NHTSA Complaint #10543898 — 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

CRACKS IN THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO APPEAR OF WHICH I FIRST NOTICED AFTER 90K MILES IN THE AREA OF THE FR PASSENGER AIR BAG. I FIRST THOUGHT THE AIR BAG MAY BE DEFECTIVE AND READY TO EXPLODE. AS THE CRACKS INCREASED IN NUMBER AND SIZE, THEY BEGAN TO APPEAR ALL OVER THE DASHBOARD. I NOTIFIED BOTH THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE MAIN TOYOTA OFFICE IN CALIFORNIA, THEY MADE AN OFFER TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD BUT I WOULD HAVE TO COVER MORE THAN HALF OF THE COST. THEY DID NOT ADMIT TO ANY PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. I WAS INFORMED THOUGH THAT TOYOTA USED RECYCLED PLASTICS IN THE MANUFACTURER OF SOME OF THE INTERIOR PARTS. AT THAT POINT, BEING UNEDUCATED IN THE USE OF RECYCLED PLASTICS I BEGAN TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND, THIS IS WHAT I FOUND; TOYOTA HAS USED RECYCLED PLASTICS FOR THE MANUFACTURER OF ITS AUTOMOBILE AND TRUCK PARTS FOR SOMETIME AND ARE CONSIDERED EXPERTS IN THE RECYCLING FIELD. I ALSO FOUND THAT DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WE HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECYCLED PLASTICS BEING USED "VIRGIN, RECYCLED AND DEGRADABLE." THIS HAS PRESENTED A PROBLEM OF WHICH MY TOYOTA 4RUNNER IS A VICTIM, THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. THE USERS OF RECYCLED PLASTICS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LONG LIFE SPAN PRODUCTS (MY DASHBOARD) HAS TO BE SURE THAT DEGRADABLE (SHORT LIFE SPAN) PLASTICS FEEDSTOCKS DO NOT GET MIXED IN TOGETHER. WHAT YOU HAVE IF YOU ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN IS A DASHBOARD THAT DISINTEGRATES BEFORE ITS TIME, LIKE A BOTTLE MADE TO BE DISPOSED OF IN A LANDFILL. I BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED SINCE TOYOTA IS IN THE BUSINESS OF USING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLASTICS FEEDSTOCKS FOR MANUFACTURING INCLUDING CREATING EQUIPMENT THAT IS USED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE RECYCLING INDUSTRY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE A FAULTY, DISINTEGRATING DASHBOARD COULD AFFECT THE SAFE USE OF MY AIRBAG IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE CORRECTION OF THIS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE CONSUMER. *TR