NHTSA Complaint #10163824 — 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

CAR HAD HAD ALL APPLICABLE SERVICES AND MAINTENANCE. OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO HIGH MILEAGE. NO PROBLEMS PRIOR. NOTICED NOISE IN FRONT SUSPENSION OF CAR. WHILE DRIVING IN CENTER LANE OF FREEWAY ON THE WAY TO THE MECHANIC, BALL JOINTS FAILED AND DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL BUCKLED UNDER THE CAR. MIRACULOUSLY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET CAR OFF OF FREEWAY WITH NO INJURY OR DAMAGE. UNDERSTAND THERE IS AN OUTSTANDING RECALL OF 775,000 VEHICLES INCLUDING SEQUOIA'S OF OUR YEAR FOR THIS PROBLEM. WE CALLED TOYOTA WHO REFUSED TO PAY FOR OUR REPAIRS TWICE BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER OF OUR VEHICLE. WE APPEALED THROUGH OUR DEALER AND WERE REFUSED AGAIN BY TOYOTA. TODAY, OUR MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT HE HAD TWO MORE SEQUOIAS WITH FRONT NOISE THAT HE REFERRED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS. BOTH CARS HAD THE UNIVERSAL JOINTS REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIPS FREE. MEANWHILE, WE HAD TO PAY MORE THAN $2,000 FOR REPAIRS AND HAVE RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM TOYOTA. IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED FOR 775,000 OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDING OUR MAKE AND MODEL, SURELY OUR PROBLEM SHOULD BE INCLUDED. *JB