NHTSA Complaint #10346355 — 2007 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

IN JANUARY 2010, AS I WAS DOING AN OIL CHANGE ON MY 2007 SEQUOIA, I NOTICED SOME CORROSION ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD AND ALSO THROUGH THE ENGINE BAY. I TOOK IT IN TO MID CITY TOYOTA FOR AN WARRANTY CLAIM INSPECTION ON THE ISSUE, MARCH 2010. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS A DEFECT OF SOMETHING, I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS. THE DEALERSHIP CAME BACK AND SAID I MUST HAVE FILLED THE WATER IN THE BATTERY, BECAUSE IT IS NOW LEAKING AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT HAS VOIDED THE WARRANTY AND THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. I DISAGREED WITH THEIR STATEMENT AND INDICATED THAT WE DID NOT FILL THE BATTERY WITH WATER. MY PARENTS ARE THE ONLY ONES DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE DEALERSHIP WANTED TO KNOW WHAT TYPE OF RESOLUTION WE WANTED OUT OF THIS, I STATED TO JUST REPAINT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD, NEW BATTERY, AND OTHER DAMAGES ASSOCIATED TO THE BATTERY LEAK. THEY WANTED ME TO GET AN ESTIMATE FROM A LOCAL BODY SHOP. AFTER SUBMITTING THE ESTIMATE, THEY REVIEWED IT AGAIN AND DENIED THE CLAIM. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP IN, ELK GROVE TOYOTA, IN ELK GROVE CA, JULY 12 2010. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THE BATTERY TO HAVE BEEN FAULTY AND WAS LEAKING, WHICH THE FAN BLEW THE ACID THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING THE PATTERN OF CORROSION AS REPORTED. THEY AGREED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE CAR WAS AT THE SHOP, THEY CALLED AND SAID THEY FOUND THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AS OF 6/24/2010 AND WILL NOT FIX THE VEHICLE. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD REPORTED THE ISSUE TO MID-CITY TOYOTA IN MARCH 2010 DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THEY WANTED ME TO OPEN A CASE WITH TOYOTA, AND THEY'LL REVIEW IT AFTER. I OPENED UP CASE # 1007162060 WITH TOYOTA. ELK GROVE TOYOTA CAME BACK AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND DENIED FIXING THE CAR OUT OF GOOD WILL STATING THAT THERE WAS LACK OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS. *TR