NHTSA Complaint #10289776 — 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA AND IT FAILED ITS ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA STATE INSPECTION DUE TO A FRAME RUST ISSUE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT DID THE INSPECTION AND FAILED THE TRUCK, I ASSUME, KNEW OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM AND THANK GOD, THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE TRUCK'S FRAME. THEY FOUND A HOLE IN THE FRAME THAT CONCERNED THEM TO THE POINT THAT FAILED THE TRUCK'S STATE INSPECTION AND I ENDED UP PAYING $294.25 TO HAVE A FRAME PATCH WELDED IN TO PREVENT A FAILURE OF THE FRAME IN THE AREA OF THE RUSTED HOLE. I HAD THE TRUCK UNDERCOATED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IN 2000 AND THAT UNDERCOATING IS BLISTERING OFF, AND HAS BEEN BLISTERING OFF FOR A FEW YEARS. THE UNDERCOATING WAS MAINTAINED UNDER A ZIEBART WARRANTY UNTIL 2005 WHEN ZIEBART CLOSED THE LOCAL FRANCHISES. THIS MEANS THE UNDERSIDE OF MY TRUCK HAS BEEN WITHOUT THE WARRANTED PROTECTION FOR ONLY FOUR YEARS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT A TRUCK, THAT HAS BEEN AS METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AS MINE HAS BEEN, IS EXPERIENCING A FRAME RUST ISSUE TO THE LEVEL THAT IT FAILS A STATE INSPECTION !!!! THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK IS HEAVILY RUSTED DESPITE THE ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS I'VE TAKEN OF UNDERCOATING, MAINTAINING THE UNDERCOATING, AND RELIGIOUSLY SPRAYING THE EXCESSIVE SALT OFF OF THE VEHICLE IN THE WINTER MONTHS DURING THE TIMES OF HIGH EXPOSURE. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND INTEGRITY OF MY TRUCK EVERY TIME I GET BEHIND ITS STEERING WHEEL NOW. ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS, THAT IN THE UNFORTUNATE EVENT THAT I WOULD BE INVOLVED IN A COLLISION OF SIGNIFICANCE, THE ENGINEERING SAFETY STANDARDS REQUIRED TO BE MET REGARDING FRAME STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY WILL BE GROSSLY COMPROMISED BY THE ROTTING FRAME AND WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO OFFER THE DESIGNED PROTECTION THAT THE ENGINEERS CALCULATED. THE PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SAFETY BUFFER FOR ME AND MY PASSENGERS FROM THE EXTREME ENERGY FORCES EXPERIENCED DURING A LIFE THREATENING COLLISION WHEN WE'LL BE COUNTING ON IT WITH OUR LIVES. *TR