The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the vehicle. The contact then saw sparks coming from the rear driver’s side of the vehicle, and the driver’s side rear wheel was turned sideways. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder and was later towed back to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the ball joint, control arms, front suspension, and several other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The independent mechanic made the contact aware of an unknown the federal safety agency Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
2004 Toyota Tundra suspension problems
152 complaints (33% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 90,704. 6 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 152
- of this car's complaints
- 33%
- typical mileage
- 90,704
- crashes
- 6
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Front: control arm: lower ball joint46
- Front8
- Front: control arm: upper ball joint3
- Front: wheel bearing2
- Rear1
- Front: stabilizer bar1
- Front: control arm1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Toyota Tundra suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 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 trucks and mini vans, due to possible improper finishing of the front suspension lower ball joint, some ball joints may experience an incidental deterioration of the internal lubrication. This may cause the ball joint to wear and loosen prematurely, which could result in increased steering effort, reduced vehicle self-centering, and noise in the front suspension.
- Risk
- In extreme cases, if the vehicle is continuously operated in this condition, the lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle and could cause a loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints. The recall began on february 28, 2007. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 07V013000 · Recall details
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
Lower ball joint failure
In a letter dated january 18, 2007, toyota notified the federal safety agency of a safety defect in model year (my) 2004 through 2006 toyota tundra and my 2004 through 2007 toyota sequoia vehicles produced between september 15, 2003 and november 17, 2006 (the federal safety agency recall no. 07v‑013). According to toyota, ?in the front suspension lower ball joint on the subject vehicles, due to possible improper finishing of the ball joint, such as the aspect of the ball stud surface, some ball joints may experience an incidental deterioration of the internal lubrication. This may cause the ball joint to wear and loosen prematurely, which could result in increased steering effort, reduced vehicle self-centering, and noise in the front suspension. In extreme cases, if the vehicle is continuously operated in this condition, the lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle and could cause loss of vehicle control.?toyota will instruct owners to return their vehicles to any toyota dealer for replacement of the front suspension lower ball joints. This engineering analysis has been closed, as toyota is recalling the affected vehicles.odi will monitor the effectiveness of the remedy and take further action if warranted.
EA06014
Lower ball joint separation
The office of defects investigations (odi) opened rq06-005 based on four 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 tension-type ball joint. During the investigation there were 39 (36.7 per 100,000 vehicles) complaints and 74 (69.6 per 100,000 vehicles) warranty claims for the 2004 model year (my) toyota tundra. Further analysis showed that the average failure mileage was 54,025 miles, and that of the 109 unique ball joint separation incidents, 64 (133 per 100,000 vehicles) were on four-wheel drive vehicles, which make up approximately 45% of the 2004 my population (106,346 vehicles). The remaining 55% are two-wheel drive vehicles which experienced a total of 45 (77 per 100,000 vehicles) ball joint separations. Also, throughout the investigation there surfaced additional failures which have prompted odi to upgrade this investigation to an engineering analysis and widen the scope of the affected population to include 2004-2005 my.this recall query has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea06-014) to further investigate this issue to assess the safety-related consequences, and to determine the scope of the affected population.
RQ06005
What 2004 Toyota Tundra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
This truck has a frame that is rusting out. It has rust holes and is now unsafe to drive.
The warranty work done on the frame of my Tundra that has since failed. The Bracket holding my SwayBar has broken off the frame and, more importantly, the frame has rusted to the point where there is now a hole in it. These are areas where the warranty work occurred.
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the front driver's side lower ball joint detached, causing the driver's side wheel to separate from the vehicle, and the vehicle lowered to the ground. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where it was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The mechanic determined that the front driver's side lower ball joint needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the front driver's side and passenger's side lower ball joints. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired by an unknown dealer for the same failure. The contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger's side ball joints failed several times while driving and were replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, the driver's side ball joint failed, which damaged the running board, the brakes, the driver's side door, the tie rod, the coil springs, the lower control arm, and the lower and upper ball joints. The vehicle skidded to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 05V225000 (Suspension), 07V013000 (Suspension) and 22E002000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Severe rust to the frame of my 2004 Toyota Tundra SR5 double cab. There are holes through the frame. Took it for an oil change and the mechanic told me to be careful. Crawled under the truck and couldn't believe how bad it was.
Informed by Al Serra at 4200 Bay Rd in Saginaw, MI 48603 that there are holes present in the frame that pose a dire safety concern. This is a known issue with this model year, but Toyota says the recall is no longer valid.
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was pulling to the right. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a wheel alignment, but the failure persisted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Purchased new Toyota Tundra in 2004. Performed rust recall at dealer on 07/22/15. October 2016, brakes failed. Brake line completely rusted. July 26, 2021, Toyota Tundra rejected at state inspection for badly rusted frame. Inspectors were unable to get wheel off to inspect brakes because of rust damage. Took to Toyota dealer on March 9, 2022. They performed airbag recall. Unable to do front suspension lower ball joints recall. Dealer said frame could break when they put it on lift. Dealer said Timeframe to repair frame had expired. Estimate to fix frame over $15,000; Plus would need a lot more parts to go with replacement. Vehicle has approximately 68,500 miles on it.
My 2004 Tundra has a rusted frame and is presently not drivable. No recall notice was send to me by Toyota, nor were any subsequent calls or mail sent. I have 75k on this truck and want Toyota to honor their safety recall
The frame on my truck is rusted into ,unsafe for road use, Toyota refuses to repair or replace the frame. It was reported in 2017 under a recall,
Questions about the 2004 Toyota Tundra suspension
Does the 2004 Toyota Tundra have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 152 complaints about the suspension of the 2004 Toyota Tundra, 33% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Tundra suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 90,704 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Toyota Tundra suspension?
Yes, 2 recalls: 07V013000, 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 2004 Toyota Tundra problems
Body 200Airbags 50Transmission 46Brakes 36Steering 26Electrical 13Acceleration 11Engine 11Tires 9Fuel system 8Visibility 8Wheels 8Seat belts 5Driver assistance 3Lights 1Locks 1Seats 1
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