NHTSA Complaint #10453814 — 2007 TOYOTA TUNDRA

7/2007 PURCHASED 07 TUNDRA W/MAINT PLAN&EXTENDED WARRANTY 9/2010 4342MILES SOUTHCOAST TOYOTA-MAINTENANCE,WE ASKED THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT SURFACE RUST. THEY NOTED IT AND SAID WAS DUE TO SALT AIR 2/2012 6504MILES SOUTHCOAST TOYOTA TO PERFORM BRAKE SERVICE. APPARENTLY BRAKE PAD HAD FALLEN OFF DUE TO CORROSION OF CALIPERS & PINS AND THEY REFUSE TO SERVICE THE TRUCK BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH TO REPAIR BUT REFUSE TO EVEN GIVE US ESTIMATE. THEY SAID THE CORROSION HAS COMPROMISED THE SAFETY OF THE TRUCK, BUT NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE DID NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ENOUGH AND THAT'S WHY IT IS RUSTED SO BADLY ALL OVER (TRUCK WAS DRIVEN LOCALLY AT LEAST 3 OR 4 TIMES A WEEK BY ELDERLY COUPLE). WE REQUESTED A COPY OF FIELD REPS REPORT, BUT THEY SAID IT IS PROPRIETARY INFO WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO. SERVICE MANAGER RUDELY ASKED US TO REMOVE OUR TRUCK FROM THE DEALERSHIP BUT WE CANNOT DRIVE IT OFF BECAUSE BRAKES NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. WERE TOLD TO TAKE THE 5 YR OLD TRUCK WITH 6500 MILES TO THE JUNK YARD. DURING 2010 MAINTENANCE WHEN THEY WERE AWARE OF CORROSION, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF POSSIBLE BRAKE FAILURE OR WEAKENED STRUCTURE DUE TO RUST THAT WOULD OCCUR IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS TIME. INSTEAD ELDERLY COUPLE CONTINUED DRIVING VEHICLE UNTIL UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT BEING ADVISED OF HOW SEVERE OF CONDITION THE TRUCK IS. THEY HAVE LIVED BY THE BEACH (2 MILES FROM DEALERSHIP) FOR 30 YRS & OWNED A FEW TRUCKS, NEVER RUST SO BAD. TOYOTA IS FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS HURT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE & THEY SHOULD DO WHAT THEY CAN TO TAKE THIS UNSAFE TRUCK OFF THE ROADS. INSTEAD THEY DENY ANY POSSIBILITY THAT THE CORROSION MAY BE A DEFECT & IS ALLOWING THIS TRUCK TO POSSIBLY END UP BEING DRIVEN SINCE THEY ARE WILLING TO RELEASE IT. ITS OBVIOUS THIS IS NOT THE 1ST TOYOTA KNOWN TO HAVE CORROSION ISSUE AND THOUGH NOT PERFORATION, THE RUST IS AN OVERSIGHT BY TOYOTA. *TR