This Part Will Cause Catastrophic Failure. Replace Now!

Extremely dangerous. If any play detected, replace ASAP on both sides. Better be safe than sorry. Very common and known issue.

[@Engineersoldinterstingstuff]

This man is like the anti"Scotty" mechanic. Calm and sensible, much more pleasant to listen to.

[@glennmerlini2895]

zzzzzzzz

[@1jackvalley580]

No one that knows you Peter will ever question your honesty or your automotive authority. People Trust and Respect You Sir👍🙏

[@drumtwo4seven]

there's a sucker born every minute

[@stendecstretcher5678]

100% top bloke.

[@BugTheBugs7718]

100% agree

[@JM-dv1zq]

Nice to see you step up for your buddy Jack . Do you personally know Peter ?

[@thevauxhallman7157]

I agree with all you said about critical safety items. A few years ago I had a GM cavalier lower suspension arm shear at the front bush. It was a steel control arm. Cause by 2 things, rust and using road going polyurethane bushes. Luckily I was about to turn into my driveway (so low speed) but it could have been catastrophic on the road. The wheel was pushed back into the wheel arch and the drive shaft pulled from the transmission therefore losing the oil from this transmission, luckily all it needed was a new control arm and fresh oil in the transmission.

[@user-ps9zk3wf8b]

Hello sir I am John Chan the fisherman. 30 yr lawman experience on the streets. I have seen many Honda and Acura disabled on the street because of blown out ball joints. I haven't seen a Toyota in the same situation yet. That's why my wife and I own 5 toyt, 2.0 liter to 5.7 liter. Love them all. Enjoy the video, thanks

[@davidwelday3276]

I just took my kid's 02 Ford Explorer with 211K in for sway bar end links. I wasn't even thinking the whole front end was toast, but fortunately the mechanic inspected it and rebuilt everything but the struts, and we have to drive over 700 miles this week to move her. Grateful for good small town mechanics!

[@harryl7946]

A well done inspection reveals more than one could ever guess. Good and bad. When I was a service writer, I always tried to communicate the degree of importance of each required repair as ‘soon’, ‘tomorrow’ and ‘YESTERDAY’. Once the inspection has been recorded it becomes subject to all to see in the event of an investigation. And yes, criminal included. If you decide to NOT have something repaired/replaced that can lead to the cause of a ‘loss of control’, you are knowingly placing the general public at risk and therefore assume the responsibility of any and all actions as a result. ❤ Now have a nice day.

[@paulodisano502]

Great video on the suspension and steering mechanisms, Peter. Thank you my friend.🇨🇦🇺🇸👍

[@nightdipper5178]

I thought this was more of an issue on lifted trucks. Not a bad idea to check regardless. Previously, I put a pry bar under the wheel to check for play with the tire jacked off the ground a bit, I'm going to recheck with your method, it looks more precise.

[@walter.bellini]

Very good catch Peter on the ball joints. I would say that new front rotors are due since perhaps those are original (hopefully not). I would recommend also Peter replacing the sway bar bushing as they are cheap and since you have a lift easy to do. Motor mounts set should also be replaced as the vehicle has over 200K miles. Since the front end of this vehicle has been strained. Now that you have this new customer they can slowly work these repairs out with you. Thank you

[@Ts-zy4bw]

Recommend all you want. You’re not working on it or paying for it. Nonsense to throw parts everywhere.

[@efil4kizum]

@@Ts-zy4bw sometimes throwing new parts on everywhere is the only solution if no monkeytech can pinpoint the exact issue you are experiencing

[@einfelder8262]

I always thought ball joints were designed to be captive - it would take a very long time of massive clunking to wear away the ball enough to pull through the frame. Anyway, I would certainly replace the ones in this vehicle.

[@efil4kizum]

yeah... these ones designed by Toyota in this era have issues under certain conditions such as lifted vehicles they were not designed for apparently

[@cal48koho]

Peter you are getting better and better in your presentations. Thank you!!

[@johnmiksch3882]

Another great production,especially your lighting. Your integrity shines through in your precise delivery.

[@efil4kizum]

the voice leveling is lacking at times! i could hardly hear what he was saying in several sections

[@schadlarry]

I still have my 02 Taco and remember there was a recall on these early on. Got it replaced thinking, okay, good to go. Not really, just new with same design. What I've read just count on changing them out every 100K. Luckily an easy job for a DIYer, just buy OEM. I assume to test the UBJ is basically the same principle, get a crow bar and test for play.

[@realestatenow]

At 23 years most rubber suspension parts if not replaced before are prone to failure. In addition to all ball joints, It is a good idea to look through all of the suspension rubber parts too for cracks, etc

[@josef9001]

I knew it before I even clicked to watch. I unfortunately learned too late how important ball joints are. Luckily mine failed at only 20mph and I only slammed into a parked expedition so my truck was ok, however with no money I had to sell my truck. I am so grateful it didn't fail 10minutres sooner when I was on the freeway, I'd be dead...Yota owners especially tacos, seqoiuas, and 4runners need to know how prone these ball joints are to failure. Certainly wish I had. As always another great video.

[@efil4kizum]

i just wish that they were NOT so costly for the part! ... the MSRP on these OEM LBJs is around 189$ each currently

[@nj2mddude205]

@@efil4kizum The LBJ can be purchased from an online Toyota dealer for less.

[@Baebon6259]

​​@@efil4kizumso you dont want to spend $400 and want spend more than that when failure happens? Not to mention it could kill you at freeway speed.

[@efil4kizum]

@@nj2mddude205 yes, but... there is always a but!

[@efil4kizum]

@@Baebon6259 not every 100k miles!

[@chrisgreene9147]

The first Gen tundra groups are full of posts where the LBJ failed showing the wheel separated from the truck and crushed up into the wheel well. I keep putting off having mine replaced but really need to get it done as I’m at 200k miles. One note ONLY use OEM lower ball joints and use new bolts as many go with an aftermarket option to save money and have failures shortly after.

[@kathym6603]

Your English and your teaching ability is so excellent. 🥰♥ I once saw what seems like a ball-joint failure when the pick-up in the left-hand lane looked like he had a steering failure that froze the steering, forcing it to the right going about 55 mph. His truck swerved in front of me and went airborne over the railing onto a hill and he landed "softly" enough in the trees and brush. If it happened one second earlier he would have hit my car.... if it happened one second later he would have gone over the rail and dropped 25 feet down to a road that went under a bridge. I attested to the court that it looked like his wheel froze.

[@markpenco4677]

I hope you checked the condition of the frame. I had a 2005 that was a great vehicle until the frame rusted apart!! Had 251,000 miles and had to scrap it even though the drive train was in great shape! Body showed no sign of rust!

[@rharris7635]

Thank you! We are a 2 Tacoma and 1 Avalon family and will be checking this asap.

[@harryl7946]

I have a 2013 Tacoma in the drive and a 2015 Camry in the garage. They both need service now on fluids. 😊

[@Raj-nh3fc]

Thank you Peter. One of the best explanation of the anatomy and function of the upper and lower control arms and how the suspension, springs, dampers, steering are all connected together.

[@Fatboy53]

Thank you. Great reminder of checking stuff on oil changes when it’s up in the air. Great video.

[@agustincorrea3244]

Hi Peter I experienced this situation in Arizona several years ago. Was a white Toyota Sequoia and the right side front tire came off completely with brake and suspension it flip several times and was tragic too. The suv was well maintained.

[@FloridaSunMitochondria]

I always look forward to your videos! Learn so much and appreciate what you do!!

[@markreynolds3850]

Thanks for sharing Peter, have a wonderful day.

[@nj2mddude205]

I replaced the lower ball joints/control arms, springs and struts on my 03 Sequoia last summer at 300k miles. All were original parts except the lower ball joints, which Toyota replaced at 50k miles. I have new upper ball joints/control arms and will replace the originals soon. I've got other original parts that I want to replace before Toyota discontinues the sale of OE parts liked it did with the power steering pump and exhaust parts.

[@wop3351]

Thanks Peter. Always caring and looking out for others in your videos. 👍

[@mr.mr.3301]

Ball joints. Had one crap out on my 07 Turing around. Thank God we were not going down the road.

[@fieldsofomagh]

Great to spend some time together in auto school and become acquainted with the mechanical intricacies of the frontal Toyota suspension system. Prevention is always better than cure and a small bit of replacement surgery should see a vast improvement in driving experience.

[@capnpugwash5403]

Before you got under way I figured either the swivels, or the track rod end ball joints.

[@seapeddler]

Formula 1 cars have a redesigned cockpit bar for drivers head protection in the event of a tire or other debris contact. However, car makers haven't solved the problem of a stray car or semi tire hitting a car/truck/lifted truck's , etc. windshield. Of course, Americans should raise their suspensions 8 ft. and drive 300 mph faster. Must prove accomplishments above Lewis and Clark expedition. As a Canadian , I will now raise my vehicle to the height of the Eiffel Tower. At that height, no tires can smash my windshield.

[@Edwilene]

I just replaced both Lower control arms and lower ball joints on my 2000 Tundra. Did not know when it was last done so to be safe....

[@nightingaleofsorrow9349]

Never buy a Toyota with over 200,000 miles unless you have a good mechanic or can fix these suspension parts yourself. The motors and transmission last forever but, you have to spend the money to get these parts fixed. A lot of people don’t realize this. 👍

[@davidmon62]

Hi Peter!!! Excellent video and very helpful.......

[@allanmanley6340]

I saw a dashcam video on KZbin a couple of days ago that showed a van (truck) whose front left ball joint broke. The owner was lucky that he was travelling about 40KPH (about 30mph) and turning to his right.... I am sure the drive shaft also got ripped out.

[@jeffstone7650]

I am original owner of a 2004 Toyota Sequoia Limited and have experienced this failure. My Sequoia has 362.000 miles. Driving on interstate the driver's side front wheel came off while going 65 mph. Very scary. Lucky for me no one was around me. I slid the car to the shoulder and the body of the car was resting on the side ways wheel. Towed to dealership and repaired. Back on the road again.

[@kennethwoods9804]

Thank you very much for your videos ! You are the Best ! Helps me keep my 2004 Tundra going. ( It only has 120 K miles 😁) THANKS .

[@kurtbennett1164]

Peter, sure enough, not three weeks after watching the coolant pipe repair video you made, did my 2007 Tacoma 2.7 liters plastic pipe start leaking. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I got it swapped out with the metal variant. Thank you for the warning, albeit I thought , 'Surely that is for someone else to worry about!'. Hahaha.

[@lewlewis6511]

90 series Landcruiser/Prado had this issue, where the bottom ball joints are under constant spring pressure, i'm sure they redesigned this on the 120 series and later models so even if badly worn the suspension can't separate.

[@billsimpson604]

I don't think they still do it, but decades ago, the City of New Orleans used to jack up the cars and check for worn ball joints for the yearly vehicle inspection certificate. If you failed the inspection you had two weeks to get it repaired without incurring a financial penalty. I changed all 4 ball joints on my Expedition about 4 years ago. On an old Ford truck, you need to press the bottom joints out and in with a press. The top joints are made into the upper control arm, so you need to buy the entire arm. They are inexpensive.

[@Raj-nh3fc]

In Sweden, the yearly inspection that is authorised and mandated by the government is very detailed and they would have picked this fault up easily and failed this vehicle and forced the owner to repair and come back for re inspection. Don't know what the rules are in North America. I believe some states don't even mandate yearly inspection or how detailed they are if done at all, acording to my daughter who lives there.

[@samtx5518]

Dude, you need a heater in that garage..!

[@az3gunner]

I saw that catastrophic failure on a same generation Sequoia years ago. The lower ball joint failed and the front wheel was sticking out sideways. Luckily, the guy was in line picking up his kid from school and not driving at a high speed.

[@skeptick6513]

Have an older f150, i sometimes slack on maintenance, one day i was making a trip to the dump which is at the end of a long steep and narrow grade, pulled in to the place, backed up to the dropoff and snap, a lower ball joint that was totally corroded and shot snapped right off. First i was pissed, but then instantly realized i had avoided a very bad crash by seconds. That joint held on to the last moment, and needless to say the entire front end was rebuilt after that incident.

[@jayhockley8841]

I almost bought a 2005 Sequoia until I checked out the frame . A few holes had rusted right thru the frame in a couple of spots . I had an 04 4Runner with similiar Frame rust problem .

[@krassimirpetrov7131]

I have a 2001 limited 4x4 too. Just ordered lower ball joints and hardware for $225. Will do soon. OEM of course

[@walterrosales5356]

Peter! Son geniales todos tus videos y, lo mejor de todo, tu inglés es super entendible para nosotros, los latinos. Gracias!

[@troycummings5083]

Peter, you have an accent, where are from 😎? We Toyota owners appreciate your knowledge sharing. Thanks!

[@bubba4072]

Thanks, Peter! I always appreciate these informative videos. ...man, I wish you were in Georgia ...or within a few states of me😄

[@vvogt4252]

Another Fantastic Toyota Repair Video. Master Mechanic Pete.

[@paulskopic5844]

Excellent tutorial about an important safety aspect.

[@wangwang2003]

To check LBJ properly you need to lift up lower control arm to remove spring tension, it allow maximum 20 thousand movement, small movement doesn’t mean it is bad, I can see a little bit movement but not crazy, it need to be replaced but I don’t see imminent danger here, zoom camera to LBJ part for us to see that movement, I am not convinced on this one.

[@Dave-ei7kk]

I thought his use of the pry bar was lifting the lower control arm in relation to the knuckle. And in doing so there was a small bit of play. Did ai miss something?

[@BrockOBauma]

There's a recall on some of the early years of the tundra for this.

[@dougfairweather]

Yup... 2000 Prado (Australia)... LBJ let go.... Wheel collapsed and the driver behind said "It was an amazing trail of sparks!"... Rectification didn't cost to much, but...Must be done if play is there, Lucky we weren't out in the middle of no-where....

[@wesfields9322]

Will never peter only such a beauty. Of course I'll take your advice about this model.

[@markreynolds3850]

Thanks. Peter 👍👍😊

[@maddydog]

Sounds like you get a lot of rain there Peter

[@jthonn]

You are right. I will say that I've seen much worse. People don't realize how dangerous this is.

[@rexeverything1163]

I had the year of Tundra that had the recall around the front end parts. My wheel came off, upper and lower ball joints, axle snapped etc. It was bad. I was driving hwy 299 which is a very dangerous road

[@Healthliving1967]

Imagine how many Americans are driving around in cars that have bad ball joints among many other things ? Some of the vehicles I see in the channel “ just rolled in “ are so bad they should be at the wrecking yard and not on the roads. The fact that they are allowed to decline repairs and drive away in a potential death machine is just unbelievable.

[@marusholilac]

The ball joint collapsed on my son's Sequoia at 100k. The truck was totaled, and an innocent Honda was struck as well. Toyota had a voluntary recall for this error but they refused to help him since his Sequoia was one year outside their span of covered vehicles. No lawyer would take the case since nobody was badly hurt. After that I have had a very low opinion of the company.

[@matjenkins9025]

Hello Peter, I have a question for you, I have a 06 sequoia limited, trac, vsc light and engine like came on, so have changed, mass air flow, charcoal canister, new injectors, new O2 censors, purge valve, pcv, air filters, new gas cap, and still the lights are on, says it's bank 2, have you got any other ideas ? Thank you and your videos including the rant one are fabulous keep up the good work Peter

[@CO84trucker]

Sure glad I took care of my ball joints & control arms when when I installed lift kit on my Tacoma last fall!

[@GreenNoDeal]

Beautiful vehicles. Bring them back Toyota!

[@rayemanuel7460]

You aren't a drama queen, Peter. You are the Sauerkraut king.

[@xrisdavid785]

A little chilly in the shop, eh Peter ?? 🤣🤣

[@0dbm]

You are my modern day Buhda I am grasshopper Thank you

[@jimcharb4230]

Peter's vids are better than sausage and sauerkraut.

[@Dave-ei7kk]

I really miss the old days when the engineers were able to spec ball joints and tie rod ends that have grease zerk fittings. My old 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee has them and I lube them at every oil change. This doesn’t look so good for Toyota’s quality reputation? Yes, I know that Toyota isn’t alone in going with ball joints that can’t be lubricated. But that’s beside the point, isn’t it?

[@user-hd4vn4kf4n]

Thankyou. Very helpful

[@ExtremeRecluse]

My 1995 Toyota T-100 had complete frame rot. My lower control arms collapsed while I was driving 50PMH. Scary!!!

[@Freedomwarriors0]

I always thought he sounded like the Dentist/ Bounty Hunter from Django

[@narwhal7642]

Where are you? I’m in Nor Ca. Need mine done 2005 Tundra.. please

[@larrybailey1896]

Thank you

[@iroulis]

Dude, you should load the arm with a screw jack to check ball joint play.

[@rayc9960]

I immediately thought of lower ball joint. Mine went out on 1997 4runner and it's terrifying.

[@efil4kizum]

about what mileage did it go out at?

[@rayc9960]

@@efil4kizum 340k

[@efil4kizum]

@@rayc9960 i have about that mileage on my '97 Tacoma... were those the original LBJs on your T4R?

[@rayc9960]

@@efil4kizum Yes. I did the ball joint test like he showed using a long pry bar and it tested ok every year. I hit a small pot hole while slightly turning right and it went out completely. imo worth doing as preventative.

[@peterl2017]

Very poor design on these, glad they corrected it for the next gen Tundra. The only thing I somewhat disagree is on changing both sides, sometimes one goes bad and the other could go for years, same with wheel bearings, tie rod ends etc. As long as the vehichle is back for regular oil change and proper inspection it could be fine.

[@PirxthePilot]

Let's appreciate relatively rust free undercarriage of this 23 yo SUV.

[@peterl2017]

I really like your videos, no BS. 👍

[@gilbertpadilla4496]

Brother we need you in Texas.

[@LG-zd1um]

Why replace the lower ball joint on the passenger side when it's already been replaced but you're not replacing the upper ball joints that haven't been replaced?

[@bobwilson758]

Please continue your good work ! Nice video - thanks !

[@robertflorian5970]

I call this failure Ka-Chow , if you ever watched Cars movie you know :)

[@robineggb]

great video

[@janbastein7355]

Hey Peter , Let me guess, I’m sure you’re German with this accent?!👍👍👍🇩🇪

[@brucekrolikowski2882]

Another honest inspection, where are you located Peter ? Thank you

[@narwhal7642]

What city is your shop?

[@billwilson6096]

Thanks once again for good information.

[@jimcharb4230]

Peter have you watched AMD on "The Car Care Nut"? He is excellent on Toyota's too.

[@bluesdirt6555]

My 2011 Camry with the 2.5 engine has recently started burning oil ! A lot ! ?

[@sala.7149]

I like your work bro, Where is your shop located?

[@mikeb5664]

I had a 1997 4 Runner that had a LBJ failure. Thankfully it failed as I was entering a parking lot at a crawl, and not at highway speed. The wheel will fall off the vehicle.

[@robmezza6003]

Where are you located??

[@michaelpaterson8086]

Great video Peter, what about the outer tie rod ball joint Bro? Is it safe to drive until I can afford to get it replaced?

[@efil4kizum]

as long as the castle nut is torque tight and cotter keyed proper it likely is not an immediate todo... just keep an eye onit

[@Shawn-ky2tw]

Where is Peter's shop located?

[@efil4kizum]

somewhere in northern California i think

[@aaronbrown6266]

Will you be replacing the LBJ with OEM? If not, why?

[@VincentMeza]

This is so accurate. If you have a high mileage Sequoia change these out asap. I have this same model and year 2001. Right around 300k my mechanic said "Your should change this, but it may not be worth it." The way he said it, I wasn't too alarmed and I forgot about it. So I had car load of friends driving over the Bay Bridge and just got off on Friday evening. The Giants where playing. Basically gridlock. So i pull off the bridge, as normal, and right when I come to the stop light light I hear a loud CLUNK. Never heard anything like that before or since on this car. I ran around to the front and the tire looked like it was off, but under the car. Anyway it was 5pm, lots of traffic. I could not stay in that intersection, so I drove slowly, dragging the passenger tire under the car on block to the bottom of the hill and found a place to emergency park. Thankfully it didn't damage too much else. Still it was a 4k hit for both ball joints. The Sequoia has been running perfectly since. Luckily, I was already off the freeway. Otherwise with real speed this failure could be very dangerous. I'm at 320k miles now. Planning for 500k, then I'll reasses at that point to hit 1 mil. You have a new follower Peter. Thanks for sharing the good info. I found your used Tundra gas video. I had one of those when they first came out. I could only get 12 mpg, so I took it back within a year.

[@steelcrusher]

thank you. 👍👍

[@supersport2778]

Hi Peter. Can you email your city location or contact info as I would like to bring my '98 Camry to you for struts and inspection.Thank you!

[@supersport2778]

Can anyone tell me where Peter is located and how to get hold of him? I'm in the SF Bay area so I assume he's near by But for the life of me I can't find how to reach him or his shop.

[@ToyotaKTM]

Wasn't that a recall on the first gen Tacoma's?

[@richlikeg3722]

Can you replace just the bushing on those shocks? The shocks are not even leaking

[@efil4kizum]

yes, especially if they are Toyota shock absorbers, they sell replacement bushings

[@JerboFotius]

Before even clicking, I guessed this was gonna be Lower Ball Joint. Many 4runner owners know about this. Sone find out the hard way. I am no expert tho lol