NHTSA Complaint #10821906 — 2006 TOYOTA TUNDRA

WHILE TOWING A TRAVEL TRAILER ON A MOUNTAIN PASS FREEWAY IN WA STATE WITH NO SHOULDER. GOING UP THE HILL AND STARTED TO PUT THE FOOT DOWN ON GAS TO GET SPEED UP FOR THE UPCOMING STEEP HILL, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL POWER WAS LOST, ENGINE WENT INTO LIMP MODE WITH NO PLACE TO PULL OVER. I HAD TO TRAVEL AT 8MPH, UP THE HILL UNTIL I FOUND A SUITABLE PULL OUT SPOT FOR THE TRUCK AND 30FT TRAILER. I WAS ALMOST WAS REAR ENDED MULTIPLE TIMES EVEN WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS GOING. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2X, BOTH IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. THE FIRST TIME WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY RAN OUT IN AND THE DEALER WAS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP OUT. BUT THEY WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CHARGE $100 TO TELL ME IT WOULD COST $4200 TO REPAIR IT, INCLUDING THE SECONDARY $1800 EGC VACUUM PUMP, WHICH ONLY RUNS, AS THE DEALER TOLD ME, 30-45 SECONDS AT START UP, THEN THE PUMP DOES NOTHING. WHY DOES THIS OCCUR AFTER RUNNING 2+ HOURS?? THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS TOWING THE SAME TRAILER AT THE EXACT SAME PLACE ENDING UP GOING ONLY 8 MPH UPHILL AGAIN ON THE HIWAY W/60MPH LIMIT!! THIS TIME AT THE ADVICE OF A FRIEND, ONCE OUT OF TRAFFIC. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY FOR 10 MINUTES, RECONNECTED IT AND THE COMPUTER HAD RESET ITSELF AND THE TRUCK RAN FINE THE LAST 45 MINUTES HOME. I NO LONGER TRAVEL THAT ROAD WITH NO SHOULDER AS I AM AFRAID IT'S GOING TO CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN THE 05-06 MODELS. YET ARE FIXING IT UNDER RECALL ON 07+ MODELS BUT WON'T HELP ANYONE ELSE WITH AN '06 OR OLDER. THIS IS MY 3RD TOYOTA AND LAST. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I HAD 60000 MILES, THE 2ND TIME IT WAS AT 68500 MILES. I ONLY HAVE 87500 ON IT NOW, AT 10 1/2 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. I AM ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A TRUCK THAT HAS A COMPANY THAT WILL STAND BEHIND ITS BRAND. I'M DONE WITH TOYOTA. THEY STILL HAVEN'T FIXED MY AIRBAGS EITHER!!