NHTSA Complaint #10692539 — 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

AFTER GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND PARKING, I FOUND IT HARD TO MOVE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CAR BEGAN MAKING LOUD NOISE. WHEN OUR MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT, HE SAID THE ENTIRE FRAME HAD RUSTED, INCLUDING THE PART THAT HOLDS THE POWER STEERING FLUID, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING FLUID TO FALL OUT, AND CREATING THE STEERING PROBLEMS. HE DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND RECOMMENDED I CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME AS PART OF TOYOTA'S FRAME REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. I TRIED CALLING 2 TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS (INCLUDING THE ONE FROM WHICH I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) AND BOTH SAID THEY'RE NOT RUNNING THAT PROGRAM ANYMORE AND THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I THEN CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE, FILED MY CASE AND REQUESTING THAT FRAME BE REPLACED DUE TO THE EXTREME RUST AND THE PROBLEMS IT WAS CAUSING WITH UNDER 75,000 MI ON IT. THEY SIMPLY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I AM NOW WITHOUT THE VEHICLE, WHICH I USE FOR MY BUSINESS, AND PURCHASED JUST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, WE WERE NOT TOLD THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL OR POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH RUST. *TR