NHTSA Complaint #11364889 — 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA

ORIGINAL OWNERS OF A 2004 TUNDRA DOUBLE CAB 4WD, PURCHASED NEW. WITHIN 3 YEARS, THE WHEELS BEGAN TO CORRODE. REPORT WHEEL CORROSION TO TOYOTA, THEY REPLY NOTHING THEY CAN DO. IN 2007, WITH 25K MILES, TRUCK WAS RECALLED AND HAD BALL JT REPLACED. AT 60K MILES, PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM WAS FROZEN (CORRODED) AT THE REAR WHEELS. AT APPROXIMATELY 90K MILES, FRONT SUSPENSION LEFT SIDE VERTICAL LINK FRACTURED. REPLACED LINK ON BOTH SIDES, AND RIGHT SIDE HAD DETERIORATED AND FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. WHEEL BACKING PLATES ON ALL 4 WHEELS BEGAN CORRODING. REAR BUMPER AND SUPPORT BRACKETS BEGAN TO CORRODE AT 90K MILES. NOVEMBER OF 2014, VEHICLE IS RECALLED FOR INSPECTION OF FRAME. TOYOTA DETERMINES IT DID NOT NEED REPLACING, AND SPRAY SOME TYPE OF COATING ON THE FRAME. IN OCTOBER OF 2019, AT 140K MILES, ONE OF THE TWO FUEL TANK STRAPS FAILS DUE TO CORROSION, FUEL TANK SUSPENDED BY ONE STRAP UNTIL DISCOVERED. JULY OF 2020, DISCOVER REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL COVER LEAKING DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION OF THE AXLE METAL. ATTEMPT TO TRADE IN VEHICLE AT TOYOTA IN OCT OF 2020, AND THEY PROVIDE A VALUE LESS THAN BOOK VALUE DUE TO CORROSION, AND STATE THEY ARE TAKING A RISK AS THE VEHICLE MAY NOT PASS INSPECTION. CALL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE OR DISCOUNT TO PURCHASE A NEW TRUCK, AS WE HAD NO INTENTION OF SELLING THE TRUCK WE HAVE CARED FOR FOR 16 YRS, WITH ONLY 150K MILES, AND NOW WITH A BAD AXLE MUST BUY ANOTHER TRUCK ASAP IN 2020. THE TRUCK WAS NOT A DAILY DRIVER, WAS NOT DRIVEN FOR A WORK COMMUTE. IT IS AN EXTRA VEHICLE, OUR "NEW" DEPENDABLE VEHICLE FOR FAMILY TRIPS, VACATIONS, COLLEGE, ETC.., AND THE CONDITION AND CARE IS OBVIOUS IN THE PHOTOS. I WOULD NOT EXPECT TOYOTA TO BUY BACK THE VEHICLE, BUT SOME ASSISTANCE COULD BE PROVIDED TO THE OWNERS FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TRUCK PREMATURELY. OUR TRUCK NEVER TRAILERED OR LAUNCHED A BOAT. RARELY DRIVEN IN SNOW.