NHTSA Complaint #10291906 — 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA

OUR 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA (WITH ~60,000 MILES) WAS PARKED IT IN MY RELATIVES DRIVEWAY ON 10/18/09. WHEN WE WENT TO DRIVE IT OUT OF MY AUNT'S DRIVEWAY ON 10/18/09, SHE STARTED YELLING, "STOP, SOMETHING IS LEAKING!" LOOKED AT THE FRONT DRIVERS BRAKE LINE AND SAW A HOLE THAT WAS PUSHING OUT BRAKE FLUID WITH HIGH PRESSURE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THANKFULLY, THE BRAKES FAILED IN THE DRIVEWAY INSTEAD OF ON ROUTE 2 BETWEEN ALBANY, NY AND MASSACHUSETTS. IF THEY FAILED ON THE DRIVE, MY HUSBAND WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN KILLED ON THE MOUNTAINOUS ROAD. CAREFULLY DROVE THE TRUCK TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP, LIA TOYOTA OF COLONIE ON 10/18/09. TOLD THEM ABOUT THE BROKEN BRAKE LINE AND ASKED FOR A FRAME INSPECTION TO BE DONE FIRST, AS WE DID NOT WANT TO PUT MONEY INTO THE TRUCK IF THE FRAME HAD ISSUES. ON 10/26/09, WE FINALLY RECEIVED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE WORK AND DOCUMENTATION STATING "THE FRAME HAS NORMAL RUST WEAR FOR THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE" AND "THE FRAME HAS NO PERFORATION AT THIS TIME". THE ESTIMATE SAID THAT THE FRONT DRIVER BRAKE LINES AND JUNCTION BOX WERE RUSTED THROUGH. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PIVOT WAS RUSTED & SEIZED ON BOTH SIDES AND COMPLETELY INOPERABLE, AND THE FRONT SWAY BAR LINK WAS RUSTED THROUGH. SINCE WE WERE TOLD BY LIA TOYOTA OF COLONIE THAT THE FRAME WAS INTACT (NO HOLES) WE AUTHORIZED THE WORK. WE PICKED UP OUR REPAIRED TUNDRA ON 11/02/09 AND KEPT THE OLD PARTS. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT HOLD THE CAR AND NEEDED ADJUSTMENT, SO THE FOLLOWING DAY, 11/3/09, WE TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL DEALER, COLONIAL TOYOTA OF MILFORD. WE ASKED FOR A BRAKE ADJUSTMENT AND A FRAME INSPECTION. THE NEXT DAY, 11/04/09, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM COLONIAL TOYOTA, SAYING THAT OUR TUNDRA FRAME HAD HOLES IN IT AND WE "SHOULD NOT PUT ANOTHER DIME INTO IT" AND "IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE". COLONIAL SERVICE TOOK PICTURES OF THE PERFORATED FRAME AND CALLED THE TOYOTA REPS, WHO CAME AND LOOKED AT OUR TUNDRA. ON 11/10/09, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT TOYOTA DECLINED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE OUR FRAME. *TR