NHTSA Complaint #10440498 — 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

I OWN A 1998 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER WITH A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FRAME IS RUSTED OUT WHERE THE FRONT PORTION OF THE REAR LEAF SPRING BRACKET IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. THIS WAS POINTED OUT TO ME BY AN AUTO BODY REPAIR PERSON WHO'S FATHER HAD A TACOMA THAT RUSTED OUT IN THE SAME SPOT. HIS VEHICLE WAS GRANTED 1.5 TIMES OVER KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE AND THE VEHICLE WAS SEIZED FROM HIM AT THE TIME DUE TO SAFETY. MY 4 RUNNER IS ONLY 13 YEARS OLD WITH A KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE OF 6500.00. IT LOOKS AND RUNS GREAT. BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS VEHICLE IS NOT WORTH THAT NOW AND CANNOT BE SOLD DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE FRAME. IT ALSO CANNOT BE REPAIRED. EVENTUALLY THIS WILL RESULT IN A FAILURE AND DEPENDING ON WHAT SPEED THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AT THE TIME WILL TELL HOW SERIOUS THE ACCIDENT WILL BE. IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA HAS VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH MY CONCERNS. I SENT THREE CERTIFIED LETTERS TO TOYOTA EXPRESSING MY CONCERNS WITH SAFETY. THE LETTER SENT TO THE PRESIDENT YOSHIMI INABA THAT WAS NOT FORWARDED TO HIM, WAS RETURNED DUE TO AN ERRONEOUS ADDRESS SO IT APPEARS HE IS BEING SHELTERED. I WAS OFFERED $500.00 REIMBURSEMENT ON SERVICE, PARTS OR ACCESSORIES OR A 1500.00 'GIFT' BASED ON TOYOTA'S 'GOODWILL OFFER' TOWARDS A NEW TOYOTA. THIS "GIFT" WAS OFFERED BY AN EXECUTIVE ANALYST WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WHOM APPARENTLY DOESN'T WANT THE TOP EXECUTIVES TO RECEIVE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS. BASED ON COMPARISONS THAT THE TACOMA AND TUNDRA OWNERS RECEIVED, I DON'T FEEL THE SO-CALLED "GOODWILL" OF BEING A TOYOTA CUSTOMER. IT SEEMS THERE MUST BE LITIGATION TO GET TOYOTA'S WELL-BRAGGED-ABOUT CUSTOMER CARE. SAFETY IS #1 AT TOYOTA IF THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE A NEW SALE! SAFETY FOR OLD CUSTOMERS IS OUT THE WINDOW IF THE SALE IS FROM THE PAST. LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA DOES NOT REALLY BACK THEIR PRODUCTS UNLESS THERE IS A DEATH. *TR