NHTSA Complaint #10548234 — 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

I WAS NOTIFIED BY TOYOTA THAT MY 2001 SEQUOIA WAS PART OF A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR 2001 TO 2004 SEQUOIAS. CERTAIN OF THESE SEQUOIAS EXPERIENCED MORE THAN NORMAL'CORROSION TO THE VEHICLE FRAME. I TOOK THE CAR TO MOLLE TOYOTA IN KANSAS CITY FOR INSPECTION. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VEHICLE DID HAVE A HOLE IN THE FRAME AND QUALIFIED FOR A FRAME REPLACEMENT. PICTURES WERE TAKEN. I WAS PROMISED COPIES BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEM. APPARENTLY TUNDRA AND THE TACOMA VEHICLES WERE ALSO PREVIOUSLY RECALLED FOR FRAME RUST DUE TO USING INFERIOR METAL WHICH RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND BY THE TIME IT WAS VISIBLE IT WAS TOO LATE TO CORRECT. SPECIFICALLY RELEVANT IS THE FACT THAT FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION BY NHTSA IN OCTOBER 2009. TOYOTA ISSUED A REGIONAL RECALL THAT COVERED 110,000 2000-2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA VEHICLES. THE SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA ARE BUILT USING THE SAME FRAME AND MAY BE BUILT ON THE SAME ASSEMBLY LINE, AND PROBABLY USE THE SAME STEEL FOR THE FRAME. WHY WAS THE SEQUOIA NOT ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PREVIOUS INQUIRES AND RECALLS? DEALERSHIPS MUST HAVE KNOWN OF THE PROBLEM FOR THE TUNDRA AND THE SEQUOIA VEHICLES. YET NO ONE INFORMED OWNERS. NO ONE INSPECTED THE SEQUOIA. THIS IS CLEAR NEGLIGENCE. THIS WAS KNOWN SINCE AT LEAST 2009. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE. UPON LEARNING OF THE DEFECT I EXPLORED THE POSSIBILITY OF TRADING THE VEHICLE IN. I DISCLOSED THE FRAME PROBLEM AS PART OF THIS. NO DEALER WANTED THE VEHICLE. THE SUGGESTION WAS TO SELL THE VEHICLE MYSELF. I FIND IT PARTICULARLY TROUBLING THAT THE MOLLE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ACTUALLY SUGGESTED THAT IT MIGHT BE NECESSARY FOR ME TO SIGN A WAIVER IN ORDER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP. THE WAIVER WAS TO HOLD TOYOTA HARMLESS SHOULD SOMETHING RESULT AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECT. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN IN TALKING TO THE CASE MANGER ASSIGNED TO MY COMPLAINT SHE REPEATED THIS REQUEST. *TR