NHTSA Complaint #10914885 — 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA

I AM A RETIRED TOYOTA MASTER DIAGNOSTIC TECHNICIAN. I HAD TO REPLACE MY REAR BRAKE LINES ON MY 2003 TUNDRA-WITH 79,962 MILES. THE REAR BRAKE LINES HAVE RUSTED THROUGH WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED- AT MY EXPENSE. MY BRAKES FAILED AS I WAS TOWING A TRAILER IN HEAVY, CITY TRAFFIC. I WAS GOING 35MPH WHEN A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND THEN PROCEEDED TO STOP SUDDENLY TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING LOT. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS LUCKY THERE WAS ROOM TO MANEUVER TO THE RIGHT SO I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I'M SURE THERE HAVE BEEN THOSE LESS FORTUNATE. THEN, AS I WAS REPLACING THE LINES, I SAW A FLUID LEAK UNDER REAR OF VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING HAS RUSTED SO BADLY THAT THE GEAR OIL IS LEAKING THROUGH THE HOUSING. UNFORTUNATELY THE ONLY REMEDY IS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPLETE REAR AXLE/DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY. ALSO THE POWER STEERING LINES HAVE ALSO RUSTED THROUGH WHICH ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED- AT MY EXPENSE. THE FRAME HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED-UNDER RECALL. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE MATERIAL THAT WAS USED IS OF VERY LOW QUALITY CAUSING VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.IE; LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL DUE TO DIFFERENTIAL LOCK-UP, LOSS OF VEHICLE BRAKING DUE TO RAPID FLUID LOSS, LOSS OF VEHICLE STEERING CONTROL DUE TO RAPID FLUID LOSS. I AM AMAZED THAT TOYOTA MOTOR CO. WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THE PRODUCT THEY SOLD-WITHOUT BEING FORCED TO. ONE QUICK LOOK UNDER A 2003 TUNDRA IS ALL IT TAKES TO SEE THAT LOW/POOR QUALITY HARDWARE AND MATERIALS WERE USED. WITHOUT REPAIR AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF ABOVE STATED COMPONENTS SOMEONE WILL GET INJURED-POSSIBLY FATALLY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE COMPLAINTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THESE COMPONENTS SHOULD LAST FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE TRUCK. A DIFFERENTIAL IS NOT AN ITEM ONE EXPECTS TO EVER REPLACE-"SORRY BUT YOUR WARRANTY'S EXPIRED". THANK YOU. SINCERELY, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR