NHTSA Complaint #10177000 — 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2006, WHILE DRIVING I EXPERIENCED A SWIFT PULL TO THE DRIVER'S LEFT, CORRECTED IT THEN SECONDS, LATER THE VEHICLE GAVE A VIOLENT JERK, ACCOMPANIED BY A HORRIFIC SOUND OF STEEL SCRAPING WITH THE SMELL OF BURNING METAL. THE VEHICLE VEERED TOWARD TRAFFIC IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SO I FOUGHT TO HOLD THE STIRRING FROM TURNING IN TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR ROLLING OFF THE ROAD DOWN THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. MY CHILDREN SCREAM AND CRIED HYSTERICALLY AS THEY WATCHED AND EXPERIENCE OUR VEHICLE VIOLENTLY THRASHED ABOUT. SMOKED AND SPARKS BELLOWED UP ALONG THE PASSENGER AND FRONT SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. I GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OFF THE ROAD, OUT OF TRAFFIC INCHES FROM A 20' (TWENTY-FOOT) DROP OFF. THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST ON THE WHEEL WHICH HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE DRIVER (ME) TO LOOSE STEERING CONTROL THEREFORE ENDING IN THE MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF AS WELL AS A NEAR TRAFFIC COLLISION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA OF EL CAJON. THEY CALLED AND SAID THE VEHICLE HAS APPROX $3900 IN DAMAGES. HE SAID THE ARM BROKE AND THE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. HE ASSURED ME HE HAD EVEN LOOK FOR RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND THERE WERE NONE. HE EXPLAINED THE VEHICLE HAD 109,000 (ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND) MILES AND THIS WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. I TOLD HIM I NOT AGREE BECAUSE I ONCE OWNED A RAV 4 WITH 364,000 (THREE-HUNDRED-SIXTY-FOUR-THOUSAND) MILES AND NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH. THE SEQUOIA WAS PURCHASED NEW MAY OF 2004, IRREGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF MILES THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. IT WAS THE FRIDAY OF A HOLIDAY WEEKEND I WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK TO THE DEALERSHIP'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. I DID HOWEVER REQUEST WHAT ACTION I COULD TAKE AND THE TELEPHONE NUMBER TO TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE. *NM