NHTSA Complaint #10810973 — 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA

IN 2012, I DROVE MY TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP TRUCK TO A LOCAL DEALER IN RESPONSE TO A RECALL LETTER. I WAS RESPONDING TO A NOTICE THAT TOYOTA HAD MAILED TO ME. THE RECALL WAS FOR A SPARE TIRE CARRIER THAT MAY FALL OFF THE FRAME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BECAUSE OF A KNOWN CORROSION PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S FRAME WAS TOO BADLY CORRODED. THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A FRAME INSPECTION, & THEY TOLD ME MY VEHICLE HAD "FAILED". THE DEALERSHIP DID NOTHING, EXCEPT TO CONTACT TOYOTA CORP. REPRESENTATIVES FROM TOYOTA HAVE TELEPHONED ME TWICE TO SAY THAT THEY WILL DO NOTHING. THE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES SAID THAT MY TRUCK "DID NOT MEET THE PARAMETERS OF THEIR PROGRAM". SINCE THEN, I HAVE RECEIVED THREE MORE NOTICES FROM TOYOTA CONCERNING THE FAULTY SPARE TIRE PLATE. EACH TIME I BRING MY PICKUP TRUCK IN RESPONSE TO THESE RECALL NOTICES, I'M TURNED AWAY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED HOW TOYOTA HAD BOUGHT BACK VEHICLES LIKE MINE BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY STEEL USED TO MAKE THE FRAME. MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH ELDERLY. SHE HAS THREE FORMS OF CANCER, AND WE DEPEND IN THIS VEHICLE. WHEN MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED THE TACOMA NEW IN 2001, WE ALSO PURCHASED A $2,200 EXTRA PROTECTION PACKAGE. WE HAD HOPED THAT TOYOTA WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT SHOULD ANYTHING GO WRONG. THEY REFUSED. THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE IS BUCKLING. IT SHAKES AND GROANS WHEN MOVING ALONG THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP & TOYOTA BOTH INFORMED US THAT OUR TRUCK IS UNSAFE, & THEN WALKED AWAY WITHOUT OFFERING A REMEDY. WE FEEL WE'VE BEEN TRAPPED BY UNJUST BUSINESS PRACTICES. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, EVERYONE INVOLVED HAS REFUSED TO HELP US. NOW THAT THE NHTSA IS INVOLVED, WILL YOU HELP US? [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB*JB