Problems with 2004 Toyota Tundra STRUCTURE

My side running board broke away from the frame due to the screws rusting out. so i crawled underneath to fasten them back in place. while underneath the truck i noticed a very disturbing and scary sight (see images attached). my frame is almost missing in one section underneath. so i got online to look and see if this is normal, and what i find is that this is not normal and i'm not the only one with this issue. toyota knows that they have sub standard frames under these and other vehicles. they put out a campaign to replace the frames on 2000-20003 trucks, and also included a limited campaign to check on the frames of vehicles 2004-2006. this campaign ended in july of 2015 i bought the truck in july of 2014, but was never maid aware of this issue. when i called toyota to see why they said not there problem. i spoke to three different people with the complaints department i spoke with one who i did not catch there name on 6/14/2016 from 9:18am-9:49am where i was merely told they don't care that there's an issue all they are legally obligated to do is check and honor there current recall programs. the next lady i talked too who's name was autumn on 6/15/2016 from 12:36-12:42 told me the exact same things. finally the last one i will speak too because i'm falling on deaf ears is christine at 2:54pm 6/16/2016 who i was told was a supervisor in the complaints department. told me the exact same things. when i asked why they are not doing anything with these frames when they know there is a serious issue. i was merely told it's a company wide decision that we will take no further action. i take this as toyota does not care about the quality of vehicle they put on the road as long as there are still profits being made. i know there are several maybe hundreds maybe thousands of owners of vehicles that fall within this complaint i hope something can be done to help us.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. while the vehicle was undergoing routine maintenacne, the technician noticed that the frame was completely corroded and deemed it unsafe to drive. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000. updated 09/06/16*lj

My 2004 tundra was parked in my driveway and i noticed on left side back and front when it rained big rust spots appeared on my cement.

I took my 2004 toyota tundra to a toyota dealer in vermont due to the frame recall letter from toyota where the frame would be checked and either replaced or undercoated. the toyota dealer determined it only needed to be undercoated. the truck was undercoated on june 25th 2015. i just had my truck looked at by an independent garage due to a front end issue and they asked me to come look at the truck on the lift and they showed me where on the rear part of the frame it was separating. how can this be possible? that approximately 9 months after the frame was diagnosed by a toyota dealer to only need an undercoating that my truck frame is now separating and will likely not hold up for another year per the mechanic at the garage.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. while performing an oil change on the vehicle, the technician diagnosed that there were blisters and corrosion on the frame. the failure occurred after the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be serviced for corrosion. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 134,203.

Excessive rust corrosion on frame rendering failure of state inspection

Toyota dealer inspected frame stating: "vehicle needs frame replacement - declined for replacement from toyota- replacement has expired july 15, 2015" "vehicle is not safe to drive". truck has 74,260 miles on it. i live in north carolina. bought truck in march 2014 and was never informed of recall.

Frame rotted even after getting coated by dealership. i reported to toyota that the frame was falling apart. they told me that is normal wear & tear. the following week my spare tire completely rotted off causing me to lose control as i came off highway. thank god i only ended up running off the road. i have a 2003 highlander with 180000 miles still in great shape. this is not normal wear & tear, it is dangerous & toyota should take care of this. they new 2 years ago there was a problem with the frames & told us that they would replace the frame if necessary but did not do what they promised.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. while driving approximately 20 mph, the spare tire detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the frame of the vehicle and the spare tire housing were corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000. updated 02/26/16*lj updated 03/01/16*lj the consumer stated due to the severity of corrosion, the frame can not be replaced. updated 05/05/16.*jb *cn

Excessive frame rust causing failure to pass state inspection.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. the contact stated that while attempting to have the vehicle inspected, the vehicle failed due to frame corrosion. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 86,000. updated 12/03/15*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. while the vehicle was being serviced, the independent mechanic discovered that the rear subframe separated due to rust and corrosion and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 128,389.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. while having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, the contact was informed by the technician that the frame was rusted and corroding. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 200,000.

Frame rusted through unsafe to drive. received very first letter in july about a recall. it is september 21, 2015 and the recall ended august 31, 2015.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. after the vehicle was inspected, the technician stated that the frame of the vehicle was rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 138,000.

Hello, the frame on my 2004 toyota tundra has begun to rust. toyota sent out a recall on my vehicle that i never received. when i took this to toyota they stated that my recall had expired one month prior in august 2015. this is unacceptable. they know they have issues with the frames on the trucks rusting. the toyota tacomas first now the tundras. this is my only vehicle and toyota is refusing to repair the frame.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. the contact stated that the passenger side air bag cover on the dashboard was sticky and unable to be cleaned. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

Anytime it rains water leaks in behind the dashboard on the passenger side, leaking water through the electrical wiring and into the floorboard of the truck there are lots of wires and a blower motor in this area where fire could cause any number of unsafe conditions. the cause has been narrowed down to one or both of two things. the first is a crack that originates in the seam behind the dash board of these vehicles due to production error. the second is rotting grommet plugs under the windshield wiper cowl. the first being much more severe as it could also cause structural integrity.

After i purchased my tumdra used i noticed the frame on this truck has a severe rust issue which i believe could be a safety issue. large chunks of rust are coming off of the frame i spite of having been 'treated' by toyota in 2015 during a recall campaign . i poked the frame with a screw driver in one location and was able to poke a hole in frame since it was so weak from rusting. i fear the truck breaks in 1/2 or doesn't provide protection in collision. this truck only has 75k miles and is in really good condition with the exception of the frame which is way worse than normal surface rust i've seen. i have read that many other owners are having the same experience. we need help getting toyota to provide a remedy to make our vehicles safe again. pictures attached

Toyota recalled my tundra for a rusted frame. dealer took possession of the vehicle in april. they provided a rental car, but no other update or contact until a week ago when the frame arrived. now nearly complete, they want to charge me $8000 for additional parts not covered by the recall which they claim is necessary to make the vehicle pass inspection and roadworthy yet many of these parts were unaffected prior to the recall. at no time did toyota ever inform us of additional costs not covered by the recall. two of the items are critical to the value and drivability of the car. they include the rear axle and differential which i believe failed due to the same rusted issues as the frame. the additional parts affected were the brakes. the front brakes seized from 6 months of non use and maintenance by the dealer, the rear brakes were failed by fluid leak from rear axle while in possession of the dealer for 6 months. in short, after getting a new frame, the dealer was holding trying to charge $8000 in extra repairs or they would return me a truck that had a new frame but was still inoperable in the condition under which it was stored by the dealer. the dealer and toyota were responsible for maintaining the vehicle and returning it in as good or better condition than they received it, but instead it lost 1005 of its value. i cant drive it, i cant sell it. it has a new frame but now has no differential or brakes it has lost all marketable value, where it could have been traded in or sold prior to the "frame replacement" that was supposed to right all the wrongs" of toyota's doing. i have full service records showing responsible ownership of the truck for the last 10 years. needs to make it right and fix my truck so i can drive again, or buy me out, or offer me a trade allowance that is fair and equitable. this toyota case number is 1504140934.

2004 toyota tundra has significant frame rust. took to dealer they sprayed it with an under coating which within 1 year all fell off due to rust underneath the coating. the toyota dealer then re sprayed and now its falling off after the vehicle say in a garage without being driven. also the rear axel housing rust straight through and now doesn't old any fluid. i filed a case with toyota and they said they completed there part of the recall. which was apparently paint over the rust.

Was driving with 2 family members in truck.had back window down which was a good thing,when sunroof exploded it inbedded glass in the topper that was on the truck.glass was all over us ,luckily we were not cut and i dont know how we wasn't i stopped immediately and got away from the truck because i thought we had been shot at with a shotgun.i called toyota to report it and they said they had no other calls like this.my insurance company paid the whole bill which was a lot.i do not open the sunroof at all now because i have a fear of it happening again. i keep the cover slid over it.

Frame has rust holes. i call toyota and told me there is nothing they can do about it case closed.

In dec. 2014 i had my toyota inspect the frame on my tundra. under there program if there is no holes they would undercoat it. they said there was no holes. in october 2015 i tried to gat it inspected and it failed for the frame. i was told the truck was in great shape except the frame. it only has 76k miles on it. they sprayed over the holes. now the books are closed and toyota won't replace the frame.

Dealer just informed me that my rotted frame needs to be replaced. dealer insisting that truck is ?safe? and is safe to drive for the next 90 days until the frame parts arrive. dealer is refusing to provide me with a safe loaner for these 90 days. dealer is refusing to provide criteria used to determine the safety of my frame and truck. dealer admitted via email the bed of the truck as well as the spare tire carrier was ?not removed during inspection?. dealer stated (via email) that ?once the >10mm hole was discovered, there was no need to continue the inspection because the frame would have to be replaced.? dealer is refusing to tell me what criteria was used to determine how safe the vehicle was to drive. dealer refusing to provide the frame inspection report after many requests. says ?it doesn't exist?. dealer refused to give frame safety inspection criteria used to determine a frames safety. contacted customer service and asked for same criteria. 1st response was ?its proprietary information that i cannot give you?. after pushing the issue farther, and stating that all i wanted was a safe loaner car to drive while my truck is waiting on a frame, they told me to contact dealer for the criteria i am requesting because they have been given that information from toyota. contacted dealer again, after multiple emails asking the same thing, eventually his response was ?there is no criteria?. i am denied the use of a safe loaner because the dealer is saying that my truck is safe to drive (based on non existent criteria as well as an incomplete frame inspection). according to the flowchart, if my frame needs to be replaced, a loaner will be provided for up to 60 days (or even longer), if parts availability is causing a delay. nowhere does it state that i am only entitled to a loaner if at my dealers discretion deems it as "unsafe to drive". *tr

11/2014 i brought my vehicle to toyota dealership for the frame recall. it was inspected and returned to me with a summary that all was well and the frame was in very good condition. 6 months later i had it back into the dealership for some repairs to brakes and inspection sticker. nothing was mentioned about the frame condition at that time. 1 week later, i was traveling with my family in the vehicle when the front gas tank strap snapped, while we were entering the highway. i was able to stop vehicle before any disaster occurred. i secured the tank and returned my truck home. i did not pursue any action at the time because of distress and anger over the incident. i brought truck to dealership that performed the recall on behalf of toyota corp. the dealership inspected the frame and immediately admitted to fact that the recall work was not performed correctly. the etchant was not properly removed and the frame was recoated. the gas tank straps were also compromised by the etchant. 6 months after the recall work was performed the tank strap snapped. i have opened a case # with toyota, but they informed me that it was not there fault and they were not going to help me. the dealership mentioned that they would re-strip and re-coat a second time, but i want compensation for the damage that occurred. the dealership is saying they will not do anything because its toyota that needs to deal with and toyota is saying its the dealership.

I own a 2004 toyota tundra. upon inspection from servco toyota, i was told my frame has holes the size of quarters through it in several places. i was advised to get another vehicle because this one was no good. i also own a 1994 toyota pickup and have no frame or other issues with it. how is it possible that they can use substandard metal on a truck that was $29,000 at purchase, only lasts 10 years and is a hazard to drive on the road. i cannot ever consider or recommend ownership of a toyota again with such terrible quality. very dismayed at the horrible condition of my 2004 toyota tundra truck frame and the lack of quality from a company that at one times name meant quality. a very sad, disappointing and costly decision to purchase a toyota. *tr

Spare tire assembly has excessive corrosion. spare tire could fall from vehicle while traveling. the tundra frames are under recall for rust, this assembly is included with the new frames. my truck frame is in good condition and does not need to be replaced. the only area of my truck with rust is the spare tire assembly but toyota refuses to replace it. how can this be part of the replacement package if my entire frame was rusty, but not if it is the only area with rust ? sure seems like a safety issue to me. *tr

Vehicle frame has excessive surface rust, also on rear axle casing. flaking delamination of frame/cross member where cross member joins rear frame. frame not protected correctly when vehicle was manufactured. *tr

The blowout panel on the passenger dash airbag has become very tacky and gooey. the finish comes off when rubbed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. the contact stated that the frame had premature rust and holes. the contact stated that the vehicle had been serviced per an unknown recall for rust coating of the frame at an unknown toyota dealer. the vehicle was taken to toyota of greenfield (1 main st, greenfield, ma 01301, (413) 773-5455) where it was diagnosed that the frame needed to be replaced due to the severe rust. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and did not assist. the vin and failure mileage were not available.

I have a 2004 toyota tundra that has 52,400 miles on it. the frame is completely rusting out with holes forming in the frame . mainly on the drivers side front area frame. exhaust is rotted off as well as many bolts and nuts. *tr

My son borrowed my 2004 tundra to help a friend move. when he arrived, he walked to rear of truck and the spare tire fell to the ground. upon checking i found that the winch mechanism that holds the spare tire was rotted. this is definitely a safety hazard. i have read horror stories about tires falling off while in traffic and serious injuries incurred. there should be a recall on this. *tr

Rust all over the undertruck, even the catalytic converter is rusted. i was part of that recall and the dealer is going to spray the frame to stop the corrosion. can the corrosion process ends with the spraying? *tr

I have recently received a frame recall notice due to excessive corrosion which i addressed at the local dealership. i was informed that the rust had not perforated the frame and that it would be treated to prevent further rusting. when i picked up the truck at the dealership the associate advised me that the recall was done and that a full safety inspection was completed which revealed no other problems. when i returned home i looked under the truck to inspect the frame and noticed that both sway bar links had corroded and broken off . i also subsequently took the vehicle to an alignment shop because i noticed the steering wheel was not straight and was told by the shop that the truck could not be aligned. i was told that the vehicle was very dangerous to drive and to bring it to the dealership immediately which i did. the dealership service department discovered that the steering shaft coupling was so corroded that they needed to replace it and do a wheel alignment. i am concerned that this may become a common safety issue with the tundra which seems susceptible to excessive rusting and am requesting that this issue is investigated an a recall issued if necessary. *tr

Had recall for rust, dealer inspected, said ok and undercoating was done, no now rust holes in frame.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. the contact stated that the vehicle was severely corroded and affected the power train, rear end, wheel, axle and belt housing. the contact received a notice for nhtsa campaign number: pe09049 (fuel system, gasoline , service brakes, hydraulic , structure , tires) and the dealer was made aware of the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 86,000.

Rear differential cover is rotted out and leaking oil. it is very rust. *tr

Frame recall- my 2004 tundra was recalled for the frame rusting out. toyota deemed that a new frame was not needed and did the crc treatment which is absolute junk and only causes the frame to rust even worse. i want a new frame installed by toyata and any other rusty part- all should be replaced free of charge

Had truck in for oil change whole frame, drive shaft parking brake cable is rusting through. *tt

Car a rusty mess. parts falling off. toyota said too bad, we are not replacing frames anymore. won't pass inspection next time. less than 35,000 miles on car.

While my 2004 tundra was in the dealers for a repair, the serviceman noticed a corrosion perforation in right front frame rail. i was informed that the vehicle would no longer past inspection unless a $10,000 frame replacement was done. this is a low mileage vehicle which was maintained according to manufacturer maintenance schedule. damage is due to manufacturing defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. the contact stated that while at an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, he was informed that the frame was severely corroded. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

The t bracket that holds spare tire up under bed of truck broke due to excessive rust dropping spare tire out on road at 30 mph...very unsafe to say the least. also, front torsion bar frame mount passenger side has broken off frame due to excessive rust. 2 inch by 5 inch hole in the frame bottom at this location. *tr

Took my truck in for an oil change at the local toyota dealer. after the routine inspection they told me the truck was unsafe to drive due to holes greater than 10mm found in the frame caused by severe rust. toyota has said the 04 model is not part of the recall, and i appear to be in limbo. this issue is still unresolved.the truck will need new frame and components for it to be road worthy again. *tr

I recently noticed a leak under the rear of the vehicle. upon inspection, the differential was found to be rusted right through and leaking. i examined the frame as well and noticed severe rusting in various places on the frame. i never received a notice of recall on the frame. apparently there is not only frame damage to many tundras, but also to necessary working parts. i have never had an axle rot out on any of my cars and because of the inability to simply repair a seal, the entire axle will need replacing? seems a bit extreme. i like the tundra and will base my decision to remain a customer on how i'm treated in the recall appointment. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. the contact stated that the vehicle's frame was rusted. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for inspection. the technician stated that there were no holes in the frame and painted the frame with crc paint. the contact stated that the remedy failed to repair the failure and the rust returned. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 58,000. updated 09/09/15*lj updated 12/06/2017*cn

The 2004 and earlier toyota tundra has had major corrosion issues and frame recalls. my tundra was just inspected by the local toyota dealer and major corrosion was noted on the vehicle frame. toyota applied a fiberglass based rustproofing to the frame. however, they would not acknowledge any other corrosion or rot on the vehicle. my vehicles motor mounts are so corroded that i am afraid that the engine will fall out of the vehicle. also, the mounts that hold the radiator are so corroded they are almost gone. there are numerous other areas in the engine compartment and undercarriage that are completely corroded. the vehicle is unsafe to drive and toyota will not address it. *tr

On 9/27/13 when my 2004 tundra was being checked out for a recall for severe frame rust the ri toyota dealer brought to my attention the rear differential was rotted through and leaking oil and said that this rust is not covered by recall. the whole axle has to be replaced. my question to you is, shouldn't toyota be responsible for all the sub-standard steel? shouldn't this be under a safety recall for oil leakage? as far as i know the oil leak cannot be fixed w/o complete axle housing replacement and this is a problem that effects a huge # of tundras. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tundra. the contact stated that power steering fluid was leaking from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the rack and pinion was defective. in addition, he stated that while he was inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the frame was corroded and the cross members were fractured. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 178,000.