NHTSA Complaint #10490046 — 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD AT ABOUT 5 MPH, MY LOWER LEFT BALL JOINT (DRIVER SIDE) SEPARATED WITHOUT ANY WARNING CAUSING MY TRUCK TO LOSE CONTROL AS THE ENTIRE TRUCK COLLAPSED ONTO MY DRIVER SIDE TIRE, BECAUSE THE SUSPENSION WAS NO LONGER HOLDING IT UP. IN THE EVENT THAT I HAD BEEN GOING MUCH FASTER (POSSIBLY EVEN TEN MILES PER HOUR) I FEEL THAT THE WHEEL WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL. I THEN FOUND OUT TOYOTA HAD MADE A RECALL ON THIS PART AND WHEN I CONTACTED THEM, I WAS APPARENTLY 2 WEEKS PAST THE RECALL WINDOW. I FEEL THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED DUE TO THE SHEER NUMBER OF THESE TRUCKS THAT ARE STILL ON THE ROAD. WHEN THE LOWER BALL JOINT FAILS, IT IS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT THAT CAN VERY EASILY RESULT IN A CRASH. *TR