NHTSA Complaint #10355922 — 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

I BOUGHT MY TOYOTA SEQUOIA IN 2001 WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT. I DRIVE THE SUV IN THE NORTH EAST (CT, NY, NJ) AREA GENERALLY AND IT NOW HAS ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER ABOUT 4 YEARS I NOTICED RUST UNDER IT AND EVERY TIME I TOOK IT FOR ANY SERVICE THEY REPORTED RUST. LAST WEEK THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING LEAKED AND I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA TO GET A REPAIR ESTIMATE. THEY COMMENTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HEAVILY CORRODED (RUSTED) TO THE POINT THAT EVEN IF THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING WAS REPLACED THAT THE SUV WOULD BE VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS THE RUST WAS EVERYWHERE UNDERNEATH. THEREFORE I DECIDED NOT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED SINCE THE COST TO MAKE IT SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN REPLACING THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT WITH HOLES IN IT. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT OTHER DAMAGE ATTRIBUTED TO RUST. THE VEHICLE IS STILL DRIVABLE BUT IT IS NOT BEING DRIVEN SINCE IT WOULD DAMAGE THE DIFFERENTIAL SINCE IT HAS LESS LUBRICATION WHICH IS CONTINUALLY LEAKING. SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AND SEVERAL OPTIONS ARE BEING LOOKED INTO. *TR