NHTSA Complaint #10243296 — 1997 TOYOTA TIOO

ORIGINAL OWNER, 112,000 MILES, NO ACCIDENTS, MECHANICALLY SOUND. FRAME RUST THROUGH AT FRONT CROSSMEMBER. TOTAL FAILURE CAUSING FRONT STEERING AND STABILIZER ARMS TO BE NOT CONNECTED TO FRAME. VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN OR FRONT WHEELS WILL FALL OFF. SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND TOYOTA HAS A "BUY BACK" PROGRAM IN PLACE FOR THE 1995-2000 TACOMA'S FOR THE EXACT SAME FAILURES. TRAILERED THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER THAT WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER LOOKING AT IT WHILE IT WAS IN THEIR SERVICE DRIVE AREA... THEY REFERRED ME TO TOYOTA (WHO FILED A FAILURE COMPLAINT 9-23-08) BUT THEY REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE T100'S AS WELL AS THE TACOMA'S, AND REFUSED ANY COMPENSATION OR CO-OPERATION. THIS FAILURE IS A SERIOUS FAILURE, AND A HAZARD TO LIVES. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE FAILURE WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. IN ALL MY YEARS, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FRAME RUST THROUGH TO THIS FAILURE EXTENT. THE ONLY GOOD THING WAS THAT NO ONE WAS KILLED BY THE FAILURE AND THE WHEELS DID NOT FALL OFF ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE IT WAS BEING DRIVEN. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD, AND MECHANICALLY SOUND. I FEEL THAT THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THIS FRAME DUE TO RUST, IS IDENTICAL TO THE TACOMA'S THAT THEY HAVE ADMITTED TO, AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SAME "BUY BACK" BY TOYOTA, TO SETTLE THE KNOWN POOR QUALITY OF THE STEEL IN THESE VEHICLES. THE FRAME CAN NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE RUST THROUGH IS SO SEVERE THAT THERE IS NO METAL LEFT TO WORK WITH. VEHICLE IS STILL IN MY POSSESSION AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION, AND PHOTOS OF THE FAILED PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR