Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| DL00203 | 08/06/2003 | 10003561 | Rear axle seal design change. *tt | 10/23/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 06/10/2012 | 92853 | ||
| Vehicle was parked with parking brake on. i started the vehicle and attempted to pud the truck in drive. the shift lever went limp and no longer changed the drive selector. i managed to get it into drive and got it home and parked it. i have not called the dealer yet. | |||
| 04/10/2012 | 47000 | ||
| I am the owner of two toyota vehicles. vehicle one is a 1992 toyota pickup extended cab 4x4 3.0 v6 with 220,000 miles on it i bought it with 124,000 miles on it. vehicle two is a 2002 toyota tundra sr5 4.7 v8 with 47,000 miles i bought it with 39,000 miles on it with only one previous owner. the new frame is installed on the truck but i have noticed now that my rear axle housing is completely rotted and rusted out and leaking all over the place. the structure of this is not safe and i travel an average 6,000 miles a month for work. my 1992 toyota truck with 219,000 miles rear axle is in better shape than the 2002 toyota. i have spoke with toyota directly and they refuse to do anything about the situation. there should be a law suit against toyota for not replacing these rear axles because the same metal was obviously used on the frame that was replaced. i have now seen many of the same trucks around my town with the same problem and have read many complaints on the internet about this recurring situation. it is in toyota's best interest to take care of the problem before there is a class action against them. | |||
| 10/23/2011 | 137000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that while attempting to shift gears from park to drive, the housing broke away from the shift lever. as a result, he shifter became stuck in reverse. the contact mentioned that he was able to maintain control of the vehicle by engaging the brakes. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the gear box housing had a stretch fracture and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 137,000. | |||
| 10/23/2011 | 137000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that while attempting to shift gears from park to drive, the housing broke away from the shift lever. as a result, he shifter became stuck in reverse. the contact mentioned that he was able to maintain control of the vehicle by engaging the brakes. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the gear box housing had a stretch fracture and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 137,000. kmj | |||
| 10/23/2011 | 137000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that while attempting to shift gears from park to drive the housing broke away from the shift lever as a result it got stuck on the reverse position. the contact mentioned that he was able to maintained control of the vehicle by engaging the brakes. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the gear box housing had a stretch fractured and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offered any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 137,000. pm | |||
| 08/22/2011 | 67000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns 2002 toyota tundra. the contact stated that the transmission shift lever failed while reversing. the lever would not engage into gear and the contact inspected the vehicle and found that the steering metal housing was fractured. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 67,000. kmj | |||
| 10/22/2009 | 119000 | 1 | |
| Upper ball joints, rear springs, brakes front & back, and manual transmission, and o2 sensors too! this is what i have been repairing and was not aware of all of the recalls on my truck! so far i have just repairing it until today, after hearing about the newest recall! i will be calling my dealer monday.... *tr | |||
| 09/11/2009 | 181307 | 1 | |
| Parts failure due to excessive rust...power steering rack and coupling assy. rear axle housing failure due to excessive rust . power steering lines rusted out.2002 tundra trd...total repair cost $3900.00 over 1 year period. ---last repair 11 sep 2009...al paper work on file at nassief ford & toyota jefferson,oh 44047--ph 4405761010. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 01/16/2010 | 111000 | ||
| I encountered the same transmission failure that's similar to other nhtsa odi reports. the problem - which i understand is fairly common with this 2002 toyota tundra - started with rough shifting and clunking noises in the power train at around 60,000 miles. the odd sounds started intermittently at highway speeds and then became more frequent and then finally resulted in failure at around 111,000. the transmission quit at a highway intersection stop 140 miles from home in january, 2010. it would not go into proper gear after stopping on the highway. the vehicle was towed to the nearest toyota dealer in victoria, texas on saturday evening for repair work that was eventually done four days later at a total out-of-pocket cost of nearly $4,000 (parts, labor, rental car, towing; does not include missed work)...this vehicle has been maintained properly by my toyota dealer. so the transmission should not have failed so soon, as my other trucks (ford, dodge, and even nisan) never required transmission replacements, leaving me stranded in harm's way along a rural highway. so my next pickup truck will most likely not be a toyota. | |||
| 08/10/2008 | 85000 | 1 | |
| While driving on the highway i would occasionally hear a slight clunk. sounded like it might be the transmission. this first occurred around 85k miles. then again about a year later. after the second or third time, i took the car a transmission specialist. they reported that the overdrive gear bearing was failing and this was common on the early tundras. apparently the needle bearing begins to fall apart and eventually the whole transmission goes out. rebuilding the transmission costs just about as much as replacing it and there was already damage to the gears. end result -- i had to replace the entire transmission at 100k miles. if this is truly a common failure, it seems that toyota put these trucks on the road with a transmission that wasn't up to the task. i rarely haul heavy loads or trailers and consider my use of the truck to be very gentle. hardly anything that would cause the early demise of a transmission. *tr | |||
| 12/20/2008 | 34500 | 1 | |
| While driving on the freeway my truck made a bad sound from the transmission a gear grind clunk noise. i pulled off the freeway asap and put it in park. there was no fluid draining or any thing. when i went to put it in drive it was hard to go into gear. but it drove ok so i went to my appointment less than a mile away. from there my wife picked me up and we did some christmas stuff and got back to the car later than expected and i had to drive it home (aprox 5-7 miles). at first it was ok then clunk grind jump neutral in a bad spot on the freeway. i was able to get it about another mile to safety it jumped again and no gears. i had to push it out of harms way and jacked up my back. i was trying to stay off the operating table for my back now if im on my feet more than couple of hours i am bed ridden from days to weeks. at the beginning of the day perfect vehicle with 34000 miles now needing a $4500 transmission. i checked with some shops and a couple of dealers and they all said the same thing broken main shaft, factory defect weak main shaft. toyota would not pay for it. 2002 vehicle. i notified toyota the vehicle was in storage in california and would be started from time to time to keep my warranty as i am handicapped and could not get back to it. now they had no info on this and i had to pay to fix a 34k mile toyota for a defect and now get a back operation. *tr | |||
| 11/28/2008 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Premature transmission failure on my 2002 toyota tundra pickup truck. this vehicle had regular maintenance and currently has 67,000 miles on it. the transmission shop that i took it to says this premature failure is a common occurrence on 2000 to 2002 tundras and requires complete rebuild of the transmission. i have never owned an american made vehicle that required any transmission work until well over 100,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2008 | 84900 | 1 | |
| 2002 tundra 6 cylinder automatic transmission with 84,900 miles on it had total failure on i-10 while going 70mph. the engine continued to work but pushing the gas peddle did nothing. we safely pulled over, but the truck would not go forward or in reverse. i had complained to 2 different dealers of a bumping feeling and other abnormalities for several months, but neither dealer could detect a problem. i have maintained this truck as directed by the manufacturer and it is otherwise in excellent condition. i have only towed a trailer once with the trailer and cargo weighing less than 2000 lbs. however, the problems i complained of to the dealer occurred before i towed the trailer. fortunately, i had the toyota extracare extended warranty (7 years or 100,000 miles) which covered the cost of replacing the transmission with a reconditioned transmission. *tr | |||
| 12/23/2006 | 124000 | 1 | 10/28/2004 |
| Automatic transmission failure, truck was not abused, well maintained, trans fluid was changed several times and always clean. very dissappointed in having to replace. have driven 3 toyota's over 200,000 miiles with no transmission problems. have heard of other trans failure in this year and model. only 12 months warranty on replacement. | |||
| 07/01/2002 | 6000 | 5 | 07/01/2002 |
| I have had multiple problems with my 2002 tundra trd 4wd. i have had it in more than 4 times for the brakes vibrating/pulsating and looks like i will be taking it in again as they are starting to vibrate again!! reno toyota has always done all the maintenance on it and keep trying to say it is my fault the brakes are bad and the rotors are warping. they replaced the rear axles a couple of months ago but i had to pay the $50 deductible. they also had to install a gasket on the crossover for the engine coolant as the factory never installed it. the ac doesn't get cool enough to cool the interior. whistling noise but don't know where it is coming from...sounds like coming from side mirrors??? i replace the wheels recently because of vibration because the wheels were warped. always have excessive brake dust on front wheels. transmission feels and sounds like it is slipping all the time. rough idle after warm up. i bought it new in july 2002 and now have 69400 miles on it. most of which are highway miles with no towing ever...no heavy hauling ever. am too afraid to drive it off-road because of all the brake problems...nevada=mountains=cliffs=death...i am not ready to risk my life or my grandchildren so will not even let me ride with me anywhere. *nm | |||
| 02/02/2005 | 111000 | 6 | 09/10/2001 |
| While driving 70 mph, the transmission stalled. the vehicle was towed. dealership repaired the problem. *ak the driver heard and felt a loud bump in the rear of the vehicle. the engine continued to run but the vehicle would not move when the consumer applied the gas pedal. there was rear end grease leaking from the right side rear showing on the wheel and tire. the mechanic stated that there was no connection between the rear brake, rear end leaking grease, the drive shaft and the failure of the transmission. the brakes were a major problem, the cruise control never kept speed or smooth, the left lower front ball joint had a catastrophic failure that caused the entire wheel, brake line and all essential components on the left side of the vehicle to come loose. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc the brakes were a problem on the vehicle, and the drums were replaced. *jb | |||
| 05/31/2002 | 1000 | 1 | 05/25/2002 |
| 2002 toyota tundra 4x2 sr5 with under 18,000 miles, at 45 degree angle while in drive and no load, vehicle will roll backwards and will continue to roll until the brakes are applied. while rolling a loud constant clicking noise eminates from the rear end as if gears were slipping. vehicle seldomly driven and almost never pulls any loads, never abused or wrecked and maintained regularly. this has occurred since the vehicle was purchased in may of 2002. lakeside toyota informed me today 9-20-04, this was normal for the truck and that they simulated it with another truck.*ak | |||
| 05/16/2003 | 20507 | 1 | 03/15/2002 |
| At 20,000 miles, the transmission started to shift very hard and the cel came on. dealer said there was significant damage to the transmission and the error code from the obd ii stated mis shift. it took 7 weeks to get the part.*ak | |||
| 12/04/2001 | |||
| When vehicle is fully loaded brakes will overheat when applied while going down a hill.also, automatic transmission will not go into correct gear, resulting in more excessive brake application.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||
| 03/13/2010 | 56134 | 1 | |
| 2002 toyota tundra. consumer states there is a serious problem with the steering column housing support. *kb the consumer stated after starting the vehicle and subsequently attempting to shift the gear into reverse , the gear shift lever broke free at the steering column. despite the failure the consumer was able to stop the vehicle. when the consumer arrived home, he was able to park the vehicle, but he was unable to shift into any other gear. the consumer stated it appeared the cast aluminum components supporting the transmission shift lever appeared to be flawed. *jb | |||
| 09/30/2006 | 40234 | 1 | 10/11/2001 |
| Shifting lever broke off inside column when shifting from reverse to park. i was no longer able to shift transmissions. *jb | |||
| 03/30/2006 | 64000 | 1 | 10/26/2001 |
| The shift lever broke from the steering column while i was shifting from park to drive. the metal support surrounding the steering column broke. the truck was totally disabled and needed to be towed. the shaft sub-assembly, the tube sub-assembly, the support tilt steering assembly, and some screws, bolts and washers needed to be replaced. i asked to save the old parts. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| 05/31/2002 | 1000 | 1 | 05/25/2002 |
| 2002 toyota tundra 4x2 sr5 with under 18,000 miles, at 45 degree angle while in drive and no load, vehicle will roll backwards and will continue to roll until the brakes are applied. while rolling a loud constant clicking noise eminates from the rear end as if gears were slipping. vehicle seldomly driven and almost never pulls any loads, never abused or wrecked and maintained regularly. this has occurred since the vehicle was purchased in may of 2002. lakeside toyota informed me today 9-20-04, this was normal for the truck and that they simulated it with another truck.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/14/2005 | 12500 | 3 | 04/26/2002 |
| The front end steering rack let go, then the ball joints let go and the whole front end fell out causing 4,500.00 in damage as well as injury to my back. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2002 | 6000 | 5 | 07/01/2002 |
| I have had multiple problems with my 2002 tundra trd 4wd. i have had it in more than 4 times for the brakes vibrating/pulsating and looks like i will be taking it in again as they are starting to vibrate again!! reno toyota has always done all the maintenance on it and keep trying to say it is my fault the brakes are bad and the rotors are warping. they replaced the rear axles a couple of months ago but i had to pay the $50 deductible. they also had to install a gasket on the crossover for the engine coolant as the factory never installed it. the ac doesn't get cool enough to cool the interior. whistling noise but don't know where it is coming from...sounds like coming from side mirrors??? i replace the wheels recently because of vibration because the wheels were warped. always have excessive brake dust on front wheels. transmission feels and sounds like it is slipping all the time. rough idle after warm up. i bought it new in july 2002 and now have 69400 miles on it. most of which are highway miles with no towing ever...no heavy hauling ever. am too afraid to drive it off-road because of all the brake problems...nevada=mountains=cliffs=death...i am not ready to risk my life or my grandchildren so will not even let me ride with me anywhere. *nm | |||
| 05/10/2004 | 18750 | 08/18/2002 | |
| My axle is being replaced on my 2002 tundra. my local mechanic says this is a common problem. dealer will not admit or deny this. it seems that this could be a real safey issue. this was discovered during routine maintenance. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||
| 07/16/2003 | 11700 | 2 | 11/25/2002 |
| My stake-bed truck's axle broke. the truck had under 12,000. it was repaired in odessa, tx and the service manager tells me the conversions on the truck are too much for the truck. that is why the axle broke. he stated that my husband and i are in serious danger of bodily injury and or death. now the brakes had to be repaired and i was again told by an employee of i-10 toyota that the truck is too heavy for the weight it's carrying. of course he said that was only his opinion. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 3 | 03/19/2002 | |
| 2002 toyota tundra developed problems with the brakes.*mr the consumer stated she had the truck fixed several times for vibration, spongy brakes, extended stopping distance and pulling to the right. the dealer continued to replace the drums, resurface the rotors and replace the pads but the problem continued. the right rear axle seal was leaking for the second time. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 11486 | 1 | |
| Rusted out rear differential and axle. *tr | |||
| 02/03/2010 | 89000 | 1 | |
| My 2002 toyota tundra truck is not drivable at this time. the truck was brought to toyota dealership after a local mechanic found fluid leaking from rear differential due to rust/rot. during the dealers inspection, they also noted a gas smell and suspect that the gas tank or gas lines are leaking also. the dealer did a frame inspection and while the whole frame is excessively rusted, the frame passed the recall test because it had not been perforated yet. the dealer did not want to even remove the differential plug because the whole unit was so rusty. i have been under the truck and personally seen the excessive rust on the frame, fuel system, and suspension components. amazingly, the body panels have little or no rust and in very good condition. during previous dealer visits we were verbally told that the rust was normal. the repair estimate for gas tank/lines and new differential housing, etc. was approximately $7000. i purchased this truck new and have always done all required maintenance and was planning on having the truck for a long time. it currently has 89,101 miles on it. the excessive rust is not normal and i feel that the frame and some associated components are defective. i feel that due to the nature of these defects that the vehicle is unsafe to drive and i'm guessing that it would be difficult to sell and if i did, it would be at a greatly reduced value. i purchased a toyota truck because of their reputation for building long lasting, high quality vehicles. i feel that in light of these defects that they misrepresented their product. *tr | |||
| 11/07/2009 | 84668 | 1 | |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i got under my 2002 toyota tundra trd sr5 extra cab to assess the rust this past weekend. i was dumbfounded! control arms, front wishbone, suspension brackets, and rear differential look like a shipwreck that's been under the sea for 100 years. the rear differential housing has rusted completely through and is leaking through the side of the housing! the spare tire holder is so rusted the wheel is about to fall off. all shields and safety guards have fallen off or will soon. i bought the truck new in nov of '01. it now has 84,000 miles. i've had all recommended services performed at the dealer.they never mentioned the rust although they do a safety inspection at every service. i've always washed off the salt in the winter. the body panels show no rust at all and the outside of the truck looks like new. i have taken excellent care of this vehicle. i had a chevy truck kept under the same conditions that after 15 years and 250,000 miles looked nothing like this. i cannot drive this truck in this condition. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 04/08/2000 | 500 | 1 | 03/19/2002 |
| There is a vibration in the fron drive train between 30 and 40 mph. it only occurs when the vihicle is cold and goes away after several miles of driving. i have contacted toyota and they say it is a normal condition and will not work try to fix the problem. they claim it is comming from the front differential.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - UNIVERSAL JOINT | |||
| 11/16/2004 | 39000 | 1 | 11/15/2002 |
| I have a 2002 toyota tundra with 39,000 miles on it. i was going 15-20 mph and aproaching a on ramp to the highway when my front drivers side ball joint snapped. i had my 4 month old son in the car with me. luckily i was able to stop without getting into a accident but wonder what would have happened if we were on the highway. toyota said i must have hit something in order for it to fail and refused to contact the nhtsa and refused to cover the expense of having it fixed. $1900.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 06/09/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| I find it interesting that my 2002 toyota may be recalled due to the spare tire mounting being rusted. i have been very disappointed with this truck since the gas tank the rear differential cover and fuel lines have rusted through. i bought this vehicle due to the toyota reliability reputation. would you please review the frequency of rust on these areas and issue what ever recalls appropriate. *tr | |||
| 07/12/2006 | 98380 | 1 | 08/30/2001 |
| Thank you for taking the time to tell us of your experience with the transmission on your husband's 2002 toyota tundra. i read your e-mail with great interest. as you know, monitoring and promoting both the quality and safety of automobiles is an integral part of our mission. we value your help in this effort. you have provided us with important feedback on the 2002 toyota tundra, for which i thank you. because of this, i have personally forwarded your e-mail to our auto test and editorial staff for their review and consideration for our future reports. i am sure that they, too, will find your e-mail to be of value. you may also want to share your experiences with the following organizations, which may be able to provide you with information and/or offer assistance: center for auto safety, 2001 s. street, nw, ste. 410, washington, dc 20009-1160. the case compiles information on defective automobiles, ranging from transmissions problems to paint problems. if you wish, you may send them a letter sharing your experiences with them. should they have any information on your particular automobile, they will forward it to you, along with helpful information and advice within 10 days from date of receipt of their letter. they ask, but do not require, a $.60 sase to help keep their costs down. or, you can visit their website at http://www.autosafety.org. national highway traffic safety administration, 400 seventh street, sw, washington, dc 20590, 1-800-424-9393 or 1-202-366-0123. the nhtsa assures compliance by domestic and foreign motor vehicle and equipment manufacturers with motor vehicle safety standards, automobile recalls, and airline problems. you may wish to visit their website at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov thanks again for your interest in consumerreports.org. *jb | |||