NHTSA Complaint #10419211 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA WITH 186,000 MILES. ON JULY 19TH I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM SOME MY REPAIR SHOP AFTER SOME ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT). THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT '' WHEN CHECKING THE VEHICLE ON LIFT, FOUND FRONT FRAME ARCHES NEAR FEET RUSTED THROUGH AND CRACKED ALMOST A FOOT LONG ON BOTH SIDES.' I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH GRAPPONE TOYOTA IN CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND ON JULY 21ST THEY CONFIRMED THE DAMAGE AND REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE DAMAGE IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE FRAME DESIGN THAT ALLOWS WATER TO COLLECT AND NOT DRAIN. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS FRAME AS USED ON THE SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA. IT ALSO APPARENTLY WAS A PROBLEM ON THE TACOMA WHICH HAS A SIMILAR DEFECTIVE DESIGN. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA US CORPORATE OFFICEBY PHONE ON THE 21ST AND WAS INFORMED THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM ON THE SEQUOIA AS REQUIRING ANY PROGRAM TO RECTIFY SUCH AS TOYOTA HAS REPORTEDLY DONE FOR THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA. GIVEN THE UNSAFE NATURE OF THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN, AND THE IMPLICATIONS SHOULD IT FAIL ON THE ROAD, I FIND THIS UNACCEPTABLE. I SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPUTABLE WELDING SHOP WHO FOUND THE DAMAGE WAS MORE EXTENSIVE AND WELDED 21 INCH LONG PLATES ON BOTH FRAME ARCHES. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY A FRAME DESIGN THAT ALLOWED WATER TO ACCUMULATE IN THE FRAME AND CORRODE THE METAL. *TR