NHTSA Complaint #10236291 — 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

ON JULY 6TH AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON MY SON AND I WENT TO PULL OUR BOAT OUT OF THE WATER WITH OUR 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA.(WE BACKED THE TRAILER INTO THE WATER AND LOADED OUR BOAT ONTO THE TRAILER AS WE ALWAYS DO. WE THEN SECURED THE BOAT TO THE TRAILER AND PROCEEDED TO PULL THE TRUCK AND LOADED TRAILER UP THE HILL ABOUT 30 FEET AND PARKED ON THE BOAT LAUNCH RAMP. I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND LEFT THE SEQUOIA IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE HIGH, IN PARK, WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ON. ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER, WE HEARD A REPEATED CLICKING SOUND AND THE BOAT AND TRAILER CAME ROLLING BACK DOWN THE LAUNCH RAMP INTO THE WATER NARROWLY MISSING MY SON AND I. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE TRUCK AND TRAILER WAS THE FACT THAT THE BOAT TRAILER JACKKNIFED AGAINST THE LEFT REAR BUMPER OF THE TRUCK. THE REGIONAL INSPECTOR, JIM TEELY FINALLY INSPECTED THE SEQUOIA ON JULY 15TH. ACCORDING TO JIM TEELY, WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN WITH ON THE TELEPHONE, THE INSPECTION FOUND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE INSPECTION THAT WAS DONE WAS CURSORY AT BEST. UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN PHYSICALLY EXAMINED BY TOYOTA I AM NOT COMFORTABLE TOWING MY BOAT AND ESPECIALLY NOT PARKING THE SEQUOIA (TOWING OR NOT) ON AN INCLINE. WE LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PARK ON A HILL WILL BE A MAJOR INCONVENIENCE FOR US. TOYOTA HAS STILL NOT DETERMINED WHAT CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT.*TR