NHTSA Complaint #10892696 — 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA

WE RECENTLY HAD OUR TOYOTA TACOMA 2001 BROUGHT TO A MECHANIC TO FIX THE ALTERNATOR & CHANGE OIL. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE FRAME OF THE BODY WAS SO RUSTED IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE & THAT DUE TO THE STEEL USED IN MANUFACTURING THE VEHICLE IT HAD RUSTED EASILY FROM ROAD SALT USED IN COLD CLIMATES. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR & MAKE OF TOYOTA HOWEVER WE WERE UNAWARE OF THIS. WE CONTACTED TOYOTA & THEY SAID THAT ANY FIX TO THE VEHICLE WAS EXPIRED. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOME SORT OF A REVIEW FOR THE TIRE LIFT BUT DUE TO THE RUST OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SAYS IT CAN NOT BE FIXED AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. WE REALIZE THIS IS AN OLDER VEHICLE BUT IT DOES RUN WELL & IT SEEMS UNFAIR TO LOSE THE USE OF OUR TRUCK DUE TO AN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS. THE RUST TO THE VEHICLE FRAME IS SO EXTREME THAT IT WAS DESCRIBED BY OUR MECHANIC AS LOOKING LIKE "SWISS CHEESE" & THAT HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT OR WE WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN HOW UNSAFE THIS VEHICLE IS & THAT NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO THIS CONDITION. IT SEEMS WRONG TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE & BECAUSE POOR MATERIALS WERE USED HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO SALVAGE IT. I AM WRITING YOU TO SEE IF THERE IS AN OPTION THAT WE ARE UNAWARE OF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR