Owner-reported complaints naming the other system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Toyota Tundra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
There is an unresolved body corrosion recall that has not been addressed in over a year, despite receiving an invoice from the dealership. I will attach the invoice that lists all the parts ordered for the remedy of this recall.
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. No warning lights or indicators appeared before the failure. The incident endangered my life, my passengers’ safety, and other drivers on the road. The business has refused to take responsibility or cover repair costs, which currently total over $2,400, despite their advertised inspection and guarantee. This raises serious concerns that Midas and potentially other service locations may be failing to properly inspect critical suspension components, which poses a major public safety hazard.
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 OLD VEHICLE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE DEALER DID A THOROUGH EXAM OF THE TRUCK IN 2012, 2018 OR OTHER VISITS I MADE WHEN I PROMPTED THEM TO CHECK THE RUST AS IT RELATED TO THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THE CAMPAIGN FOR RUST WAS OVER THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. BASED ON THE FACT OF ONLY 2-3 AREAS OF CATASTROPHIC RUST ON THE FRAME AND COMPONENTS WHILE THE REST OF THE FRAME AND CHASSIS IS WEARING APPROPRIATELY I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE RE-INSTATED - OBVIOUS FACTORY DEFECT - NO CORROSION INHIBITED APPLIED. THE VEHICLE IS STILL MECHANICALLY PERFECT BUT THE FALLING SPARE TIRE AND BROKEN SUSPENSION CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY THAT COULD BE PREVENTED WITH A RECALL. I BELIEVE THAT THE TOYOTA DEALER DID NOT DO A THOROUGH INSPECTION. I ALSO QUESTION WHY I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS WHO WERE GIVEN ANTI-CORROSION TREATMENT OR OTHER EFFORTS MADE TO STOP THE RUST FROM GETTING WORSE - BUT NOTHING WAS DONE BY TOYOTA TO MITIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IT GOT TO THIS CATASTROPHIC LEVEL.
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 COULD HAVE KILLED OTHERS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED RE. THIS PROBLEM AS HAS OCCURRED WITH LATER YEAR TUNDRAS AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO PAY FOR REPAIRING MY TRUCK. *TR
FRAME/CHASSIS IS RUSTING AT WELD JOINTS AND MOUNTS. PAINT IS BUBBLING AND RUST IS VISIBLE BELOW THE CRACKED PAINT AREAS, WHICH CONCERNS ME SINCE I TOW A 6,000 LBS RV TRAILER. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE MIGHT NOT PASS THE VIRGINIA STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION. *TR
DRIVING NORTH ON ALVERNON IN THE LEFT LANE BETWEEN 37TH AND PALO VERDE THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL OF THE 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE WHEEL REMAINED UNDER THE VEHICLE ATTACHED TO THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT. FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINTS IS SUSPECTED. APPROXIMATE SPEED WAS 40 MPH. AFTER SEPARATION THE VEHICLE TRACKED STRAIGHT FOR APPROXIMATE 100 FEET, I THEN CONTROLLED THE VEHICLE AND MOVE TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE RIGHT LANE AND STOPPED. DAMAGE TO THE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM, WHEEL, FRONT BUMPER, FRONT LEFT PANEL, ABS SYSTEM AND OTHER EXPECTED DAMAGE OCCURRED. NO DAMAGE TO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD OR SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE OTHER THAN DAMAGE TO THE ROADWAY. AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NOT RELATED PHYSICAL DAMAGE OR INJURY TO MYSELF (I WAS ALONE WHEN THIS OCCURRED) OR ANYONE ELSE. TOYOTA AT THIS TIME HAS REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIRS OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE. THERE IS A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 05V225000 FOR THIS TYPE OF FAILURE, BUT CURRENTLY DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 2001 YEAR FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *NM
I BOUGHT MY 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA IN FEBUARY OF 2005. WHEN IDE BOUGHT THE BRAKES WHERE IN GOOD SHAPE. AFTER JUST 3 MONTHS OF DRIVING MY TRUCK STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT HIGHER SPEEDS (30-55MPH). I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE BRAKES WERE SHOT AND THAT THE ROTORS WERE IN NEED OF TURNING. I PROCEEDED WITH THE REPAIRS AND WAS BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN TILL TWO NIGHTS AGO. MY FAMILY AND I WERE COMING HOME AFTER SUNSET WHEN A COW DARTED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I ACTED QUICKLY AND VEIRED ONLY TO FIND THAT THE BRAKES DIDNT WORK CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF MY TRUCK. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL BY KNOWING THE PROPER PROCEDURES FROM A DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE IDE TAKEN WHEN MY OCCUPATION WAS AS A FIREFIGHTER BUT I STILL CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE ANIMAL IN THE ROAD DUE TO THE BRAKE FAILURE. IVE SINCE TAKEN THE TRUCK BACK TO MY MECHANIC AND THE BRAKES AND ROTORS ARE SHOT ONCE AGAIN. HE SAID THE EXCEEDINGLY RAPID WARE OF THE BRAKES AND ROTORS CAME FROM A MALFUNCTION ON THE REAR BRAKES WHICH IN TURN CAUSES OVER STRAIN ON THE FRONT BRAKES RESULTING IN PREMATURE BREAK FAILURE. IVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND IF YOUR STAFF CAN POSSIBLY DO THE SAME THEY'LL FIND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A TERRIBLY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE TOYOTA TUNDRAS YEAR MODEL 2000 THROUGH 2004. IVE RECENTLY STARTED CIRCULATING A PETITION FOR OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TOYOTA TO ACCUMULATE PROOF THAT THE PROBLEM HAS EXSISTED FOR SOME TIME NOW AND THAT IT HAS HAPPENED IN AN EXTREMLY LARGE NUMBER OF THE TOYOTA TUNDRAS. THEIR ARE COUNTLESS TESTIMONIES OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS AND HAVE TRIED GOING TO THE MANUFACTURER ONLY TO GET THE RUN AROUND OR JUST SIMPLY IGNORED. TOYOTA IS IN VIOLATION OF MANUFACTURING DEFECTIVE VEHICLES AND SELLING THEM TO THE PUBLIC WITH NO CONCERN WHAT SO EVER FOR THE SAFETY AND CONCERN OF THERE CUSTOMERS OR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY SHARE THE ROADWAYS WITH.
PURCHASED TRUCK NEW IN 2001. EXCESSIVE FRONT BRAKE PAD WEAR OUT SINCE NEW 6,000 TO 10,000 MILES PER SET. NOTICED A LOOSENESS IN FRONT END EARLY ON AND PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS TIME WENT ON INCLUDING WOBBLING AND LURCHING WHILE BRAKING. AT 36,000 + MILES TOYOTA REPLACED COMPLETE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE SYSTEM WITH A HEAVER DUTY SYSTEM AT NO COST. FRONT END STILL FELT LOOSE. AT 52,000 MILES DEALER REPALCED FRONT ROTORS AND SECOND SET OF PADS SINCE SYSTEM UP DATE AT MY EXPENSE. STILL THE FRONT END FELT LOOSE. AT 76,000 MILES F/L WHEEL ASSEMBLE BREAKS OFF THE TRUCK WHILE DRIVING OVER A SMALL SPEED BUMP AT LESS THEN 10 MPH DAMAGING FENDER AND DOOR. A TOYOTA DEALER FIXED THE TRUCK. THE FRONT END STILL FEELS LOOSE AND THE DEALER WILL NOT CHECK OR WORK ON THE TRUCK BECAUSE I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BUREAU OF AUTO REPAIR. MY COMPLAINT WAS THE DEALER DID NOT RETURN TO ME THE REPALCED PARTS WHICH I REQUESTED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER TOLD ME HE DID NOT HAVE TO GIVE MT THE DAMAGED PARTS AND THAT NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS FRIENDS WITH THE LOCAL CONSUMER REP. I WAS CONTACTED BY A CONSUMER REP AND HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING AND THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO BUT PUT A NOTE IN THE DEALERS FILE. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY OFFICIAL REPORT SINCE FILING MY COMPLAINT. MY TRUCK IS UNSAFE AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT.
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
A BROKEN WELD WHICH MANUFACTURER INSTALLED ON TOW HITCH WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 55 MPH. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL WHICH LED TO A VEHICLE CRASH. DRIVER/PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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