NHTSA Complaint #10373590 — 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

TOOK THE SEQUOIA TO THE BODY SHOP FOR MINOR REPAIR - THE BODY OF THE CAR LOOKS ALMOST NEW - NO RUST - A VEHICLE TO BE PROUD OF... BUT... THE REPAIR MAN CALLED ME AND SOUNDED VERY CONCERNED. JUST LIKE TACOMAS AND TUNDRAS, THIS VEHICLE HAS SOME OF THE WORST FRAME RUSTING HE HAS SEEN ON A VEHICLE ITS AGE - ESPECIALLY FOR THE LACK OF RUST ELSEWHERE. TOLD ME HE HOPED IT WAS ALL PAID FOR BECAUSE I SHOULD JUNK IT. 10K FOR A NEW FRAME AND THE CAR IS WORTH LESS THAN 9K. I TOLD HIM I STILL OWED 8 THOUSAND ON IT. HE SAID TO CALL TOYOTA. SAID HE WORKS ON 20 YEAR OLD TRUCKS ALL THE TIME WITH NOWHERE NEAR THIS TYPE OF FRAME RUST. KEPT REMARKING HOW HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT... SAID IT JUST FLAKES APART WHEN YOU TOUCH IT. HE STRESSED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE MY CHILDREN IN THAT VEHICLE. MY FAMILY VEHICLE. I CALLED TOYOTA COMPLAINTS DEPT. THE REP TOLD ME HE WAS THE SENIOR REP THERE AND THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING ON A SEQUOIA. TOLD ME THAT LOTS OF TRUCKS OF ALL MAKES HAVE FRAME RUST PROBLEMS. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID TO THE VEHICLE - WHETHER HE DID ANY UNDERBODY MAINTENANCE (HE SUGGESTED THAT CAR OWNERS GENERALLY RINSE THE UNDERCARRIAGE AFTER DRIVING IN THE SNOW). HE EVEN SUGGESTED THAT "..FOR ALL WE KNOW, THIS VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN IN A FLOOD." DOES A FLOOD CAUSE AGGRESSIVE FRAME RUST BUT LEAVE THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IN MINT SHAPE? SAID THERE WERE NO "PROGRAMS" FOR ME AT THIS TIME AND SUGGESTED I CALL NHTSA. II HAD TO ASK - WILL NHTSA WILL HELP ME BUY A VEHICLE TO DRIVE MY KIDS TO THEIR FUNCTIONS WITHOUT RISKING THEIR LIVES? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I CANT AFFORD ANYTHING ELSE. I HAVE A LOAN ON THIS CAR. CALLING TOYOTA WAS 100 PERCENT POINTLESS. *TR