NHTSA Complaint #11098055 — 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

LAST SEPTEMBER, I SENT A WRITTEN PLEA ASKING TOYOTA TO EVALUATE AND CORRECT THE EXCESSIVE FRAME CORROSION ON MY 2005 4RUNNER. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED OUTSIDE SOUTH CAROLINA OR EVER BEEN EXPOSED TO ROAD SALT. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE DISCLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY WAS UNSATISFACTORY. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS CORRECTED THIS IDENTICAL PROBLEM ON SIMILAR MODELS AND MODEL YEARS. YESTERDAY, MY WIFE AND I AND TWO FRIENDS RIDING WITH US NARROWLY ESCAPED A FATAL ACCIDENT WHEN THE FRONT SUSPENSION SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME DUE TO THE CORROSION PROBLEM. AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND THE STEERING WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AFTER COMING CLOSE TO HITTING AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO AN EXPERIENCED INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO EXPRESSED DISBELIEF AT THE CORRODED CONDITION OF THE FRAME AND IMMEDIATELY DECLARED THE VEHICLE UNREPAIRABLE AND INOPERABLE. HE SAID WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SURVIVED THE STRUCTURAL FAILURE. IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF SEVERE CORROSION ON SIMILAR VEHICLES AND HAS CORRECTED THE ISSUE ON SOME MODELS, PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AND DETERMINE IF THE EXCESS CORROSION IS INHERENT TO 4RUNNERS AND IF AN IMMEDIATE RECALL IS WARRANTED. THE INTERNET HAS MANY REFERENCES TO EXCESS FRAME CORROSION ON 4RUNNERS. IT IS UNCONCIONABLE THAT TOYOTA WOULD PUT THOUSANDS OF THEIR CUSTOMER'S LIVES AT RISK TO AVOID THE COST OF REPAIRING FRAMES THAT WERE SUBJECT TO AN INADEQUATE CORROSION PROTECTION PROCESS. AGAIN, MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 76,000 MILES, HAS NO CORROSION WHATSOEVER ON THE BODY, AND HAS NEVER BEEN OPERATED WHERE SALT IS APPLIED TO THE ROADS. ATTACHED IS ONE OF THE MANY PHOTOS OF THE FAILURE LOCATION. *JS*JS*JS *JS *JS *TR