NHTSA Complaint #10298857 — 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA

MY TOYOTA TUNDRA 2005, V8, 4.7L, 4X4(83,000 MILES) LOST ITS TRANSMISSION POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE TRANSMISSION POWER CAME ON AND OFF ALL THE WAY HOME. LUNGING EACH TIME IT DROPPED OFF AND CAME ON. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $4000.00. IT WAS DISPLAYING P0986 CODE. THE NEXT DAY BROUGHT IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY FOUND THAT THE WIRE CONNECTOR (15 PIN) THAT GOES FROM THE TRANSMISSION TO THE ECM WAS CORRODED AND THE PINS WERE BROKEN AND NOT MAKING CONTACT. ITS DESIGN IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. IT IS NOT PROTECTED AND IS LOCATED IN A PLACE WHERE IT IS EXPOSED TO ALL THE SALT AND WATER RESULTING IN THE PINS BEING CORRODED. INFORMATION COMMUNICATED FROM THE COMPUTER TO THE TRANSMISSION AND BACK IS INTERRUPTED OR INACCURATE. I FOUND THIS INFORMATION ON A WEBSITE AT THE SAME TIME THE INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP DISCOVERED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE FOLLOWING SITE DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM VERY CLEARLY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS: HTTP://WWW.TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/TUNDTRAN/ I CONTACTED TOYOTA. THEY GAVE ME A RUN AROUND WITH ONLY FRUSTRATION AND STRESS. I SEE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING WITH ALL THESE TRUCKS IN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY WHERE IT IS WET. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR THE FIX AND NOT ME. IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND CAUSES UNEXPECTED POWER LOSE OR TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHEN DRIVING. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF YOU WANT THE OLD PART AFTER THE NEW ONE IS INSTALLED. IT SHOULD HAPPEN IN A FEW DAYS. *TR