NHTSA Complaint #10468379 — 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, I DISCOVERED TWO CRACKS ON MY DASH, ONE BY THE DRIVER SIDE CLOSE TO THE WIND SHIELD AND ONE BY THE PASSENGER ( IN BETWEEN THE COMPARTMENT AND RADIO) I DECIDED TO SEARCH THE CAUSE AND TO MY SURPRISE THIS IS APPARENTLY COMMON ON MANY TOYOTA 4RUNNERS, SIENNA'S, HIGHLANDERS AND OTHERS. I ALSO WAS DISAPPOINTED TO READ THAT TOYOTA WON'T TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND ARE QUICK TO RESPOND THAT CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY OR CAUSED BY ONES NEGLECT. THIS CAN BE A HAZARD. THIS IS WHY I CHOSE TO REPORT IT. A LOT OF WHAT I HAVE READ IS THAT IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE AND MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THESE CRACKS GET CLOSE TO THE AIRBAGS IT WILL ALLOW THE ALREADY WEAKENED DASH TO DEPLOY THE AIRBAG AND CAUSE INJURY OR EVEN WORSE AN ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE WARRANTS SOME KIND OF ATTENTION OR INVESTIGATION. TOYOTA OWES SOME KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO CONSUMERS AND PUT SAFETY FIRST. THEY MAKE US FEEL AS WE ARE THE PERPETUATORS AND THEY ARE THE VICTIMS. PROOF IS IN THE CHANGES THEY HAVE MADE TO THE DASHBOARD QUALITY ON THE NEWER MODELS. MANY CONSUMERS DO NOT HAVE THE $1000 TO REPLACE A DASH AND CHOOSE TO EITHER IGNORE OR FIND A THIRD PARTY TO FIX WHICH CAN MAKE IT WORSE. *TR