Problems with 2002 Toyota Tundra SUSPENSION

Several months ago i filed a report regarding the failure of both lower ball joints on my 2002 toyota tundra. since that time you have enacted a recall # 05v225000. i called toyota customer service to inquire about recouping my costs which exceeded a thousand dollars. toyota informed me that my vin # did not match with vehicles being recalled so they would take no action on my behalf. how is it possible that i have the correct year and make of vehicle and experienced the subject problem, but they are not required to correct the problem? *sc

Dt: the lower ball joints have failed causing the wheel to fall off severing the upper ball joints. this also damaged the brake lines and the abs sensors. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the consumer contacted toyota who referred her to the nhtsa website. toyota denied there was a recall. no repairs as of yet. *jb

When applying the brakes the vehicle will have a heavy vibration and extended stopping distance.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that his vin was included in nhtsa campaign id number 05v225000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint) that was issued in 2005. since that time, the local dealer has been unable to retrieve the necessary parts for the repair. the toyota manufacturer stated that they were having difficulty obtaining the parts, but the parts should be available. the contact also heard a noise coming from the vehicle and was unsure if it was related to the recall. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 80,000 and failure mileage was 50,000.

The drivers side front suspension ball joints gave way as i was driving at 75mph on interstate 40 west in texas at mile marker 14. the entire wheel, break, and axle assembly detatched at hi speed. the break line was severed. the assembly folded under the truck and i skidded on the wheel with little control until i could maneuver off of the interstate and maintain an upright position with the vehicle. the twisted tie rod kept the tire and wheel assembly from completely separating from the vehicle. the weather was light snow with a temperature of about 34 degrees. time was appx 9.50 am. the truck was repaired without comment by street toyota of amarillo, texas at a cost of appx. $ 2,200. the dealer said there was an inordinate amount of wear on the front end steering components. the truck is in good condition with a good documented service record. the truck had been steering "loosely" and i had a mechanic examine the steering the previous week. he said it looked and drove ok, but he couldn't really tell. the truck has never been involoved in an accident or insurance claim.

The front end steering rack let go, then the ball joints let go and the whole front end fell out causing 4,500.00 in damage as well as injury to my back. *jb

After the failure of the right front suspension 1 year earlier (see odi#10121403) the left front suspension collapsed as i was pulling into my driveway. results were the same as the prior failure with the wheel assembly coming off and this time jamming up into the wheel well. entire left front suspension components were replaced by same service dealer. as with prior right front failure there was no warning of impending failure.

I was driving my 2002 extended cab 4x4 tundra 1 or 2 mph on an unpaved but graded road viewing real estate when the entire front passenger side of the vehicle collapsed jarring the truck to a stop. i thought the road had collapsed. it appears as if the front lower ball joint failed. i was only 7 miles off interstate i-95, i shudder to think of the consequences of a failure like this going 70 mph with traffic. *jb

While driving 70 mph, the transmission stalled. the vehicle was towed. dealership repaired the problem. *ak the driver heard and felt a loud bump in the rear of the vehicle. the engine continued to run but the vehicle would not move when the consumer applied the gas pedal. there was rear end grease leaking from the right side rear showing on the wheel and tire. the mechanic stated that there was no connection between the rear brake, rear end leaking grease, the drive shaft and the failure of the transmission. the brakes were a major problem, the cruise control never kept speed or smooth, the left lower front ball joint had a catastrophic failure that caused the entire wheel, brake line and all essential components on the left side of the vehicle to come loose. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc the brakes were a problem on the vehicle, and the drums were replaced. *jb

While driving 60 mph the ball joints failed. it came completely from under the truck. there was no warning. there was no accidents. consumer contacted the dealer. there were no recalls. *ak

While driving 5 mph driver's front side collapsed. vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that both upper and lower ball joints snapped, and needed to be replaced. *ak

While driving at 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly jerked. the consumer could not control the vehicle while crossing into oncoming traffic lanes and coming to a stop on the shoulder. the consumer noticed that the lower ball joint had separated and the tire (wheel assembly) had folded under the passenger side of the vehicle. *jb *sc

I have a 2002 toyota tundra with 39,000 miles on it. i was going 15-20 mph and aproaching a on ramp to the highway when my front drivers side ball joint snapped. i had my 4 month old son in the car with me. luckily i was able to stop without getting into a accident but wonder what would have happened if we were on the highway. toyota said i must have hit something in order for it to fail and refused to contact the nhtsa and refused to cover the expense of having it fixed. $1900.*ak

Consumer wheel on 2002 toyota tundra collapsed. *** no answer required*** * ts the upper and lower ball joints were replaced. the consumer received a recall notice after the incident had occurred. *jb

In november of 2003 i was making a right hand turn when the ball joint on the driver side gave way causing the wheel to fold under the truck. in september of 2004 a similar incident occurred with the passenger side. this truck is well cared for and there were no obvious signs of a problem prior to failure. both sides have been repaired at my expense because the truck was past warranty. total damage was about $3,000.00 ea04024_cat. *ak the consumer stated the manufacturer had since issued a recall, however the consumers vehicle identification number was not included. *jb *sc

Failure of right front suspension resulting in wheel assembly coming off of vehicle. while pulling away from a traffic light the right front wheel assembly including driveshaft, brake rotor and all attached wires and hoses came off the truck and ended up under the vehicle.

While driving 25 mph without hitting anything, the front passenger tire collapsed under the vehicle without warning. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership. the dealership replaced the ball joints but blamed the driver hitting something to cause them to break. *ak pe04040_cat *sc *jb

While making a left turn at about 25 mph the passenger side lower ball joint separated. this caused the upper ball joint to separate and the wheel folded up under the vehicle. the c.v. shaft and inner fender were also damaged. my extended warranty company informed me that the sealed ball joint had no lubricant in it. the truck has an empty load most of the time. pe04040_cat

When driving at 20 mph both front passenger side ball joints snapped, causing front right wheel to come off. there was no shimmy or squeaking prior to the incident, only the steering felt a little stiff. the truck was not abused. pe04040_cat

I own a 2002 sr5 toyota tundra that has a real bad vibration at the front since i had about 32,000 miles i have now 72000 miles and i don't know if anybody has a complaint about this problem they change the brakes at 30,000 miles , i'm concerned about any accidents. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact noticed fluid near the rear driver's side wheel. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the seals on the rear axle assembly. several years later, the failure recurred and the seals were replaced again. several months after the second repair, the component failed again. the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle back to the dealer. he filed a complaint with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 4,000 and current mileage was 108,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle vibrates when the brakes are applied. the contact stated that the wear on the tires is abnormal and the vehicle fails to remain aligned. the brakes and lower ball joints were replaced, but the vibration still persists. the contact stated that toyota is not properly repairing the vehicle. the vehicle operates normally every two to three months, but the failure always recurs. he is constantly having to rotate the tires and align the vehicle. the failures have been occurring since the year the vehicle was purchased. the vin and engine size were unknown. the current mileage is 84,000 and failure mileage was 10,000.

The vehicle was built to handle up to a 6200 lb fifth wheel unit. consumer had a 5400 lb unit on vehicle which caused it to have a rocking motion from front to rear while driving. the dealership cannot find the cause of this problem. *nlm