NHTSA Complaint #10174197 — 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SHIFT LEVER DISINTEGRATED OFF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THEY WOULD NEED TO REPLACE A BRACKET TO FIX THE SHIFT LEVER. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL AT THE DEALER AWAITING THE REPAIR WORK. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SHIFTER SHATTERED WITHOUT WARNING AND WAS UNABLE TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN GEAR. UPDATED 12/18/06. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR BEGAN IN SUMMER OF 2005. HE STARTED THE VEHICLE STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENED. HE THEN DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK LUNGED FORWARD. ONLY BY CAREFULLY PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL UP AND DOWN WAS HE ABLE TO ATTAIN APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE SEARCHED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF OTHERS HAD EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. WITHIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, HE FOUND SOMEONE ELSE WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WAS CAUSED BY A LOOSE CONNECTION WHERE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR WIRE CONNECTS TO ITS FEMALE CONNECTOR. WHICH WAS LOCATED ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER LOOKED AT THE CONNECTOR AND IT SEEMED CONNECTED. HE PUSHED THE CONNECTOR DOWN HARD AND TO HIS ASTONISHMENT IT CLICKED INTO PLACE. WHICH SOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM PRESENTED ITSELF AGAIN. ONCE HE ARRIVED HOME, HE CLICKED THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SECURELY IN PLACE. HE USED SOME COPPER ELECTRICAL WIRE AND WIRED THE CONNECTOR FIRMLY IN PLACE. THE CONSUMER STATED HIS BEST GUESS TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE CONNECTOR: WAS THE DESIGN OF THE PLASTIC WAS FAULTY. THE PLASTIC TAB WASN'T LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD IT SECURELY IN THE SOCKET AND OVER TIME, ROAD VIBRATION CAUSED IT TO COME LOOSE. ALSO, THE STARTER FAILED. UPDATED 03/08/10