NHTSA Complaint #10534177 — 2011 TOYOTA TUNDRA

THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT RELATES TO THE "TILT LATCH MECHANISMS" OF A 2011 TOYOTA TUNDRA'S STEERING WHEEL, THE SET OF MECHANISMS USED TO RELEASE/SAFELY SECURE THE STEERING WHEEL IN PLACE. THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO PARTS AMONG THE LATCHING MECHANISMS, ONE BEING PLASTIC & THE OTHER BEING A METAL ALLOY, BROKE OFF AND INTO PIECES. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND WHEN I WENT TO LOWER THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE CLEANING MY VEHICLE. HAD THE PIECES SHATTERED AND FALLEN OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, A FATAL ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN RESULTED FROM LOSS OF STEERING WHEEL CONTROL. AT THE TIME OF THE FINDING, THE VEHICLE HAD 37118 MILES. SUCH SAFETY MECHANISMS OUGHT TO BE DESIGNED WITH SPECIFICATIONS SO THAT THEY WOULD LAST MORE THAN TWO OR THREE TIMES OF USE. I RECALL, AT LEAST ONCE, SEEING THE STEERING WHEEL DROPPED WITH THE LATCH LEVER HANGING DOWN HALF WAY WITHOUT ANYONE TOUCHING IT WITHIN THE FIRST 25000 MILES.BUT MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT A TECHNICIAN MIGHT HAVE ADJUSTED THE STEERING WHEEL AND DIDN'T LATCH IT BACK PROPERLY. THE TECHNICIAN WHO WAS WORKING ON MY REPAIR HAD TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD BE THE SECOND VEHICLE HE HAD WORKED ON FOR THE SAME ISSUE. AND THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT WHILE THERE ARE NOT A HIGH VOLUME OF COMPLAINT OF THE SAME ISSUE, THERE ARE OWNERS REPORTING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. AS THE TOYOTA DEALER HAD TOLD ME, THEIR TOYOTA REGIONAL SERVICE AND PARTS MANAGER HAD DECIDED TO COVER FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AND EXPECTING ME TO PAY FOR THE LABOR COST. SHARING THE REPAIRING COST IS NOT AS MUCH OF A CONCERN AS THE MAJOR CONCERN OF SAFETY. AS I HAD MENTIONED ABOVE, THE OUTCOME FROM THE FAILURE OF LATCHING MECHANISM IS UNLIMITED, AND THE COST OF SUCH INCIDENT(S) COULD BE FATAL ACCIDENT AND/OR WOULD BE MANY TIMES THE COST OF REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. THEREFORE, THIS SERIOUS MATTER SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED. *TR