NHTSA Complaint #10929791 — 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA

I WAS RECENTLY DOING SOME ROUTINE REPAIRS ON MY 2000 TUNDRA AND NOTICED THE LEFT REAR FRAME RAIL & SPARE TIRE CROSSOVER HAS VERY SEVERE RUST DAMAGE. ON 9/21/2011 THIS 2000 TUNDRA WAS INSPECTED FOR FRAME RUST BY A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I ASKED THE TECH WHAT WAS THE METHOD FOR INSPECTION, HE REPLIED THEY WOULD HIT THE FRAME WITH A HAMMER IN THREE TO FOUR AREAS, IF THEY WERE UNABLE TO PUNCH A HOLE IN THE FRAME IT PASSED INSPECTION. THE SPARE TIRE WAS NOT REMOVED TO INSPECT THE SPARE TIRE CROSSOVER. THE LEFT REAR FRAME AREA (WHERE THE WORST DAMAGE IS ON MY FRAME) IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO HIT WITH A HAMMER WITH THE SPARE TIRE IN PLACE. TOYOTA & THE DEALERSHIP IS DENYING ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER. I BELIEVE THAT IF THIS FRAME WAS IN GOOD SHAPE IN 2011 IT SHOULD STILL BE ROAD WORTHY TODAY (IT IS NOT) I KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY TUNDRA OWNER THAT IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, THEY KNEW THAT THESE FRAMES WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FAIL, I NOW HAVE A TRUCK WITH AN ABOVE AVERAGE BODY PERFECT INTERIOR AND A WELL MAINTAINED DRIVE TRAIN THAT IS BASICALLY WORTHLESS. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO REPLACE THESE FRAMES WHEN THEY DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM INJURY OR WORSE DEATH? I HAVE BEEN DRIVING TOYOTA'S SINCE 1984, THIS IS FIRST TIME THE FRAME FAILED BEFORE THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. AND NOW I HEAR THE ARE HAVING FRAME RUST PROBLEMS WITH LATER MODEL TUNDRA'S & TACOMA'S. *TR