2011 Toyota Tundra

MY 2011 TOYOTA TUNDRA HAS EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE INTERNAL CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM FROM DAY 1 OF PURCHASE. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH TOYOTA AND HAVE HAD IN FOR SERVICE AT LEAST 5 TIMES. THE RECIRCULATION BUTTON (WHICH IS ELECTRONIC, NOT MANUAL) WILL AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH OFF WHILE DRIVING EVERY THREE (3) MINUTES AND ALLOW OUTSIDE AIR TO FLOW IN. WHILE QUITE ANNOYING AT TIMES, IT IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN I VISIT MY CABIN IN JULIAN CALIFORNIA IN THE WINTER, AND THE SWITCH TO OUTSIDE AIR BLOWS IN THE OUTSIDE 20 DEGREE F WEATHER, WHILE DRIVING 20 MILES DOWN A VERY DARK (NO LIGHTING) AND VERY CURVING ROAD POPULATED BY MANY DEER. MY ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON THE CENTER CLIMATE CENTER, AND NOT THE ROAD AHEAD. TOYOTA HAS GIVEN ME MANY EXPLANATIONS, SEVERAL WHICH WERE INCORRECT, AND NOW THEY JUST CONCEDE THAT IT'S WORKING EXACTLY AS DESIGNED. THEIR REHEARSED ANSWER IS THAT ALL CARS SHOULD ONLY BE DRIVEN WITH THE OUTSIDE AIR COMING IN TO AVOID RECIRCULATED MOISTURE DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR. THIS DOES NOT WORK IN FREEZING WEATHER! I'VE BEEN ON THE WEB TO THE TUNDRA FORUM, AND OTHERS VOICE THE SAME COMPLAINT. AN AIR RECIRCULATION CONTROL WHICH WILL NOT STAY ENGAGED AND ALLOWS IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER, DIESEL FUMES, ETC. IS A SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS SHOWN ME THE OPTIONS WITHIN THE COMPUTER, AND THERE ARE APPARENTLY NO OPTIONS TO OVERRIDE THIS ISSUE. ANY HELP OR ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE TUNDRA IS KEPT IN OUR GARAGE AND IS DRIVEN ONE OR TWO TIMES A WEEK. ON CHRISTMAS DAY 2014, WHEN I DROVE THE TUNDRA, I NOTICED A NUMBER OF UNUSUAL LIGHTS FLASHING ON THE DASH, INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. WHEN I EXAMINED THE ENGINE, I FOUND A RATS NEST ON TOP, AND I SUSPECTED A RODENT HAD DAMAGED THE WIRES. I TOOK THE TUNDRA TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, AND THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES OF MY TUNDRA CONTAINS SOY WHICH IS ATTRACTIVE TO RODENTS. IT TURNS OUT THAT 7 WIRES NEEDED TO BE OVERLAID AT A COST OF $760. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PUTTING SOY IN THE INSULATION AROUND ELECTRICAL WIRES IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT COULD LEAD TO RODENT-CAUSED DAMAGE THAT COULD LEAD TO SAFETY PROBLEMS. I DID SOME GOOGLE RESEARCH, AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS FLAW HAS BEEN KNOWN SINCE AT LEAST 2011, AND WAS DESCRIBED IN AN ARTICLE IN MOTOR AGE MAGAZINE. I DO NOT KNOW IF RODENT-DAMAGED WIRES HAVE CAUSE ANY AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS, BUT THEY ARE CAUSING AMERICAN CONSUMERS A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. FOR EXAMPLE, I READ THE TESTIMONY OF A 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER OWNER WHO HAD RODENT-CAUSED DAMAGE THAT REQUIRED $6,400 IN REPAIRS.

?ON 12/26/2014, I STARTED MY TUNDRA, PLACED IT INTO GEAR AFTER A 30 SECOND PAUSE AND PROCEEDED TO LITERALLY STAND ON MY BREAKS TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM LURCHING FORWARD. THE BACK TIRES SPUN CAUSING SMOKE TO EMANATE FROM THE SCREECHING TIRES. AT THE TIME I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN GEAR, A PEDESTRIAN WAS WALKING IN FRONT OF THE TUNDRA. I ALMOST SQUASHED THEM.? *JS

ON SUN. 10/11/14, I DROVE OUR TUNDRA ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT LOST POWER. THE ENGINE RACED AND RPMS INCREASED, BUT THE SPEED FELL AND NO ACCELERATION WAS POSSIBLE. ON A HILL, SPEED FELL TO ABOUT 15 MPH. I WAS ON MY WAY TO PICK UP MY HORSE AND TRAILER; IF I HAD BEEN TOWING THEM, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE HIGHWAY SPEED TRAFFIC. IT WAS STILL DANGEROUS EVEN WITHOUT THE TRAILER. I TURNED ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND LIMPED OFF. "CHECK ENGINE" LIT UP. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, WHO SAID CHECK ENGINE CODE WAS "P2445" FOR "SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM WATER INTRUSION" REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE AIR PUMP ASSEMBLY, AIR PUMP INLET, EMISSION VALVE SET, ETC. FOR $2600 BECAUSE WATER INVADED THE SYSTEM. THE SERVICE TECH SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT MY INTERNET SEARCH SHOWED THAT TOYOTA ISSUED A 12-PAGE 2011 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, STATING THAT "THE AIR PUMP ASSEMBLY INLET HAS BEEN UPDATED TO PREVENT WATER INTRUSION." TOYOTA HAS NEITHER RECALLED THE DEFECTIVE INLETS NOR NOTIFIED OWNERS. THE TSB SAYS ONLY TRUCKS UNDER THE 36,000/ 3 YEAR WARRANTY ARE COVERED. TUNDRAS ARE TOW VEHICLES AND IT IS FORESEEABLE HOW UNSAFE THIS IS. BECAUSE MY TRUCK WAS SOLD JUST OVER 3 YEARS AGO, THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AT FIRST COULD NOT COVER IT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS, WHO REFERRED ME BACK TO THE LOCAL SERVICE MANAGER, WHO THEN REACHED SOUTHEAST REGIONAL TOYOTA OFFICE, WHICH FINALLY AGREED TO COVER THE REPAIR. WHEN THIS AIR PUMP INLET FAILS, IT ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THE AIR INJECTION SYSTEM AND THE SYSTEM TO THEN FAIL IN THE DANGEROUS WAY THAT OCCURRED IN MY CASE, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO OTHERS AND THAT THE DEALERS SEEM UNAWARE OF THIS TSB AND THIS "KNOWN ISSUE." TSB LINK IS HERE: HTTP://WWW.AUTOSAFETY.ORG/SITES/DEFAULT/FILES/IMCE_STAFF_UPLOADS/T-SB-0160-11.PDF. *TR

DRIVING AND NOTICED A STRANGE SOUND COMING FROM MY TRUCK. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION AND WAS TOLD THAT MY LEAF SPRING WAS CRACKED. IT ACTUALLY WAS 2 SPRINGS THAT WERE CRACKED. THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY CAR AT THIS TIME, BUT I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS WHO SAY THIS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL TO HAPPEN AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE COVERING THIS. OF COURSE, WHEN I WENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, THEY WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE CHARGE WITHOUT CHARGING OVER A $100 FEE SINCE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I AM LOOKING FOR SOME HELP INTO HOPING HAVING THIS COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER DUE TO A FACTORY PROBLEM AND NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 25 MPH AND DID NOT REGAIN ACCELERATION. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE SECONDARY AIR PUMP SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 9/4/14*CN

ON THEIR 5.7 LITER ENGINE KNOCKS WHEN YOU FIRST TAKE OFF. SOUNDS LIKE EXCESSIVE PISTON SLAP FROM THE MOTOR BEING BORED OUT TO BIG DURING PRODUCTION. I HAVE CONTACTED A TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA THEMSELVES AND WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. WITH THIS EXCESSIVE CLEARANCE IT WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO HAVE A SHORTENED LIFE. THE WAY TO FIX IT IS TO REBUILD IT OR REPLACE THE MOTOR. *JS

BOUGHT A CERTIFIED TOYOTA TUNDRA EQUIPPED WITH BF GOODRICH ALL TERRAIN T/A-BAJA CHAMPION TIRES--LT285/55R20-3PLY-RADIAL-HAD TO REPLACE A TIRE DUE TO A CRACK ON THE TREAD WHICH WAS CAUSING VIBRATION-UPON INSPECTION OF OTHER TIRES WE NOTICED CRACKS ON THE TIRES--VERY CONCERNED WITH OUR SAFETY-WE HAVE 1800 MILES ON THE TRUCK WHICH WE HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT 8000 MILES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT WITH 10000 MILES WE DON'T ABUSE OUR TRUCK --WE ARE VERY CAREFUL AS WE ARE SENIOR DRIVERS- ARE WE AT RISK OF TIRE FAILURE RISKING OUR LIVES? *JB