NHTSA Complaint #10125505 — 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

VEHICLE: 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5 2WD. FRONT SUSPENSION PROBLEM. SINCE OBTAINING THE VEHICLE IN APRIL 2001 I NOTICED A PROBLEM IN THE STABILITY OF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (I-10 TOYOTA IN INDIO) ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL (O5V225000) I ANTICIPATED THAT THIS WAS THE TROUBLE THAT I HAD ALL ALONG WITH THE SEQUOIA. WHEN I LOOKED INTO THE RECALL IT TURNED OUT THAT IT REFERRED TO 2002 TO 2004 VEHICLES ONLY. COMMON SENSE TELLS ME THAT IF THE TROUBLE EXISTED ON SUBSEQUENT MODELS AFTER ITS INCEPTION TO THE MARKET, IT IS ONLY OBVIOUS THAT 2001 MODELS ARE TO BE INCLUDED. I UNDERSTAND THAT RECALL LETTERS WILL BE ISSUED STARTING IN JULY 2005. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I AM AWARE THAT 2001 MODELS WILL NOT BE INCLUDED AND I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT 2001 YEAR MODELS ARE ALSO RECALLED. THE INSTABILITY WITH THE FRONT END CONTINUES. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED 3 TIMES TO DIFFERENT TYPES AND THE INSTABILITY CONTINUES. PLEASE VERIFY WITH YOUR INTERNAL ENGINEERS IF THE BALL JOINTS UTILIZED ON 2001 MODELS WERE ANY DIFFERENT THAN LATTER MODELS. YOU WILL FIND THAT THE SAME MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN USED UNTIL NOW THAT THIS ISSUE IS BEING ADDRESSED BY YOUR OFFICE. YOUR ATTENTION AND SUBSEQUENT POSITIVE INCLUSION OF MY PETITION IS APPRECIATED. HECTOR CASAS