NHTSA Complaint #10957432 — 2012 TOYOTA TUNDRA

MY 2012 TOYOTA TUNDRA IS EQUIPPED WITH TOYOTA'S VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC). ONE OF THE FEATURES OF THE VSC IS WHEN THE COMPUTER PERCEIVES A LOSS OF TRACTION, THE COMPUTER (WITHOUT THE DRIVER'S CONSENT) ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE LOSS OF TRACTION BY BRAKING AND/OR ENGAGING ONE OR BOTH OF THE FRONT TIRES. IN NOVEMBER OF 2016, THE VSC ON MY TUNDRA (WITH ONLY 43K MILES) BEGAN TO FAIL AND INSTEAD OF BECOMING INOPERABLE AND DOING NOTHING, THE VSC ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE THE FRONT TIRE(S) DURING ROUTINE TURNING MOVEMENTS. THIS CAUSES A JERKING SENSATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE PULLS SHARPLY TO ONE-SIDE. THIS COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND I HAVE SPENT NEARLY $2,800 TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TO DATE, TOYOTA HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR DISABLE THE FEATURE. IT IS MY OPINION THE VSC SYSTEM IN THE 2012 TUNDRA IS UNSAFE. THIS IS NOT ONLY BASED ON THE FACT I AM THE OWNER OF A DEFECTIVE TUNDRA, PRIOR TO RETIRING IN NOVEMBER 2015; I WORKED FOR THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL FOR MORE THAN 27 YEARS AS AN OFFICER AND SERGEANT. I INVESTIGATED NUMEROUS TRAFFIC COLLISIONS, WORKED IN SPECIALIZED INVESTIGATION UNITS AND RECEIVED ADVANCED TRAINING IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION. I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED PULL ON A STEERING WHEEL, SUCH AS I AM EXPERIENCING IN MY TUNDRA, COULD CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL. THEREFORE, IT IS MY OPINION BASED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED THAT THE VSC SYSTEM ON THE 2012 TOYOTA TUNDRA IS DEFECTIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.