2003 Toyota Tundra Problems

Above Average Complaints

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota Tundra. Part of Generation 1 — 2000–2006.

20022004
Complaints
521
Crashes
40
Fires
3
Injuries
17
Fatalities
Recalls
5

Worst 2003 Toyota Tundra Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#189 complaints

STRUCTURE:BODY

Avg mileage:146,595 mi
Crash-related:3
#282 complaints

AIR BAGS

Avg mileage:143,124 mi
Crash-related:8
#350 complaints

SUSPENSION

Avg mileage:119,156 mi
Crash-related:2
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Toyota Tundra.

ComponentComplaintsCrashesFiresAvg MileageVolume
STRUCTURE:BODY893146,595 mi
AIR BAGS828143,124 mi
SUSPENSION502119,156 mi
UNKNOWN OR OTHER321138,160 mi
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS25194,295 mi
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS22123,186 mi
POWER TRAIN21104,110 mi
SERVICE BRAKES18386,273 mi
STEERING181123,913 mi
STRUCTURE1399,014 mi
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL11753,219 mi
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1079,196 mi
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC10259,637 mi
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT9350,167 mi
SEAT BELTS8166,302 mi
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR7118,742 mi
WHEELS71147,360 mi
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM6100,246 mi
TIRES6166,402 mi
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP532,249 mi
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM465,250 mi
ENGINE4114,687 mi
EXTERIOR LIGHTING4191,475 mi
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE470,000 mi
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT4102,000 mi
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL2182,000 mi
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL22,206 mi
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION21,800 mi
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT2139,713 mi
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)2189 mi

Recalls for 2003 Toyota Tundra

5 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~5,067,956 vehicles.

19V741000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~928,220 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

19V741000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~928,220 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

18V883000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~168,993 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation.

15V285000AIR BAGS
~1,973,468 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004. On June 16, 2015, Toyota expanded the recall to include an additional 1,270,468 vehicles, including model year 2002-2003 and 2005-2007 Sequoia, 2005-2006 Tundra, 2003-2007 Corolla, 2003-2007 Corolla Matrix, 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe and 2002-2007 Lexus SC vehicles. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.

15V286000AIR BAGS
~1,069,055 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. On June 16, 2015 Toyota expanded the recall to cover an additional 769,055 vehicles, including certain model year 2002-2004 Lexus SC, Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix, Toyota Corolla, Pontiac Vibe, and Toyota Tundra vehicles, as well the vehicles covered by the May 13, 2015 notification in the portions of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas that were not previously included. The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.

Other Toyota Tundra Years

Wider context: See the full Toyota Tundra reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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