2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA Wheels Problems

On September 4, 2025, I brought my 2001 Toyota Tundra to Midas at 5325 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 80002 for an oil change and inspection. Midas advertises a “Closer Look Vehicle Check,” which includes checking steering, suspension, and wheels. Their inspection report marked the steering system as “OK” and only noted mild shock wear. Less than a month later, while exiting the highway, the lower ball joint failed completely, causing the front suspension and wheel to detach. I immediately lost steering control. Fortunately, this occurred at low speed; had it happened moments earlier on the highway, it could have caused a major collision or fatalities. The failed component (lower ball joint and related suspension parts) is still available for inspection. An independent mechanic later confirmed that the joint was severely worn and the failure appeared to be due to long-term deterioration that should have been detected during Midas’s inspection....

Driving straight at 30mph and wheel came off causing near deadly collision. Upon inspection it is evident that the wheel separated from its ball joints. Further research strongly suggests that this is a known defect of this year/make/model, even though the recall was issued only for the subsequent years vehicle. This is a potentially deadly design flaw and not an isolated manufacturing defect as Toyota claims.

BOUGHT TRUCK NEW IN 8/2001. BROUGHT TRUCK TO DEALER WHEN IT WAS RECALLED FOR RUST IN 2012 AND WAS TOLD RUST WASN'T BAD ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING. BROUGHT TRUCK BACK TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AFTER 2012 (LAST IN 11/18) AND WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS FINE ON EACH OCCASION. IN 8/2019 I HEARD A SQUEAK FROM UNDERCARRIAGE AND WHEN I LOOKED, THE SPARE TIRE CROSSMEMBER WAS HANGING DOWN AND THE RIGHT SIDE UPPER SHOCK MOUNT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND THE TOP OF THE SHOCK WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK BED (TOP SHOCK MOUNT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY). LOCAL SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME TO REMOVE THE SHOCK AND SPARE TIRE FOR SAFETY. THIS RUST IS LIMITED TO THE UPPER SHOCK MOUNT AND THE CROSSMEMBER HOLDING THE SPARE TIRE. OTHER CROSSMEMBERS AND FRAME RAILS ARE ALL STABLE WITH ONLY THE AMOUNT OF SURFACE RUST EXPECTED ON A 18 YEAR...

I LEFT MY DRIVEWAY TO DO SOME ERRANDS AND WHEN I RETURNED I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD THROWN AN OLD TIRE ON MY PROPERTY. TO MY DISMAY I QUICKLY REALIZED IT WAS MY SPARE TIRE WITH THE ROTTED HOIST STILL FROZEN TO THE INSIDE OF THE RIM. I HAD ALREADY TAKEN MY TRUCK TO A DEALER FOR UNDER CARRIAGE ROTTING RECALL. THANK GOD THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN AT ANY OTHER TIME, IT COULD HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. I DO A LOT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING.

ACCELERATING ON AN ON-RAMP TO GO ON THE FREEWAY, A MASSIVE BUMP WAS FELT. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR USING MOMENTUM AND DIFFICULT STEERING TO GET ME TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. I DISCOVERED THE WHEEL WAS DISENGAGED AND WAS ONLY ATTACHED BY THE BRAKE LINE. MECHANIC INSPECTED THE DAMAGE AND SAID THE BALL JOINT BROKE OFF CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BE DISENGAGED. *TR

WAS DRIVING HOME ON A 2-LANE RURAL HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG AND FOUND MY VEHICLE SCRAPING AND SKIDDING DOWN THE ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 100 FT. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS COMING FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION AND NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. WOUND UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. MANAGED TO FORCE THE TRUCK ONTO THE LEFT SHOULDER. AFTER GETTING OUT, FOUND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL FLAT ON THE ROAD AND JAMMED UP INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND THAT THE LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT HAD SNAPPED OFF AT THE BOLT HOLDING IT ONTO THE A-FRAME. OUT OF WARRANTY. TOYOTA SAYS THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP. LOOKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND MANY, MANY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES WITH 2001 TUNDRAS. HAVE SCRUPULOUSLY MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2001. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND I...

VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY AND CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL COLLAPSED INWARD. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED. *TC

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE ESPECALLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. TS THE BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED THEN ADJUSTED AND THE ROTORS WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER VIBRATION, SHUTTER AND HIGH PITCHED NOISE STILL EXIST. ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE AND FOUND THE CALIPER PIN STICKING OUT OF TRIM OF HUBCAP. WITH CALIPER PIN IN HAND, CONSUMER WAS ANGRY WHEN DEALERSHIP HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF SERVICE BULLETIN FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. BALANCING WEIGHTS FELL OFF. HEATER STOPPED WORKING DUE TO PACKING MATERIAL. FOAM MATERIAL WAS REMOVED. *TT