NHTSA Complaint #10676165 — 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA

MY POWER STEERING STARTED MAKING A NOISE AND THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. UPON CHECKING MY POWER STEERING FLUID AND ADDING SOME THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT, BUT I NOTICED I WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT THAT THE RUST ON THE UNDERNEATH OF THE TRUCK WAS SO SIGNIFICANT AND THAT A HOLE HAD ACTUALLY RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE LEAKAGE OF POWER STEERING FLUID. I HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION REPLACED. THE MECHANIC NOTIFIED ME AND ACTUALLY SHOWED ME ALL OF THE RUST CONCERNS. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE FRAME AND OTHER HARDWARE PARTS ON THE UNDERNEATH OF THE TRUCK. TOYOTA NOTIFIED ME OF 2011 THAT THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS AND REQUEST I GO TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE A COMPOUND PLACED ON THE FRAME TO PREVENT FURTHER RUSTING. I DID COMPLETE THIS AS REQUESTED, HOWEVER THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT THE COMPOUND LOOKED LIKE IT WAS SPORADICALLY PLACED AND THAT IT BASICALLY DID NO GOOD. THE RUST ISSUE IS SIGNIFICANT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA ONCE I KNEW THE ISSUE WAS RUST RELATED AND AFTER TALKING WITH A COUPLE OF PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE AT HEADQUARTERS. HE BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME UNLESS TOYOTA ISSUED ANOTHER FRAME RECALL. HE SAID THE COMPANY WAS CONSIDERING IT, BUT NO ISSUE HAS CAME OUT. I THEN STATED THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE TOYOTA KNOWS THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE, BUT IS NOT SURE IF THEY WANT TO OWN UP TO IT AND ADDRESS IT. THIS WAS NOT DENIED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE I WAS SPEAKING WITH. IN ADDITION TO THE FRAME RUST, THERE ARE OTHER HARDWARE RUST ISSUE THAT ARE OF SAFETY CONCERN. ANY LINE THAT CARRIES FLUID UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK IS IN DANGER OF RUSTING THROUGH. ALSO, THERE IS A STEERING MECHANISM WITH SIGNIFICANT RUST AND IF FOR SOME REASON THE BOLTS COMPLETELY RUST OFF THEN I LOSE CONTROL OF ALL STEERING. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY CONCERNS. *TR