NHTSA Complaint #10537808 — 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA

PURCHASED USED 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA THAT APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR A FEW DAYS DECIDED TO CRAWL UNDERNEATH AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT IT. AT FIRST GLANCE UNDERCARRIAGE AND FRAME APPEARED TO BE IN GREAT SHAPE UNTIL I NOTICED UNDERCOATING THAT HAD LARGE BUBBLES IN IT. POKED AT THE BUBBLES WITH MY FINGER AND LARGE PIECES OF RUST FLAKED AWAY FROM THE FRAME AND FELL TO THE FLOOR. DISCOVERED MANY OF THESE SPOTS ON THE FRAME AND REAR LEAF SPRING SHACKLES. ONE AREA OF SPECIAL CONCERN IS REAR BRAKE LINES ARE RUBBING ON THE FRAME WHERE THE RUST HAS PUSHED A LEAF SPRING PLATE AWAY FROM THE FRAME AND HAS BEGUN TO SEPERATE. DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT HOW COMMON THIS IS ON TUNDRAS AND TACOMAS. ALSO FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN APPLYING SOME TYPE OF UNDERCOATING TO THESE FRAMES SO THEY ARE AWARE IT IS A PROBLEM. CALLED TOYOTA AND THE AGREED TO INSPECT IT AT NO CHARGE. OF COURSE DEALER DID NOT SEEM TO THINK IT WAS A PROBLEM SO TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS CONTACTED. GUESS WHAT? THEY SEE NO PROBLEM EITHER! APPARAENTLY TOYOTA IS SPRAYING THIS STUFF OVER THE RUST TO BUY THEM SOME TIME. NOW I FIND OUT THEY HAD BEEN REPLACING THESE FRAMES BUT THAT EXPIRED AT THE END OF 2012? THE TACOMA HAS A 15 YR UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRENTY ON THE FRAME? IS IT JUST ME OR DOES THIS SEEM A LITTLE ODD? PARTS OF THE FRAME ARE PAPER THIN AND I PERSONALLY DO NOT FEEL IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I WILL BE STAYING IN TOUCH WITH TOYOTA ABOUT THIS AND I WILL NOT SETTLE FOR THE ANSWER THEY ARE GIVING ME. HOW CAN THEY ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM AND THEN AT THE END OF 2012 JUST PULL THE PLUG AND PRETEND IT IS NOT A PROBLEM ANY MORE? I THINK IT MIGHT BE TIME TO GET TOGETHER WITH THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE TO START A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TT