NHTSA Complaint #10404306 — 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA

USED MY 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER TO TOW A VEHICLE A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE A SHORT CIRCUIT IN TRAILER WIRING CAUSED WIRING FIRE IN PRERUNNER---30 AMP FUSE IN TOYOTA FAILED TO PROTECT CIRCUIT, LEADING TO TOTAL TRUCK WIRING MELTDOWN AND RUIN. FUSE WAS OF THE AMPACITY REQUIRED BY TOYOTA--30 AMPS. TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW, NEVER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND NO CHANGES HAD BEEN MADE TO WIRING OR FUSE SYSTEMS. AUTO ELECTRIC REPAIR SHOP REQUIRED $2800 IN PARTS AND $2000 FOR LABOR TO REPAIR MELTED WIRING LOOMS AND FUSE BOX; THEY SUGGESTED THAT FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED BECAUSE TOYOTA USES A 30 AMP FUSE ON A #12 WIRE CIRCUIT THAT WILL MELT AND BURN BEFORE THE FUSE BLOWS. (12 GAUGE WIRE TYPICALLY MUST BE PROTECTED BY A 20-AMP FUSE.) TOYOTA (CORPORATE) REFUSES TO DEAL WITH MY ISSUE OR TALK TO ME ABOUT WHETHER THE FAILED FUSE AND MELTDOWN COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THEIR INSTALLING A FUSE WITH TOO HIGH AN AMPACITY RATING BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIR DONE BY A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. IS THERE A DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW WITH THE PRERUNNER? I AM CERTAIN THAT I DID NOTHING TO MY PRERUNNER (AS ITS ONLY OWNER) TO EXPLAIN WHY THE TRUCK NEARLY BURNED UP AND THE WIRING SYSTEM MELTED DOWN (AND WAS COMPLETELY RUINED) SIMPLY BECAUSE OF A SIMPLE SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE TRAILER I TOWED FOR LESS THAN ONE MILE (BEFORE MELTDOWN OCCURRED). I AM HOPEFUL THAT NHTSA MAY BE ABLE TO USE MY INFORMATION TO APPROACH TOYOTA ON THE POTENTIAL DESIGN DEFECT ISSUE AND, CERTAINLY, TO COLLECT MY COMPLAINT WITH ANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS THAT COULD DENOTE A TREND OR SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS WITH THE TOYOTA TRUCK'S WIRING SYSTEM. *TR