NHTSA Complaint #10712228 — 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA

ON APRIL 11 2013 I PURCHASED A 2001 TOYOTA TUNDRA. MONTHS LATER WHILE CHECKING THE TIRE PRESSURES AT A GAS STATION, I WAS SHOCKED TO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FRAME ABOUT TWO INCHES ACROSS. I CALLED MY NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER, WOBURN FOREIGN MOTORS, AND SPOKE WITH NICOLE WHO RAN THE VIN NUMBER AND TOLD ME THAT JAFFARIAN TOYOTA IN HAVERHILL HAD INSPECTED THE TRUCK ON 20 APRIL 2012. THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT MY TRUCK. NEXT, I CALLED JAFFARIAN AND EXPLAINED THAT THE FRAME LOOKED TO ME AS IF IT COULD SNAP IN HALF, AND THAT I COULD NOT SEE HOW THAT MUCH RUST COULD OCCUR FROM WHEN THEY INSPECTED IT. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THEN SAID THAT IF THEY HAD INSPECTED AND PASSED THE TRUCK THEN THEY WOULD HAVE APPLIED A PRESERVATIVE UNDERCOATING TO THE FRAME. I POINTED OUT THERE WAS NO SUCH PAINT OR UNDERCOATING ANYWHERE TO BE SEEN ON THE FRAME. HE TRIED TO GET ME BACK ON THE RECALL LIST, BUT FOUND OUT THAT HE COULD NOT. BEING MY ONLY VEHICLE FOR USE TO MAKE A LIVING, I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE TRUCK UNTIL 11 APRIL 2015, WHEN THE FRAME SNAPPED IN HALF AS I WAS ENTERING MY DRIVEWAY. I HAD BEEN ON INTERSTATE 95 AT 65 MPH ONLY MINUTES EARLIER, WHEN I EXPECT THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL AND PROBABLY ROLLED OVER HAD THE FRAME SNAPPED THEN. IF THE VEHICLE WAS INDEED INSPECTED, THEN IT SEEMS EVIDENT THAT THE INSPECTOR WAS NEGLIGENT IN HIS DUTIES AND PASSED THE VEHICLE KNOWING THAT IT HAD SEVERE AND DANGEROUS CORROSION TO ITS CHASSIS. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AND HAVE ASKED THEM TO COVER THE COST OF TOWING MY TRUCK TO A DEALER, AND REPAIRING IT TO A SAFE, ROADWORTHY CONDITION UNDER THE TERMS OF THEIR ORIGINAL RECALL AND THEY HAVE REFUSED. ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR