NHTSA Complaint #10269476 — 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA AND WAS DRIVING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 95 IN MAINE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE BACK END OF THE TRUCK SUDDENLY LIFTED UP OFF THE PAVEMENT WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH. WHEN I REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, I LOOKED INTO THE REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SEE A TIRE BOUNCING ERRATICALLY ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC. CARS WERE BRAKING AND SWERVING TO AVOID COLLISION WITH THE TIRE AND FORTUNATELY IT CAME TO A REST AGAINST THE MEDIAN GUARDRAIL WITHOUT CROSSING INTO SOUTHBOUND LANES AND WITHOUT DAMAGE TO VEHICLES OR INJURY TO DRIVERS. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO THE EMERGENCY BREAKDOWN LANE AND INSPECTED THE TRUCK TO FIND THAT THE SPARE TIRE WAS MISSING AND A LARGE CORRODED HOLE EXISTED IN THE FRAME FROM WHICH THE TIRE HAD BEEN MOUNTED. I RETRIEVED THE TIRE AND PLACED IT IN THE BED. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED TO RECEIVED AN EVALUATION FROM A MECHANIC OF WHAT WENT WRONG AND IF IT CAN BE REPAIRED. THE TOYOTA DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING SIGNIFICANT FRAME CORROSION OF TOYOTA TUNDRA TRUCKS OF THIS MODEL YEAR, SIMILAR TO THAT OF TACOMA'S WHICH HAD BEEN RECALLED. THEY WERE UNSURE THAT THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE COULD BE SUCCESSFULLY REPAIRED, DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE CORROSION AND PERFORATION. THEY DID SAY THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION REGARDLESS. IT IS CLEAR THAT CORROSION TO THIS EXTREME EXTENT ON TOYOTA TUNDRA FRAMES WARRANT ATTENTION FROM THE NHTSA, DUE TO THE CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER THIS DEFECT POSES TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC. IF SPARE TIRES FALL FROM THE FRAME MOUNT IN THIS MANNER, DRIVERS OF THIS MODEL YEAR TOYOTA TUNDRA AND SURROUNDING VEHICLES AT THE TIME OF AN INCIDENT OF THIS NATURE ARE AT EXTREME RISK OF SEVERE INJURY AND/OR DEATH. TOYOTA WAS CONTACTED REGARDING THIS INCIDENT (CASE # 0905118853) AND SAY THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY NO PROGRAM AT PRESENT TO RECALL ANY OF THE VEHICLES DUE TO THE CURRENTLY LOW NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. *TR