundra with 49000 miles on it and intended to use it as a work truck. the second day i had the truck it started to vibrate when stopping at above 50 miles per hour. the next day i had about 900 pounds of printing ink in the back and had to make a fairly quick stop on the freeway. even though i had given myself plenty of room, i was barely able to avoid an accident due to the severe vibration in the steering wheel,it really shook me up.i went to toyota and they refuse to do a thing cause the warranty is up and i am not the origenal owner. some thing should be done before someone gets hurt. there is a problem here!*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 toyota tundra. the brake lines were repaired at the owners expense about 5 years ago. recently he noticed the brake light warning light illuminated on the instrumental control panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the frame along with the brake lines were replaced because of corrosion. the failure mileage was 50000. the current mileage was 74000. updated 11/04/09. *lj the sway bar link was replaced. updated 11/06/09.*jb

(1)lower ball joint failure at front left. ball joint analysis indicates metallurgical incompatability of ball and cup. no warning prior to failure resulting to on road accident. front tyre and braking system damaged. strut damaged, chasis crooked, front axle damaged. (2) frequent front brake vibrations, changed over ten times. *ak

Left rear leaf sprng snapped while driving casually on central street in winchendon. the sprng subsequently beat up agains the gas tank. the dealer, norm wagner toyota volksswagen refused to accept any responsbilty for the repairs the vehicle had about 4100 miles on it at the time. i would consider this a major problem when this happens as the gas tank could have ruptured causing several possible accidents. *ak

The vehicles brake rotors and drums were warped and caused extended stopping distance when braking. *nlm there was a vibration when braking, the tire seemed to be worn on the inside, the a/c made a noise when turned on high, and the front seat belt did not retract at times. *scc *jb

The brakes began to cause vibration when slowing or stopping the truck. this started around 35,000 miles. the rotors were re-surfaced and the brake pads replaced. at about 45,000 miles the brakes were causing the truck to shake excessively once again. the rotors were re-surfaced and the braking was smooth for about 8,000 miles. at about 60,000 miles i was forced to buy new rotors due to the truck vibrating excessively when slowing or stopping. the brakes on this truck are not robust enough for the vehicle weight as the rotors are warping prematurely and the brake pads are wearing unevenly with normal driving. *tr

Dt: the contact stated there was vibration in the front brakes. the dealership found tsb 10003954 concerning the front brakes. the dealership replaced the calipers, front pads, back plates, lines, wheel bearings, and rear brake drums. they have been replaced multiple times at an independent mechanic. the root cause of the brake vibration was not known at this time. *ak updated 1/19/2006 - *nm

Dt: the contact owns a 2000 toyota tundra. the contact was having problems with the front and rear brakes. he did research and found technical service bulletins (tsbs),tsbbr00402 and tsbbr00403. the pro brakes were not holding and vibrating . this made the stopping of the vehicle seem dangerous. he contacted the dealership, and they told him to bring vehicle in for service, and has currently not done so. he contacted the manufacturer, and they told him that they were not going to do anything about the problem because it was a wear and tear. the vehicle only has 29,000 miles on it. this occurred at freeway speeds, and at hard braking. the tsbs stated that the brakes may not grab , causing the front rotors to overheat and warp. there was a recall 05v225000 on the 2002 toyota tundra for a lower ball joints. also, steering was hard, and when turning the steering wheel it made a pounding sound. the contact has been having brake problems for about three years, and t front suspension problem for about two months. *ak updated 11/29/05. *jb

When braking it caused excessive vibration within the front end. vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the front rotors/ calipers/ pads, and the wheel bearing of larger size equipments.*ak. also, replaced hub and knuckle.*ak

This vibration can/will lead to loss of control. *ak

Chronic vibration at speeds from 45-70 mph since dealer rebalanced. dealer cannot find source of vibration - tried replacing all major components to no avail. *ak

Left front ball joint failed, while towing a trailer with my wife and a two year old. mechanic found "severe rust" and stated vehicle was not safe drive. *tr

Consistently bumpy ride even switching tire pressures. also unstable. *ak (tiresize: 265-70-16)( dot number: tire size: 265-70-16 )

My vehicle has vibrated without success of fixing from the dealership from the beginning. i bought new tires and the vehicle still vibrates. *ak