NHTSA Complaint #10655227 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

AFTER HEARING A CLUNKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING, I TOOK THE SEQUOIA TO THE TOYOTA REPAIR CENTER WHERE THEY INSPECTED IT AND TOLD ME THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME UNDERNEATH THE CAR WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND HAD ACTUALLY CRACKED IN HALF TOWARDS THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR, BUT WHICH HAD EXPIRED 1 MONTH BEFORE I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN. UPON CALLING TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ONLY ISSUED FOR SEQUOIA'S TO RECEIVE AN UNDER-COATING TO PREVENT FREEZE RUST DURING THE COLDER MONTHS AND THAT IF THEY NOTICED THE FRAME WAS ALREADY BROKEN DOWN, ONLY THEN WOULD THEY REPLACE IT. SINCE I HAD ALREADY GOTTEN AN UNDER-COATING DONE BY MY MECHANIC PRIOR TO TOYOTA SENDING US THE NOTICE, I DID NOT BRING OUR VEHICLE TO TOYOTA'S REPAIR CENTER. FOR THIS REASON, TOYOTA SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT OUR BROKEN FRAME SINCE WE NEVER CAME IN FOR OUR UNDER-COATING. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW MY SEQUOIA, AT ONLY 10 YEARS OLD, CAN HAVE SUCH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IF IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROPERLY CREATED AND INSTALLED IN THE FIRST PLACE. TO HAVE THE FRAME COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND ACTUALLY CRACK IN HALF, ALL WHILE MY WIFE WAS USING THE CAR TO DRIVE MY CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL, PRACTICE, ETC., IS ESPECIALLY DISCONCERTING AFTER HEARING HOW DANGEROUS IT WAS TO BE DRIVING IT BY THE TOYOTA MECHANIC. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS TOYOTA'S DUTY TO FIX THIS ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS THEIR NEGLIGENCE THAT CREATED THIS POORLY CONSTRUCTED VEHICLE/FRAME AND I AM ISSUING THIS COMPLAINT IN ORDER TO PURSUE TOYOTA IN THIS ENDEAVOR. *TR