Problems with 2002 Toyota Tundra STRUCTURE

The frame on my 2002 toyota tundra is rusting away. i have removed rust pieces as large as 11 inches long and 1'8 inch thick. i tow a 7000 pound trailer and i fear the frame will fail. the body looks new and i have only 80,000 miles on the truck. *tr

My 2002 tundra recall on the frame. passed rear cross member inspection, however the rest of the under body is severally corroded. dealership is telling me that the truck needs about $4500 to pass inspection? the front end is rusted out. as of now, my truck is still at dealership, waiting for toyota rep to inspect my tundra. i feel that im getting the bad end of this recall. i need help. *tr

My 2002 toyota tundra truck is not drivable at this time. the truck was brought to toyota dealership after a local mechanic found fluid leaking from rear differential due to rust/rot. during the dealers inspection, they also noted a gas smell and suspect that the gas tank or gas lines are leaking also. the dealer did a frame inspection and while the whole frame is excessively rusted, the frame passed the recall test because it had not been perforated yet. the dealer did not want to even remove the differential plug because the whole unit was so rusty. i have been under the truck and personally seen the excessive rust on the frame, fuel system, and suspension components. amazingly, the body panels have little or no rust and in very good condition. during previous dealer visits we were verbally told that the rust was normal. the repair estimate for gas tank/lines and new differential housing, etc. was approximately $7000. i purchased this truck new and have always done all required maintenance and was planning on having the truck for a long time. it currently has 89,101 miles on it. the excessive rust is not normal and i feel that the frame and some associated components are defective. i feel that due to the nature of these defects that the vehicle is unsafe to drive and i'm guessing that it would be difficult to sell and if i did, it would be at a greatly reduced value. i purchased a toyota truck because of their reputation for building long lasting, high quality vehicles. i feel that in light of these defects that they misrepresented their product. *tr

Considerable rust on frame of 2002 tundra sr5 4x4. the frame actually has holes caused by rust on one of the main support structures on the driver side. *tr

Excessive frame rust and safety issue around steering rack mounting and corrosion to steering rack itself. *tr

I have a 2002 toyota tundra sr5 4x4 pick-up truck. on 11-23-09, my spare tire and the support/frame broke and fell off the vehicle while i was driving . i would like to contact a dealer to remedy this problem, and also have my truck inspected for any other potential safety defects. thank you for your help! *tr

I have a 2002 toyota tundra pu that was built it 2001. the frame of the vehicle is experiencing severe rust. pieces of rusted metal have fallen from the vehicle's frame. the spare tire is also in a rusted/pitted condition. the vehicle has gone only 40,247 miles and i live in massachusetts. the truck is in mint condition throughout with the exception of rust and metal deterioration located only on the frame. i brought the vehicle to the local dealer and they acknowledged that the rust/deterioration was severe, especially for the low mileage. however, they did conduct an inspection and determined that the frame was not perforated. my concern is that the deterioration will get worse overtime, and due to the low miles the vehicle would be on the road for many years. as a result, a safety failure in the frame would be probable. the dealer said that i could call the toyota rep. to voice my concerns. he also said that they would inspect the vehicle's frame each time i bring the truck in for service, if i requested it. this type of frame deterioration is not acceptable for only 40, 247 miles. i also keep the truck in a garage. thank you for your time and attention. *tr

The spare wheel/tire fell off my 2002 toyota tundra as i passed over a speed bump (at a very low speed) whilst leaving an apartment complex. i was unaware of having lost the wheel but my son, who lives in the complex, saw the incident & called me - by the time he called i was on the highway driving at high speed - if the wheel had fallen off whilst i was on the highway the consequences could have been catastrophic. i submitted a report (case # 208366) to nhtsa 11/25/09 after going on line & discovering that corrosion was an issue with the frame of this vehicle & that other incidents of a similar nature had been reported & that toyota were preparing a remedy. on 01/10/10 i contacted my local toyota sealer & was advised to bring in the vehicle at my convenience when the spare wheel would be safely secured within the truck bed pending a permanent fix for the problem. *tr

tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that when an independent mechanic was servicing the muffler, it was noticed that the frame had extensive premature rust and corrosion near the cab to the rear of the frame. the dealer was notified and indicated that they refused to service a recall stating that the time frame expired for nhtsa campaign number: 09v444000 (structure). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 136,074.

2002 toyota tundra sr5 has significant rust damage to undercarriage of vehicle. the damage is located on frame components including cross members, brake lines, spare tire holder, suspension parts, front & rear bumpers where they attach to the frame, etc. the bottom of the vehicle is totally covered in rust. *tr

Frame rust concern and rear brakes / parking brakes needing to be repaired due to rust... my concern is the ongoing investigation into severe rust problems. i bought the truck used (2 yrs. old). the truck was not previously undercoated. the truck in service date is oct 01. i bought it used in 02. i then had it undercoated and have done so every fall since then. my concern is what may be going on underneath the undercoating that i can't see. also, i had to have the rear brakes tore apart and rebuilt due to rusting components. *tr

Toyota tundra 2002 - frame rust my 02 tundra only has 60k miles on it and the rust underneath is causing parts connected to the frame to flake off as well as parts of the frame. the smaller pieces for example the spare tire holder is almost turned to dust. are you investigating this problem with 2002 model's ? i was told that 2000-1 have been. *tr

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i got under my 2002 toyota tundra trd sr5 extra cab to assess the rust this past weekend. i was dumbfounded! control arms, front wishbone, suspension brackets, and rear d

Frame rust and rot coming up through the bed of the truck from the frame rails. also rust and rot on majority of undercarriage including spare tire area and suspension members. *tr

Dealer discovered rust all over my toyota tundra truck. he said he has never seen that. *tr

The spare tire just fell off the truck when the tire carrier rusted through. *tr consumer is adding picture. 10/26/09. *nj

I was under my 2002 toyota tundra inspecting the frame. i noticed severe frame rust on parts of the frame and cross member. not just surface rust severe rust. my concern is that the rust is so severe that it has compromised the integrity of the frame and therefore the safety of the truck. there has been nothing done yet to correct this problem. *tr

Front drivers side sway bar link is corroded through. no accident or injury but only because i knew what was going on after i saw the broken link and drove accordingly. after further investigation we find that the brake calipers are corroded beyond salvage and the frame has heavy rust in a number of areas. it is clear that this truck will be worthless in a few years due to the heavy corrosion and we will all be lucky if someone is not killed due to corrosion damage causing something to fall off and cause a wreck. *tr

Yesterday, had $1300.00 work done on my 2002 toyota tundra. mechanic advised me that my springs need replacement as they are completely rusted. this evening, susan wornick of channel 5 investigative team, did a report on toyota tundras rusting out. specifically springs and frame. ms. wornick informed any owners of tundras (2000-2001 and possibly 2002) to file complaint with nhtsa. hence this email. *tr

i have had the tundra and 5th wheel trailer combination since they were both new in 2002 and towing has been excellent. this trip however, i hit a 'bump' on rt. 93 southbound (heavy traffic) in medford, ma and the spare tire broke off of the holder. it proceeded to bounce up into the front compartment of the trailer and then dropped down and lodged between the trailer's axles. at least no one was injured, but the vehicles were damaged. i had about $5,000 in repair bills relating to the 'accident'. my concern is that the spare tire/wheel had never been off of the tundra and they were 'new' except for their age. it appears that the amount of rust on the tire hanger bracket was a major cause of the wheel dropping. i have pictures and the replaced parts for your inspection if desired; you can see rust-out holes right through the bracket! i am concerned that this could be happening to many other tundra's of a similar age. i would like to at least offer some form of warning to other owners. after toyota's email response, basically saying this was never heard of before and calling the holder bracket a 'cover', i sent a second email: my concern now is that you have referred to the rusted-out bracket that holds the tire under the truck's bed (part # 51900-0c010 on my repair invoice.) as a 'cover, i'm hoping that we are speaking of the same piece of equipment. my suggestion involves safety more than warranty or money. if other tundra's have the same rotting out of that bracket, other tires will fall off of those trucks. by the way, my tundra looks like new and is in excellent condition; so i'm presuming that others may be even worse and that my vehicle is likely in average or better condition. if this truly is a potential issue for others, at least warning them to evaluate it would be appropriate; i surely would have appreciated it! *tr updated 03/25/10 *bf pictures received. updated 10/05/10

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. while driving approximately 40 mph the spare tire disengaged from the rear spare tire carrier without warning. he pulled over to the side of the road. the tire was retrieved from the roadway. the carrier bracket had fractured because of severe corrosion. the manufacturer was notified of the malfunction. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 140,000. the current mileage was 141,841.

Report of severe rust to the frame structure of toyota tundra pickup. upon discovery of corrosion owner called toyota and was advised to take vehicle to dealer for frame inspection. frame was inspected and one large hole was made by dealer in frame on front drivers side. upon questioning of dealer owner was told that the hole was minor compared to holes found on other tundra pickups. dealer said truck was ok to drive, but upon doing research it seems that truck would not have passed inspection if hole had been visible 1 week before. there is a clear issue with frame construction and upon contacting toyota after inspection toyota claims that there is no program to address issue and will not comment on vehicle safety with this intense frame corrosion. at this time there is no document provided by either dealer or toyota that states in writing that truck is road worthy and safe to drive. *tr

Frame of truck is rusting so bad, i don't know if truck is structurally sound! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra .the contact stated that the cross members supporting rail of the truck bed were rusted. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnosis. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 92,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. when the contact took the vehicle to be state inspected, he was informed that the front passenger suspension sub-frame was rusted and had holes. as a result, the vehicle failed inspection. the contact took the vehicle to a repair shop to be welded, but the mechanic stated that this was not possible. he then took the vehicle to the dealer and they advised him not to drive the vehicle because it could not be repaired. report number 0906143367 was filed with the manufacturer, but they would not assist. the current and failure mileages were 114,000.

I find it interesting that my 2002 toyota may be recalled due to the spare tire mounting being rusted. i have been very disappointed with this truck since the gas tank the rear differential cover and fuel lines have rusted through. i bought this vehicle due to the toyota reliability reputation. would you please review the frequency of rust on these areas and issue what ever recalls appropriate. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the vehicle failed inspection due to a fracture on the frame caused by excessive rust. the manufacturer advised the contact to speak with a dealer. the dealer stated that since the vehicle exceeded its warranty they would not assume any responsibility. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 40,000. updated 05/15/09 *bf updated 05/18/09.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact was performing maintenance on the vehicle to replace the shock absorbers when he detected that the main frame exhibited severe rust corrosion. the corrosion progressed over a period of time and resulted in thinning and warping of the frame. the vehicle is in the process of being taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the manufacturer has been notified. the contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 92,000. the current mileage was unavailable.

2002 toyota tundra. excessive underbody and frame rust. driven mainly in wisconsin. first noticed march 2008. *tr

Rust on undercarriage. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that the lights on the instrument panel to indicated what gear the vehicle is in suddenly shut off and have not illuminated since. he also noticed that when the driver's seat belt is fastened the warning light on the panel illuminates regardless. there is also a rust issue on the on the rear doors causing a structure damage. when he took the vehicle into the dealerships they informed him that they were unable to provide assistance despite the fact that he has warranty on his vehicle. the failure mileage was 50,000. the current mileage was 100,000. the vehicle has not been repaired as of current date.

3 interior door handles broke off completely starting in 2004 front passenger door, then in 2005 right rear passenger, 2006 the driver handle broke. toyota did not want to repair said it was not a manufactures defect. everything is plastic and cheaply made, i had to pay for repair, feared that in an event of an accident i would be be able to exit my vehicle unless i rolled window down and opened door from outside handle. *tr

I did not get any extended warranted notice from toyota to fix the frame. i was living in mississippi in 2002 and moved to tennessee in 2004 where the salt and rusted the frame. i only got one recall on the rust problems, but i did not get the extended warranties!!! i live and bought the 2002 tundra in johnson city, tn.... the tennessee road commission uses salt on the roads and highways in the winter months. i did not get any extended warranted notice from toyota to fix the frame. 2002 toyota tundra structure: frame and members:underbody shields nhtsa campaign #09v444000 date announced: november 18, 2009 problem: summary: toyota is recalling model year 2000-2003 tundra vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. excessive corrosion of the rear cross member may cause the separation of the spare tire stowed under the truck bed which would present a road hazard that could cause a crash. also, corrosion of the rear cross member could affect the rear brake lines and the proportioning valve resulting in diminished braking capability. extended warranty.... i did not get.... according to a letter sent out to toyota dealers, toyota has extended the warranty on 2000-2003 tundra frames, which allows dealers to replace rusted frames on 2000-20003 toyota tundras at no charge to the consumer. this is excellent news for any toyota tundra owners dealing with frame rust issues as well as a strong symbol of toyota's commitment to quality and customer service. while this move didn't happen as quickly as we would have liked, we strongly applaud this action. *tr

Cab separated from chassis. cab is attached to chassis at 4 flanges welded to frame. 2 each 10 mm bolts connect cab to each flange. a 71 mm hole exists in flange between the 2 each 13 mm holes for the 10 mm bolts. only 6 mm of flange steel exists between 13 mm holes and 71 mm hole. cab separated by tearing 10 mm bolt nuts through the 13 mm holes at the 6 mm dimension. it has been my experience in aircraft structureal repair that the minimum dimension for hole spacing is 3 hole diameters (i.e., hole spacing should have been approximately 30 mm instead of 6 mm).

Tl*the contact owns 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that the chassis and the frame along the brake lines and mounts have rust on them. the rust has caused the vehicle to detach from the frame while driving which could cause a crash to occur. the speed is unknown. the contact has notified the manufacturer regarding this issue. the contact is concerned that the vehicle will fall apart at any time and cause a crash to occur. the failure mileage was 150,000. the vin # was not available at the time of the complaint.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. while driving at any speed during inclement weather, water leaked from above and behind the glove box. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the water leaked from a body seam under the dashboard, which was cracked. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 5.

I have a 2002 toyota tundra that has been rusting away since the day i bought it new off the lot. it started with the wheels rusting. i brought this up to the dealership many times and they said nothing could be done about it. next was the tailgate and now the underside of my truck looks like a 20 year old vehicle that was sitting for years. i have heard and read that other tundra owners are having the same problem and i agree that toyota needs to do something about this. toyota's are not cheap, i bought this vehicle because i thought the quality was suppose to be excellent. i also have a claim in with toyota. *tr