NHTSA Complaint #10432920 — 1996 TOYOTA T100

I HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR AN EXHAUST RATTLE AS WELL AS AN OIL CHANGE TODAY TO MY LOCAL INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC, NOTING HOW ROTTED OUT THE FRAME WAS IN THE REAR AS WELL AS FRONT, RECOMMENDED THAT I NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY LONGER. THE SHOP DIDN'T DO ANY SERVICE WORK DUE TO THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE. KNOWING THAT TOYOTA DID A RECALL ON A SIMILAR TRUCK MODEL OF THE SAME VINTAGE, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE NEARBY TOYOTA DEALER WHERE I ASKED THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT TOYOTA COULD THEN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH ONE OF THEIR PRODUCTS. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS RATHER RUDE AND SAID THE WARRANTY ON THE TRUCK HAD EXPIRED AFTER THREE YEARS AND THAT IF I WANTED AN INSPECTION, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I AM SHOCKED THAT WHAT I HAD THOUGHT WAS A PERFECTLY GOOD USABLE VEHICLE HAS NOW BECOME A SAFETY HAZARD TO MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I'M FAMILIAR WITH RUSTY VEHICLES HAVING LIVED IN WISCONSIN NOW FOR 47 YEARS, BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS KIND OF THING BEFORE. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD EITHER REPLACE THE FRAME OR BUY OUT THE VEHICLE FROM ME. TOYOTA ADVERTISES AS TO THE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR VEHICLES ARE STILL ON THE ROAD WITH SOME KIND OF PRIDE; PERHAPS THEY SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AT THE SAME TIME HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THEIR LIVES AT RISK BY DRIVING THOSE VEHICLES. AS TO THE ROTTED FRAME, BOTH MAIN RAILS ARE ROTTED IN THE BACK. THE FRONT LEFT TIRE SUSPENSION HAS RUSTED THROUGH. THE REAR TRANSAXLE HAS RUSTED NEAR THE REAR RIGHT TIRE AND IS LEAKING FLUID. BRAKE LINES HAVE RUSTED THROUGH AND ARE LEAKING. SPARK PLUG? THAT ATTACHES TO THE EXHAUST PIPE (REBURN SYSTEM?); BOTH NUTS HOLDING THIS ON HAVE DISINTEGRATED AND NO LONGER HOLDING THIS DEVICE TIGHT (THIS IS THE CAUSE OF THE NEWLY DISCOVERED EXHAUST RATTLE). *TT