The dealership and Toyota Engagement Center refused to service the 2 recalls that was critical for the truck since October 2025. It was supposed to be including frame replacement and other parts but Toyota Engagement decided to active buy back option and took advantage of low offer to solve the matter which I don't accept.
2002 Toyota Tundra suspension problems
81 complaints (17% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 106,000. 12 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 81
- of this car's complaints
- 17%
- typical mileage
- 106,000
- crashes
- 12
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Front: control arm: lower ball joint32
- Front11
- Front: control arm: upper ball joint6
- Rear3
- Front: stabilizer bar1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Toyota Tundra suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Toyota Tundra suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- The lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing loss of steering control and a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 05V225000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Ball joint separation
Odi received 3 consumer reports of alleged ball joint separation on my 2002 tundra vehicles.the complaints allege that a front suspension ball joint separated while driving, which caused the suspension to collapse and resulted in a loss of vehicle control.based on these complaints, odi opened pe02-040 and later upgraded to ea04-024 for my 2002 tundra vehicles.during ea04-024, additional failure data was identified as noted in the failure report summary above. On may 16, 2005, toyota notified the federal safety agency of a safety defect on my 2002-2004 tundra and sequoia vehicles (produced between august 1, 2001 and september 30, 2003), my 2001-2004 tacoma vehicles (produced between july 31, 2001 and december 23, 2003), and my 2001-2002 4runner vehicles (produced between may 22, 2001 and august 23, 2002).the notification stated that due to a manufacturing issue with the front suspension lower ball joints (which connect the lower control arms to the steering knuckles of the front wheels) there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint may have been scratched.such scratches may result in significantly accelerated wear of the joint. According to toyota, if the [subject] vehicle is operated for an extended period of time in this condition, the ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort, reduced vehicle self-centering, and noise in the front suspension.in extreme cases, when the driver continues to operate the vehicle in this condition, the lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing a loss of vehicle steering control. Toyota will instruct owners to return their vehicles to any toyota dealer for replacement of the front suspension lower ball joints.odi will monitor the effectiveness of the remedy and take further action if warranted.
EA04024
Front suspension ball joint breakage
Odi opened pe04-040 based on three consumer reports of alleged ball joint failure.the complaints allege that a front suspension ball joint separated while driving, which caused the suspension to collapse and resulted in a loss of vehicle control.all of these complaints involved the failure of a lower ball joint.during the investigation, toyota identified a total of 15 complaints of lower ball joint separation, one of which resulted in a crash, and 28 warranty claims related to lower ball joint wear.odi's analysis showed that of the 15 separations, 11 were on four-wheel drive vehicles (24.2 per 100,000 vehicles), which make up approximately 40% of the 2002 my population (45,448 vehicles).odi's analysis also showed that some drivers lost front braking ability as the brake line severed when the front suspension collapsed.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further investigate this issue, to assess the safety-related consequences, and to determine the scope of the affected population.
PE04040
What 2002 Toyota Tundra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Was told about the recall awhile ago and they said that my frame was ok. But now I have a perfectly good truck in good condition other than a rusted frame. Had some work done and mechanic said it is unsafe to drive due to rusted frame. They know of the defect and only replace a few and it looks like others are dealing with what I am.
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to vibrate, prompting the contact to maintain low speeds. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the front passenger wheels had a negative toe. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the lower ball joint had separated from the knuckle. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to the federal safety agency Campaign Number:Â 05V225000 (Suspension), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 249,000.
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that he previously received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 09V444000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and repaired under the recall. Recently, the contact was informed by an independent mechanic that cracks had formed on the rear suspension due to severe corrosion. The contact then took the vehicle to another dealer, Kelly Toyota of Hamburg (1 Industrial Dr, Hamburg, PA 19526), and was informed that the recall was a one-time free repair and the dealer offered no additional assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that the recall was too old. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 81,324.
The frame on the truck is rusted out with holes through it and the metal is rusted out along the entire frame. The truck vibrates when driving and when inspected by the dealer, Kari Toyota, they advised it is unsafe to drive as the frame could break entirely and cause an accident. Report is attached. Toyota was contacted on several occasions by Kari Toyota and myself in May and June of 2021. I had the vehicle in for repair of the frame rust issue on June 15, 2012 but clearly the work was not done properly as the rust issue continued until the vehicle is now undriveable. The vehicle has only 106,681 miles which is low for a typical Toyota vehicle. Toyota refuses to repair the vehicle even though I had followed up on my end by bringing it in for the recall repair. I requested a letter from Toyota explaining why they won't cover the repairs and they refused to send one.
First the gas tank let loose and fell half way off. Result was a new gas tank installed. then part of the frame rusted from the cab. This resulted in having to have it welded. Have had several service repair lights come on that resulted in more fixes. Today just about does it. The spare tire fell to the road because rust ate through what was holding it up. I have all the papers that show the repairs and what it has cost me. I have not done anything yet about spare tire. I have had the truck since 2013 and it has less then 94k miles on it. It had 35 when I bought it and I knew nothing about the rust problem recall. I certainly believe I should have a new frame or some kind of compensation. Over the years I have talked to several dealers that got me no where. I guess this is my last shot.
on June 9th at about 2pm while driving through my neighborhood, my upper an lower ball joints on my 2002 Toyota Tundra separated from my vehicle causing a catastrophic loss of control of truck and tore my hub with tire from vehicle ripping the brake fuel line and shoving entire components up under my Tundra while losing control with no brakes or steering capability. It also destroyed the drivers side front tire. Needless to say if I was say...going 55 to 60 miles per hour on highway...I would not be writing this. Had truck towed to Checkered Flag Toyota and they quoted me a price of over1300$ in repairs... they are fighting me on fixing my truck damages even though said damages were caused by the ball joint recall on the 2002 tundra...recall I D#05v
I had my lower ball joint separate from the knuckle. Luckily I was in a parking lot. I see that there was a recall on the lower ball joint for 02 tundra. So I do I go about getting a refund for what I had to spend.
I purchased this truck used in 2015 and was unaware of any recalls due to frame rust. I have replaced tailpipe, muffler, many brake components due to rust problems. The frame now rusted more and I am being told that it may be unsafe to drive. A mechanic told me about this frame rust recall and I took it to fred anderson toyota in raleigh,nc. The found that all recall items had been completed by the dealer in boone,nc. I find this hard to believe since the rusting issue is much more severe. I just want a fair evaluation of what can or should be done. Fred anderson toyota in raleigh did have the truck but not sure how far they took the investigation of rust.
Toyota has a recall on the truck frame that they won't do anything about. This truck has only 70000 miles on it. We took it to the dealership and they told us to call toyota. We contacted toyota and opened a claim and they told us there not doing anything at this time for that recall. The whole frame is rotten and is not safe to drive. We've done all the recalls they had for the frame and it still rotted out. Not sure how I can get this resolved with toyota. The frame snapped on the front driver side. The frame snapped while driving around town.
Questions about the 2002 Toyota Tundra suspension
Does the 2002 Toyota Tundra have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 81 complaints about the suspension of the 2002 Toyota Tundra, 17% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Tundra suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 106,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Toyota Tundra suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 05V225000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Toyota Tundra have bad suspension?
The Toyota Tundra model years with the most suspension complaints are 2004 (152 complaints), 2000 (100 complaints) and 2006 (91 complaints).
Other 2002 Toyota Tundra problems
Body 154Brakes 117Transmission 51Steering 38Fuel system 22Airbags 21Acceleration 14Tires 13Engine 11Wheels 11Electrical 9Lights 8Seat belts 7Visibility 4Locks 3Driver assistance 1Seats 1
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