NHTSA Complaint #10451817 — 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA

ON JANUARY 19, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 AM, I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON A DIRT ROAD, CAME AROUND AN APPROXIMATE 90 DEGREE RIGHT HAND TURN HEADING DOWN HILL, SLID ON MUD OR ICE AND HIT A RUT. AFTER ALL WHEELS HAD PASSED THROUGH THE RUT THE VEHICLE DROVE UP AND OVER A SMALL RISE (BUMP) IN THE ROAD. AFTER COMING OVER THE RISE, THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE DOVE INTO THE DIRT AND THE TRUCK CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT THE FRONT END. THE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM ... ??? ... WHAT EVER IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ATTACHED TO. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE WHEEL WELL WITH THE INSIDE LEANING TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE VEHICLE TAKEN MOMENTS AFTER THE EQUIPMENT FAILURE. I'M GLAD THIS HAPPENED WHERE IT DID BECAUSE ONLY A FEW MILES FURTHER INTO MY TRIP TO WORK, I WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAVELING 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. AMEN! I HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION FROM TOYOTA CONCERNING RECALL NO. 50J. I ONLY ACCIDENTALLY CAME ACROSS THE INFORMATION WHILE SURFING THE WEB WITHIN THE PAST WEEK. *TR