NHTSA Defect Investigation #EA04024

BALL JOINT SEPARATION: Suspension:Front:Control Arm**

RECALL »

Recall #05V225000

** This defect investigation is filed under 4 related vehicle components.
2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA -- 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 NHTSA 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. Investigation was initiated on August 20 2004. Closed on July 08 2005. For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #EA04024 »

NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE04040

FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINT BREAKAGE: Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint**

CLOSED

no recall issued

** This defect investigation is filed under 2 related vehicle components.
2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA -- 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. Investigation was initiated on April 13 2004. Closed on August 20 2004. For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE04040 »