NHTSA Complaint #10558521 — 2008 TOYOTA TUNDRA

CASE # [XXX] ( FILED WITH TOYOTA) ON JAN 3RD WHILE RETURNING HOME FROM HAVING BRAKES REPLACED ON MY 2008 TUNDRA MY VEHICLE ENGINE DIED ON A BUSY 4 LANE ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC. I LOST MY ABILITY TO STEER IMMEDIATELY. FORTUNATELY I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT BEFORE I LOST TOTAL MOMENTUM OF THE VEHICLE. I TRIED RESTARTING AND IT WOULD NOT. I CHECKED ALL THE INDICATERS AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED 1/4 FULL WHICH WOULD EQUATE TO APPROXIMATELY 5-7 GALLONS. AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL EFFORTS TO RESTART THE TRUCK I CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HE SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE OUT OF GAS!!!...I SHOWED HIM THE FUEL GAGE INDICATOR SHOWING THE 1/4 LEVEL AND HE TOLD ME THAT HIS DAD ALSO HAD A TUNDRA AND HAD EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE FUEL TANK FLOAT HANGING GIVING FALSE READINGS OF WHAT THE ACTUAL FUEL LEVEL WAS. HE SUGGESTED WE TAKE THE TRUCK TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND PUT A FEW GALLONS IN PRIOR TO TAKING THE TRUCK TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ONCE WE ADDED SOME GASOLINE THE TRUCK STARTED RIGHT UP. I WAS SHOCKED AND UPSET FOR A NUMBER OF REASON. 1. I JUST PAID A TOW SERVICE $75 DOLLARS FOR TAKING ME DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT A HALF BLOCK TO A LOCAL CONVENIENT STORE TO PUT GAS IN MY TRUCK. 2. I STARTED REALIZING WHAT A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE THIS IS. I COULD HAVE JUST AS WELL BEEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MILES PER HOUR AND HAVE MY ENGINE JUST QUIT ON ME!! THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT ARE QUITE SCARY AS TO ALL THE ACCIDENT SCENARIOS THAT COULD OCCUR TO INCLUDE LOSS OF LIFE FOR NOT ONLY THE DRIVER OF THE FAILED VEHICLE BUT THOSE TRAVELING CLOSE BY AS WELL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR