Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | ||||||||||||||||
| 05V225000 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | from 08/01/2001 to 09/26/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 768379 | 07/05/2005 | ODI | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 05/17/2005 | 05/17/2005 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint may have been scratched. the ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing loss of steering control and a crash could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints free of charge. the recall began on july 5, 2005. owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Toyota recall no. 50j.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||||
| 05015 | 06/27/2005 | 10015504 | Special service campaign 50j - phase i - front suspension lower ball joint may experience excessive wear and looseness causing increased steering, effort, reduced vehicle self-centering, and noise in the front suspension. *tt | 07/26/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 02/13/2013 | 150000 | ||
| This vehicle has a rusted frame which toyota will replace. they will not replace without customer cost several parts affected by the frame replacement. this is thousands of dollars required by the customer that otherwise would not be required. i want toyota to pay for the frame and the other required parts. | |||
| 09/16/2012 | 185000 | 1 | |
| Our 2002 toyota sequoia has a completely rusted out frame, rear differential and other parts such as brake lines etc. while driving on the highway the rear differential exploded and the car would not drive any further. i put the car in park, turned off the car and the car kept rolling despite being in park. i applied the emergency brake to stop the car. the rear differential housing was completely rusted through and leaking fluid. we then discovered that in addition the frame of the car was completely rusted through. the car is no longer safe to drive because of the rusted frame and under carriage. our dealership has been wonderful and rented me a car and will replace the frame but toyota is saying that i am responsible for the differential replacement. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2012 | 185000 | ||
| Our 2002 toyota sequoia has a completely rusted out frame, rear differential and other parts such as brake lines etc. while driving on the highway the rear differential exploded and the car would not drive any further. i put the car in park, turned off the car and the car kept rolling despite being in park. i applied the emergency brake to stop the car. the rear differential housing was completely rusted through and leaking fluid. we then discovered that in addition the frame of the car was completely rusted through. the car is no longer safe to drive because of the rusted frame and under carriage. our dealership has been wonderful and rented me a car and will replace the frame but toyota is saying that i am responsible for the differential replacement. | |||
| 07/17/2012 | 106000 | 1 | |
| Frame of vehicle is rusted and very thin in areas. the suspension and rear axle housing is rusting also. frame is very close to developing holes and is de-laminating i believe it is unsafe to drive and toyota will not do anything about it. *tr | |||
| 07/17/2012 | 106000 | ||
| Frame of vehicle is rusted and very thin in areas. the suspension and rear axle housing is rusting also. frame is very close to developing holes and is de-laminating i believe it is unsafe to drive and toyota will not do anything about it. | |||
| 06/27/2012 | 103000 | ||
| Dealer reports that frame (crossmember) is rotted to the point of being unsafe to drive. | |||
| 04/23/2012 | 104000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. the contact stated the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for routine maintenance when the contact was told that the entire frame was severely rusted. the contact was also advised that the vehicle was not safe to operate. the contact did not call the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 104,000. kmj | |||
| 04/23/2012 | 104000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. the contact stated the vehicle was taken to their mechanic for regular maintenance and was told the entire frame had rusted out. the contact was told the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the contact had not spoken with the manufacturer. the failure mileage and current mileages were 104,000.rl | |||
| 09/01/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Failed components: premature frame rot i'm an owner of a 2002 toyota sequoia located in the northeast us. i recently learned that this vehicle will not pass state safety inspection, due to rust holes in the frame. i take very good care of this vehicle, keeping it washed especially in winter months. the body is in spotless condition with no rust. toyota blames the heavy use of salt in the ne. this is no excuss...i have a 1990 minivan that is garaged along with and driven similar to my toyota sequoia and the minivan's frame has very little rust. toyota needs to recall and/or repair sequoia's as they did tacoma's and tundra's. i depend upon this vehicle for towing, but have also been instructed not to tow anything, until the frame is fixed or replaced. your investigation and assistance with the resolution to this serious safety issue will be greatly appreciated. thank you for your time and consideration. | |||
| 05/17/2007 | |||
| I have a 2002 toyota sequoia. the frame, undercarriage and hitch are all rusted. the undercoating peels right off at the carwash. i asked my toyota dealer about it when it was in for a oil change and he said nothing to worry about. every year it is getting worse and my husband said it is something to worry about. is toyota going to stand behind there products? i am worry this year about it passing inspection. | |||
| 09/01/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Failed components: premature frame rot i'm an owner of a 2002 toyota sequoia located in the northeast us. i recently learned that this vehicle will not pass state safety inspection, due to rust holes in the frame. i take very good care of this vehicle, keeping it washed especially in winter months. the body is in spotless condition with no rust. toyota blames the heavy use of salt in the ne. this is no excuss...i have a 1990 minivan that is garaged along with and driven similar to my toyota sequoia and the minivan's frame has very little rust. toyota needs to recall and/or repair sequoia's as they did tacoma's and tundra's. i depend upon this vehicle for towing, but have also been instructed not to tow anything, until the frame is fixed or replaced. your investigation and assistance with the resolution to this serious safety issue will be greatly appreciated. thank you for your time and consideration. | |||
| 05/17/2007 | |||
| I have a 2002 toyota sequoia. the frame, undercarriage and hitch are all rusted. the undercoating peels right off at the carwash. i asked my toyota dealer about it when it was in for a oil change and he said nothing to worry about. every year it is getting worse and my husband said it is something to worry about. is toyota going to stand behind there products? i am worry this year about it passing inspection. | |||
| 09/01/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Failed components: premature frame rot i'm an owner of a 2002 toyota sequoia located in the northeast us. i recently learned that this vehicle will not pass state safety inspection, due to rust holes in the frame. i take very good care of this vehicle, keeping it washed especially in winter months. the body is in spotless condition with no rust. toyota blames the heavy use of salt in the ne. this is no excuss...i have a 1990 minivan that is garaged along with and driven similar to my toyota sequoia and the minivan's frame has very little rust. toyota needs to recall and/or repair sequoia's as they did tacoma's and tundra's. i depend upon this vehicle for towing, but have also been instructed not to tow anything, until the frame is fixed or replaced. your investigation and assistance with the resolution to this serious safety issue will be greatly appreciated. thank you for your time and consideration. | |||
| 05/17/2007 | |||
| I have a 2002 toyota sequoia. the frame, undercarriage and hitch are all rusted. the undercoating peels right off at the carwash. i asked my toyota dealer about it when it was in for a oil change and he said nothing to worry about. every year it is getting worse and my husband said it is something to worry about. is toyota going to stand behind there products? i am worry this year about it passing inspection. | |||
| 09/01/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Failed components: premature frame rot i'm an owner of a 2002 toyota sequoia located in the northeast us. i recently learned that this vehicle will not pass state safety inspection, due to rust holes in the frame. i take very good care of this vehicle, keeping it washed especially in winter months. the body is in spotless condition with no rust. toyota blames the heavy use of salt in the ne. this is no excuss...i have a 1990 minivan that is garaged along with and driven similar to my toyota sequoia and the minivan's frame has very little rust. toyota needs to recall and/or repair sequoia's as they did tacoma's and tundra's. i depend upon this vehicle for towing, but have also been instructed not to tow anything, until the frame is fixed or replaced. your investigation and assistance with the resolution to this serious safety issue will be greatly appreciated. thank you for your time and consideration. | |||
| 05/17/2007 | |||
| I have a 2002 toyota sequoia. the frame, undercarriage and hitch are all rusted. the undercoating peels right off at the carwash. i asked my toyota dealer about it when it was in for a oil change and he said nothing to worry about. every year it is getting worse and my husband said it is something to worry about. is toyota going to stand behind there products? i am worry this year about it passing inspection. | |||
| 08/26/2011 | 110000 | ||
| I recently learned from my mechanic that the frame of my 2002 toyota sequoia has multiple rust holes and is so badly rotted that it will not pass the state safety inspection. therefore, i had my local toyota dealership schedule an inspection by representatives from toyota. these representatives agreed that my sequoia frame is badly rusted and full of rust holes, but are blaming the salt used in the northeast and not taking responsibility for the materials used to construct the vehicle. i was also told that it is unsafe to drive this vehicle on freeways or interstate highways that require higher speeds. in addition, i was told not to tow anything behind it, because the strength of the undercarriage was compromised and whatever i was towing could seperate from the car. needless to say this is a major concern regarding the safety factor and use of the car. my wife and i intentionally bought our sequoia for towing purposes and long trips with family. they took pictues, measurements of holes, and other info and told me that they would file a report and get back to me within two weeks. after reading many statements from other toyota sequoia owners, i am not confident that toyota will resolve this major issue with the toyota sequoia, and will continue to refuse to resolve this serious situation to protect the consumer. therefore, i want my complaint to be added to the nhtsa database and the nhtsa to take action on this serious frame rot safety issue with sequoias. | |||
| 09/20/2011 | |||
| My 2002 sequoia has been maintained by the book yet the rust of the frame and the differential have left this vehicle as potentially dangerous to drive. i am told that the leak of transmission fluid is because the differential is almost rusted through. i know toyota has had rust issues and my previous toyota landcruiser had rust issues as well. now that it has happened a second time i decided to investigate. please update me. | |||
| 11/23/2009 | 125000 | 1 | |
| Driving on the freeway, my car collapsed. i was able to glide to the center median and stop. after towing my car to the dealer, it was determined that the ball joint failed (the ball joint had been recalled). i did not receive the recall notices. while toyota is willing to repair the recalled item, they are not willing to cover the cost of the related damage which would not have happened if the ball joint did not fail. as an owner of 5 toyotas, we feel that toyota should cover the subsequent damage and the cost of the rental car since it took them over one month to contact us with their answer. *tr | |||
| 04/30/2007 | 82000 | 1 | 05/07/2002 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. while driving 45 mph a squeak was heard in the front of the vehicle. the contact received a recall letter about the lower ball joints, the contact was on a waiting list with an approximate repair time of 6 months. an alignment was performed at the failure mileage of 82,000. the current mileage was 83,500. *ak the consumer stated there was a wobble come from the front of the vehicle when slowing down or stopping, and the vehicle would pull to the right. updated 05/22/07. *jb | |||
| 09/28/2006 | 77000 | 10 | 12/26/2002 |
| In 8/06 i noticed a roaring/grinding noise coming from my end. l. bearing replaced x2. problem remained. then replaced the right front bearing. still to no avail. i then took my car to toyota in tampa who stated the replaced bearing had been pressed in too tight. i took my car back to the mechanic who then took the entire assembly over toyota in clearwater to replace the entire assembly. still no resolution. tire problem? so, i took it back to the tire kingdom who put on new michelin cross terrain suv tires. problem remained. so i took it back to them and they then put on a new set of michelin ltx tires. problem remained. so, i then took it to collisiontec in clearwater, thinking that perhaps tire kingdom might have bent something when they originally rotated the tires. (the certified toyota mechanic had previously inspected everything under my car when he first had it but had been unable to detect any damage). collisiontec drove the car and did an initial inspection, but could not detect anything. they have asked to have me bring the car back so that they can keep it for a week and do a complete inspection. in the meantime, my check engine light came on and the vsc/vtc light came on, so i took it back to the toyota mechanic. the o2 sensor needs to be fixed/replaced. to fix the vsc/vtc toyota doesn't sell the one part needed, only the complete set for $900! this is all on top of the original roar/grinding/vibration problem which still exists!! reapairs now up to 2k & no resolution. also, my car was recalled for the ball joint problem. there is no sticker indicating ball joints replaced. if the ball joints were not replaced as they should have been, could this be the source of the roar/grinding/vibration? this roar/grinding/vibration is coming from the front and occurs only when the car is in motion. *nm | |||
| 05/05/2003 | |||
| While driving the vehicle swayed from left to right. *nlm. | |||
| 05/09/2002 | 100 | 05/01/2002 | |
| Vehicle drifts suddenly to the right or left. steering wheel does not pull to either side but requires corrective movement to straighten vehicle's path. this condition is more severe on a windy day or when passing a truck or bus or larger vehicle. potentially dangerous condition. two new sequoia suv's were purchased at the same time. the sequoia with the steering and handling problem came with michelin tires. the other sequoia came with bridgestone tires and does not have this problem.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL (ASC) | |||
| 07/22/2008 | 82725 | 1 | |
| Vsc (vehicle stability control) and trac (traction control) lights come on and stay on. both systems are not working. this is a major safety issue. took to a dealer and was told it would cost $1000's of dollars to replace a computer or two. i just bought this vehicle used and has no warranty and no recourse from toyota to fix it. read on many message boards that this is a problem with lots of owners on 2001 and 02, even as late as the 03 and 04 too. this needs to be recalled and fixed. they know of this problem but will not do anything to fix it. you need to make them since they won't do it for the safety of their vehicle owners... thanks *tr | |||
| 02/11/2007 | 24000 | 10 | 12/01/2001 |
| I have two problems with my 2002 toyota sequoia with 27k miles on it. 1. the vsc light will sometimes comes on and stay on during normal driving conditions. it will only turn off if the engine is turn off and back on. 2. the ac does not work, the ac led will flashes but no cold air. *tr | |||
| 04/01/2005 | 61000 | 1 | 08/12/2004 |
| I bought a toyota certified 2002 toyota sequoia in late '04. roughly 6 months into ownership - my vsc (traction control) system began having intermittent issues - 2 full-day trips to the dealership made no results - the dealership was unable to recreate the problem. another 4-6 months later, the vsc failed completely, and after investigation, i find the issue is very common and very expensive to fix. the failure leaves me without abs and without vsc (two of the reasons i bought the car i did) and at an increased risk of having an accident, as without functional abs the brakes lock quite easily. calls to my dealership have left me with the impression the fix will be in the $2000 neighborhood, and i haven't yet come up with that. the incident date is approximate to the start of the issues. *jb | |||
| 10/26/2006 | 49000 | 1 | 09/23/2002 |
| 1)took my 2002 toyota sequoia to the dealer to perform 50,000 mile service. they performed the service and replaced the battery. when picking up the car i noticed vehicle skid control (vsc) and abs lights were off. *jb 2) i asked the dealer to check this problem and they said that the ecu (computer) that controls these safety systems had failed itself and disabled the above mentioned safety features. 3) the dealer wants $2300 from me to fix this problem. *jb | |||
| 10/03/2005 | 47800 | 2 | |
| Driving at 70 mph. on the express way all of a sudden the asc and traction control light started to flicker and anti-locking brake engaged by itself severely. brought the car to about 30 mph. in matter of seconds. the truck started to swerve to the right and had to cross 3 lanes to the shoulder. very fortunate did not get in an accident with 4 passengers in the truck. the toyota dealer ship identified he problem of yaw sensor failure. i believe this is a safety issue and this failure could have caused an accident with potentially at least some sever injuries.*jb | |||
| 01/21/2003 | 23000 | 1 | |
| While driving 20 mph on a icy road consumer lost control of the vehicle and rolled into a ditch. consumer felt that t stability of the vehicle was at fault. the were no injuries. *ak | |||
| 03/04/2003 | 15000 | 11/03/2001 | |
| Toyota is advising brakes need to be replaced. car has 260000 miles on it and is 1yr old. have complained about brake issue to toyota at 15000 miles. no solution toyota did nothing. brakes make grinding noise like gravel. also the vsc system engages and does not take power from drive train, result in very loud metal shearing noises from undercarriage. toyota is saying this is normal. toyota is advising the avg life of brakes on this car is approx 20000 miles there is a major design error between the vcs and the abs brake system resulting poor brake life and this can not be a safe situation when vsc does not release power to brakes when it activates. vcs also activates at drop of a hat. general brake design must have major design flaw if avg life is only 20000 miles. *nlm | |||
| 2 | 02/27/2002 | ||
| Consumer states the vehicle skid control lights activate and most of the engine power is instantaneously cut, usually engine power is not restored until the vehicle has completely stopped moving, when this malfunction occurs on the freeway, it causes the driver to lose the ability to maintain a speed consistent with the flow of traffic and a very hazardous speed differential occurs.*jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 06/25/2011 | 253000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequioa. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the front driver side wheel detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and then towed to an independent mechanic. the vehicle was inspected by the mechanic where they advised the contact that the lower ball joints were defective. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was then contacted and they offered the contact a repair deal. the failure mileage was approximately 253,000. kmj | |||
| 06/25/2011 | 253000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequioa. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph when the fron drivers side wheel detached. the vehicle was able to be coasted to the side of the road and then towed to independent mechanic. the vehicle was inspected by a mechanic and they advised her that the lower ball joints were defective. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was then contacted and they offered her a deal. the failure mileage was approximately 253,000. tb | |||
| 03/07/2005 | 51063 | 4 | |
| While driving at any speed the vehicle veered to the right without warning. the dealer gave the vehicle an alignment, however the problem still continued. the cause has not been determined. please provide additional information. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM | |||
| 10/22/2003 | 36680 | 1 | 06/03/2003 |
| While driving at 45 mph a very strong vibration, suddenly the front driver side wheel came off the vehicle. the vehicle crashed, serious injuries to the driver. the air bags systems never activated. the computer have an impact code, but the air bags didn't deploy. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 05/18/2007 | 1 | 06/10/2002 | |
| I received a recall for the 2002 toyota sequoia in reference to a safety issue with the lower ball joints. toyota referenced ssc 50j. this was one year ago, toyota still has not made been able to make the repairs due to a long waiting list and back ordered parts.*ak | |||
| 04/30/2007 | 82000 | 1 | 05/07/2002 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. while driving 45 mph a squeak was heard in the front of the vehicle. the contact received a recall letter about the lower ball joints, the contact was on a waiting list with an approximate repair time of 6 months. an alignment was performed at the failure mileage of 82,000. the current mileage was 83,500. *ak the consumer stated there was a wobble come from the front of the vehicle when slowing down or stopping, and the vehicle would pull to the right. updated 05/22/07. *jb | |||
| 03/09/2003 | 2 | 01/09/2003 | |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. the contact received safety recall 05v225000 concerning the lower ball joints. the contact's vehicle was involved in a crash 04/2004 while trying to avoid hitting another vehicle. the contact did not believe that the vehicle was completely repaired after the crash, and she felt that this played a part in the second crash ,where the vsteering did not respond. during each of the crashes, the contact was driving approximately 20 - 45 mph ,and the weather was not a factor. the current and failure mileage were 56,000. *ak | |||
| 11/07/2006 | 174479 | 1 | 09/20/2001 |
| My vehicle is a 2002 toyota sequoia. i was experiencing noise in the front of the vehicle. i was driving and lost control and the wheel fell off. the vehicle was repaired at a local mechanic's repair shop where the lower ball joint, the left axle seal and the left outer tire rod. unfortunately the parts are not available. *jb | |||
| 01/10/2007 | 85000 | 2 | 07/05/2002 |
| Steering loss and separation of the ball joints from socket causing a crash. at the time the two failures occurred, it caused the front passenger side wheel & tire to buckle under vehicle causing the vehicle to skid between 250 feet to 300 feet before stopping. this incident proved that the vehicle was completely uncontrollable due to the failure of manufactured parts on this vehicle. notice of such recall from toyota could of prevented this incident if a notice was received. further, i never received a notice of any kind with respect to the recall on the lower ball joints and steering loss. it wasn't discovered until vehicle had been towed to the toyota dealership and was inspected by the mechanic. this vehicle had been in a different toyota dealership prior to this incident (approx. 4-6 months ago) in which was still not brought to my attention by the service department. *jb | |||
| 07/29/2006 | 1 | ||
| 2002 toyota sequoia lower ball joint detached from the vehicle causing the consumer to lose control of the vehicle and subsequently crashed into a tree. *kb ***transferred to tis*** (lawyer wrote in on behalf of consumer). *jb | |||
| 03/13/2006 | 57000 | 2 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated recalled work was not performed in what the contact considers a timely matter. the dealer was contacted about the recall; however could not work the vehicle into the schedule for 2 weeks. the recall notice received was nhtsa # 05v225000, concerning the lower ball joints. additionally, the contact was jacking up the vehicle and the housing around the jack fractured and broke. the dealer was contacted and suggested replacing the jack. | |||
| 12/20/2005 | 47041 | 3 | 02/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact took vehicle to a dealership to have recall repair work performed. while driving the vehicle home from the dealership it started making noises. as the vehicle increased in speed the noise became louder coming from under the vehicle. the vehicle was towed back to the dealership , where they were unable to duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 03/27/2004 | 32415 | 4 | 06/01/2002 |
| There was a burning smell coming from the driver's side wheel well. over time the smell became worse and was accompanied by smoke. *nm the consumer had this problem a total of 4 times where the smell of burning and smoke was excessive and overwhelming under the wheel hub. the seal, bearings, and axle was replaced but the problem still existed. *tc *sc | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 07/15/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for various repairs where they discovered that the rear differential was completely rusted which resulted to oil leakage. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact planned to notify the dealer and the manufacturer regarding the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000. kmj | |||
| 07/15/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for various repairs and they discovered the rear differential completely rusted which resulted to oil leakage. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact planned to notify the dealer and manufacturer regarding the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000. js | |||