NHTSA Complaint #10476947 — 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA

MY HUSBAND HAS A 1997 TOYOTA TACOMA. HE BOUGHT IT USED FROM A DEALERSHIP IN 2004. RECENTLY HE SAW THAT THE FRAME UNDERNEATH WAS RUSTED AND ROTTING OUT. SOMEONE TOLD HIM THAT TOYOTA WAS TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THEIR CUSTOMERS BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. WELL, THEY TOLD US TAT WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE IN BY FEBRUARY TO RECEIVE THE 15 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY. WE WERE NEVER CONTACTED BY TOYOTA, THEY DO NOT HAVE US AS THE CURRENT OWNER AND MY HUSBAND COULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER 5 OR SO YEARS WITH THIS VEHICLE. 15 YEARS SHOULD BE UP IN DECEMBER, BUT THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE GOING BY THE DATE IT WAS SOLD OR SOMETHING. THIS VEHICLE IS PRACTICALLY UNDRIVABLE AND TOYOTA BASICALLY SAID OH, WELL, YOU WERE TOO LATE. I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB CONTACTING THEIR CUSTOMERS AND I HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE OF MANY OTHER DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS ON THE INTERNET WHO ALSO WERE NOT NOTIFIED AND WHO ALSO MISSED THE DEADLINE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT RIGHT, AND IF IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF REGARDLESS OF WEATHER WE BROUGHT IT IN 9 MONTHS AGO OR TODAY. THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO LEEWAY IN THIS AND THAT THERE WAS NO ELSE I COULD TAKE THIS ISSUE UP WITH. I AM ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER. *TR