NHTSA Complaint #10206424 — 2007 TOYOTA TUNDRA

1.MY TAILGATE LATCH SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING AS EXPECTED AND IS FLIMSY. 2. MY TAILGATE IS WEAK AND SMALL CRACKING AT SEAMS AT SIDE WHERE NOT WELDED, AND THIS IS WITH MY 215 LB. FRAME STEPPING ON IT TO GET IN BED. I WANTED TO PURCHASE BED EXTENDER TO CARRY LONGER OBJECTS AS I HAVE DONE IN MY TRADED IN F 150 BUT TAILGATE CANNOT HANDLE MY WEIGHT MUCH LESS OBJECT. I KNOW OTHERS THAT LOAD ATV'S AND MOTORCYCLES WITH COMPLETE SEAM FAILURE, SO I DON'T DARE PUT MORE WEIGHT ON GATE. GATE CAN COME OFF EASY AS I HAVE NOTED IN FRIENDS TUNDRA WHILE HAULING WITH TAILGATE DOWN. TOYOTA DEALER BLAMED HIM FOR DOING SOMETHING WE HAVE BEEN DOING WITH OUR WORK TRUCKS FOR OVER 10 YEARS. THE GATE PANEL TO ACCESS INTERNAL GATE COMPONENTS IS SO THIN THAT JUST BY PRESSING WITH HAND, I CAN BEND IT. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT A TAILGATE NEEDS TO BE MORE DURABLE IN ITS LATCHING DESIGN, WHICH MY CREWMAX IS NOT, AND DEFINITELY NOT COME APART AT SEAMS BY SOMEONE SITTING ON IT OR BEND AND FAIL. THERE IS A STANDARD IN WHICH I AS WELL AS OTHERS ARE USED TO IN TAILGATE STRENGTH AS I HAD ON 1999 F 150 WITHOUT ANY ISSUES AND WITH THREE GROWN MEN SITTING ON GATE WITH COMBINED WEIGHT OF OVER 650 LBS GATE WON'T BEND AND FRAME DIDN'T COME APART AT SEAMS. I HAVE A MOTORCYCLE THAT I NOW CANNOT USE EXTENDER TO HAUL DUE TO THIS POOR DESIGN. I AM A FIRST TIME TOYOTA OWNER AND I LIKE MY TRUCK OVERALL, BUT IT IS A TRUCK AND I EXPECTED TO USE IT AS SUCH. I LIKE MY TUNDRA VERY MUCH, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD CONCLUDE THAT THE TAILGATE IS OF POOR DESIGN, AND QUESTIONABLE STRENGTH FOR ?THE TRUCK THAT IS CHANGING IT ALL?. WE WILL SEE WHAT TOYOTA WILL DO OR NOT DO ABOUT THIS. I HAVE FIXED LATCH AT DEALER TEMPORARY BUT I KNOW THERE IS TSB IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. TAILGATE QUALITY IN STRENGTH AS WELL AS SOME BED BOUNCE ISSUES IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT MATTER! VOICING MY CONCERN BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR