NHTSA Complaint #11122319 — 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON AUGUST 22, 2018 MY POWER STEERING SUDDENLY GAVE OUT WHILE TURNING MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. LUCKILY, I WAS ON CITY STREETS AND ONLY DOING 30 MPH. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE THAT FIXED ALONG WITH AN OIL CHANGE AND OTHER NORMAL MAINTENANCE. THE MECHANIC CALLED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT HE FOUND THAT MY FRAME HAS SIGNIFICANT CORROSION TO THE POINT THAT THE FRAME WOULD MOST LIKELY FAIL IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED DUE TO CORROSION, AND SINCE THE FRAME AND OTHER COMPONENTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE POWER STEERING WERE SO RUSTED THE LABOR NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. THIS INCREASED COST PUT THE REPAIR ABOVE THE SALVAGE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. MY OTHERWISE WONDERFUL VEHICLE HAS BEEN RENDERED USELESS BECAUSE OF THE FRAME CORROSION. I FEAR TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE MY PREGNANT WIFE AND INFANT SON WERE IN THE CAR WITH ME.