NHTSA Complaint #10693092 — 2007 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT DIFFICULT STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS, E.G., PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, I HAD AN ALIGNMENT DONE AT A TOYOTA DEALER, BUT DEFERRED HAVING A POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED UNTIL THE NECESSARY PART COULD BE OBTAINED. DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND SHORTLY AFTER EXITING A FREEWAY, I WAS BACKING UP AS PART OF A Y-TURN WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY COLLAPSED TOWARD THE FRONT RIGHT, AS THOUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL HAD FALLEN OFF. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD BROKEN. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS, PERHAPS FATAL ACCIDENT. I'VE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS MODEL YEAR TOYOTA SEQUOIA WAS RECALLED FOR FAULTY BALL JOINTS, BUT THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED AFTER THE DEFECTIVE PARTS WERE NO LONGER USED. MY CONCERN IS THAT OTHERS MIGHT BE DRIVING AROUND WITH PARTS THAT ARE STILL FAULTY, AND THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO OTHER SERIOUS OR EVEN FATAL ACCIDENTS. *TR