NHTSA Complaint #10971096 — 2002 TOYOTA TUNDRA

MY 02 TOYOTA TUNDRA WAS INCLUDED IN A RECALL FOR ITS FRAME AND CROSSMEMBERS RUSTING OUT AND CAUSING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. I BROUGHT MY TRUCK IN A COUPLE YEARS AGO FOR THE RECALL. THE TRUCK HAD VERY LOW MILES FOR THE YEAR UNDER 60K AND WAS TAKEN GOOD CARE OF. THE DEALER DEEMED THE FRAME WAS NOT RUSTED THROUGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT A COMPLETE NEW FRAME. INSTEAD THEY SPRAYED MY FRAME WITH SOME RUST PROOF PAINT. WELL THAT BAND AIDE HAS ALMOST ALL FALLEN OFF AND THE FRAME IS WORSE THAN EVER WITH CROSS MEMBERS RUSTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I CONTACTED TOYOTA HQTS AND AFTER BEING BOUNCED AROUND FOR OVER AN HOUR WAS TOLD BY A SUPERVISOR THAT I AM OUT OF LUCK BECAUSE THEY PLACED A YEAR WARRANTY ON THE PAINT JOB. ANY PROBLEMS OVER A YEAR PAST THE WARRANTY WORK IS THE CONSUMERS PROBLEM. WELL THE PAINT HELD FOR A BIT BUT ULTIMATELY DID NOT RESOLVE THE UNDERLYING RUST PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE DEALER THAT HAD DONE THE WARRANTY WORK. THEY INSPECTED THE FRAME AND TOOK PICTURES TO SEND TO TOYOTA, BUT ULTIMATELY SAID THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE AT THIS TIME. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY RESOLUTION WITH THE ISSUE. MY MAIN ISSUE IS THAT THEY THINK SPRAYING AN UNDERCOAT ON A RUSTED FRAME IS GOING TO RESOLVE THE RUST ISSUE WHEN IN FACT IT WAS A BAND AIDE THAT HAS HIDDEN WHAT WAS MANIFESTING UNDERNEATH AND ULTIMATELY DESTROYING A VERY GREAT VEHICLE. TOYOTA HAS NOT HELD UP THEIR END IN STANDING BEHIND WHAT IT SELLS AND BEHIND RESOLVING MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEMS FOR ITS CONSTOMERS.