NHTSA Complaint #10935167 — 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA

THE FRAME ON MY 2003 TACOMA IS RUSTING BADLY! THE TRUCK ONLY HAS ABOUT 98K AND IM THE SECOND OWNER. I PURCHASED THE TRUCK ON 9/3/2011. THE TRUCK IN GETTING TO THE POINT OF BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE MOUNTING POINTS FOR THE LEAF SPRINGS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY TYPE OF NOTIFICATION FROM TOYOTA REGARDING THE FRAME RECALL. I'VE HAD IT LOOKED AT BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY ARE TELLING ME I DON'T QUALIFY FOR ASSISTANCE BECAUSE NO CORROSION TREATMENT HAS APPLIED. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED! IF I HAD BEEN, THEN THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME FREE OF CHARGE. I'VE RECEIVED AT LEAST THREE LETTERS FROM TOYOTA FOR THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER RUST ISSUE, SO THEY DO KNOW I OWN THE TRUCK AND HOW TO CONTACT ME. I'VE LIVED AT THE SAME LOCATION FOR 14 YEARS! FROM WHAT I'VE READ, THE CORROSION TREATMENT THEY ALLEGEDLY OFFERED DIDN'T HELP ANYWAY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE WERE NOTIFIED AND OTHER WERE NOT. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE JUST LIKE ME DRIVING THESE UNSAFE TRUCKS. I HAVE TO WONDER HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE CLUELESS ABOUT THE DANGER THEY ARE PUTTING THEM SELVES INTO, NOT TO MENTION THEIR FAMILIES. AT ANY MOMENT YOU COULD LOOSE TOTAL CONTROL...AFTER THE TRUCK COLLAPSE IN HALF AFTER YOU HIT A BUMP WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IM SURE IF SOMEONE LOOKED HARD ENOUGH THEY COULD FIND EXAMPLES OF THESE UNSAFE TACOMAS CAUSING SERIOUS AND POSSIBLY FATAL ACCIDENTS. THEY ALREADY KNOW ITS A PROBLEM. HOW ELSE COULD THEY HAVE WON A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE VENDER THAT SUPPLIED THEM WITH THESE FRAMES. THEY SUED, AND WON BECAUSE THESE FRAMES ARE DEFECTIVE. THAT SETTLEMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTINGENT UPON THE ONGOING INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS FOR EVERYONE AFFECTED. *TR