NHTSA Complaint #10532073 — 2000 TOYOTA PICKUP

I CAME TO A LEFT TURN WITH MY TUNDRA AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND THERE WAS SOMEBODY WAITING ON THE ROAD I WAS APPROACHING TO TURN ON. THERE WAS ALSO SOMEBODY COMING TOWARDS ME IN ONCOMING LANE. WHEN I WENT TO BRAKE FOR THE TURN THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND I PUMPED THEM QUICKLY AND EVERY TIME THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR. AT THAT POINT I REALIZED I WOULD NOT MAKE THE CORNER AND HAD TO EITHER HIT THE DITCH OR RIDE OUT ONCOMING LANE SHOULDER. I CHOSE THE SHOULDER. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP I REALIZED I BLEW A FRONT BRAKE LINE(A STEEL LINE). UPON FURTHER INSPECTION TOYOTA TUNDRAS HAVE A LOAD BALANCING SYSTEM FOR THE REAR BRAKES. WITH THIS SYSTEM THERE IS A PRO PORTIONING VALVE MOUNTED TO THE FRAME IN THE REAR. THERE IS ALSO A LINKAGE ROD MOUNTED TO REAR DIFFERENTIAL THAT ACTUATES VALVE . THIS ROD WAS RUSTED AWAY INSIDE A RUBBER BOOT ATTACHED TO THE VALVE AND WAS NOT ALLOWING ANY PRESSURE TO REACH REAR BRAKES SO WHEN I BLEW THE FRONT LINE I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKES! I REPAIRED THE BRAKES BY REMOVING THE PRO PORTIONING VALVE AND BY PASSING IT. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION THAT COULD OCCUR WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND GOT THE RESPONSE THAT A SERVICE TECH DID NOT CONFIRM IT SO I CAN'T PROVE IT WAS THEIR DESIGN FAILURE! I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF POTENTIAL HAZARD AND THEY SEEMED TO CARE LESS THEY DID NOT ASK TO SEE THE VALVE OR LINKAGE OR CARE TO INVESTIGATE ANY FURTHER THAN MY EXPLANATION . A COMPANY WITH THEIR SAFETY HISTORY AS OF LATE SHOULD HAVE SHOWN A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGE INTEREST IN FINDING OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED! AND LIKE I SAID THEY COULD HAVE NOT HAVE CARED LESS ! *TR