2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA Wheels Problems

REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND IS LEAKING OIL. EMERGENCY BRAKE LINE HAS RUSTED AND SNAPPED. THE RIMS HAVE OXIDATED. LEAF SPRINGS HAVE ALSO RUSTED VERY BADLY.

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE(I-10) LAST WEEK ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRUCK BEGAN MOVING TO THE RIGHT THEN TO THE LEFT. IT WENT BACK AND FORTH ABOUT 4 TIMES.WHILE IT WAS DOING THIS, I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. GOOD THING NO CARS WERE AROUND ME BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SOMEWHAT BUSY 2-LANE ROAD LAST WEEK, GOING APPROXIMATELY 40MPH ON MY WAY TO WORK IN THE MORNING. I HEARD AND FELT A LOUD THUD, AND LOOKED IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR AND SAW A TIRE IN THE ROAD BEHIND ME AND THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE SWERVING TO AVOID IT. I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE DRIVEN OVER THE TIRE, AND WONDERED HOW I DIDN'T NOTICE IT IN THE ROAD. WHEN I CAME TO THE STOPLIGHT AT THE NEXT INTERSECTION A LITTLE WAYS DOWN THE ROAD, THE CAR THAT HAD BEEN DRIVING DIRECTLY BEHIND ME PULLED UP BESIDE ME, AND THE DRIVER TOLD ME IT WAS MY SPARE TIRE THAT HAD FALLEN DOWN FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY TRUCK THAT WAS NOW SITTING IN THE ROAD BACK THERE. LUCKILY, NO ONE HAD BEEN INJURED, AND ALL THE CARS HAD BEEN ABLE TO AVOID HITTING IT. AFTER RETRIEVING...

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

MASSIVE GENERALIZED RUST UNDER VEHICLE. THIS IS AFFECTING THE FRAME, SUSPENSION, ALL LINES, EXHAUST, ALL METAL FITTINGS, WHEELS, BRAKES, SPARE TIRE. MY MECHANIC DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO PROCEED AND SUGGESTED WE NO LONGER DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. TOYOTA DEALER SAID THIS IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RUST RECALL WHICH IS IN EFFECT FOR TUNDRA TRUCKS EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE , BUT OFF BY A COUPLE MONTHS BY MANUFACTURING DATE. OUR TOYOTA DEALER DID NOT HAVE A SUGGESTION OR ANSWER FOR HOW TO FIX THIS, OTHER THAN TO ASK IF WE WERE INTERESTED IN BUYING A NEW CAR. WE BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW AND HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. THE INSIDE AND UPPER BODY LOOKS NEW. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WELL AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SQUEAKING NOISE. AFTERWARDS, WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH ON A DRIVEWAY, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER TO AWAIT FURTHER INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

THE VEHICLE STARTED VIBRATING UNCONTROLLABLY WITHOUT WARNING AND A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED. AFTERWARDS. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. DRIVER NOTICED THAT RIGHT SIDE WHEEL SHEARED OFF. DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK