NHTSA Complaint #11165972 — 2009 TOYOTA TUNDRA

REPORTING A SAFETY ISSUE REGARDING THE ECM, WIRE HARNESS, AND A SENSOR ATTACHED TO THE TRANSMISSION. IN PARTICULAR, A TRANSMISSION SENSOR FAILED AND ALLOWED A TRANSMISSION FLUID TO WICK ITS WAY THROUGH THE WIRE HARNESS AND INTO THE COMPUTER FOR THE TRUCK. IN THIS CASE, THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK'S STARTER TO ENGAGE WHEN THE LIGHTS FOR THE VEHICLE WERE TURNED ON, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE TRUCK WAS ALREADY RUNNING. ADDITIONALLY, THE TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP RUNNING, EVEN WHEN THE KEY WAS DISENGAGED FROM THE IGNITION. UPON ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THE DAYLIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, THE TRUCK DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF MY STREET, JUST AFTER PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. AFTER HAVING THE TRUCK FOR A FEW DAYS, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD GOTTEN INTO THE COMPUTER AND THAT THIS WAS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN SHOWED ME THE COMPUTER, TURNED IT UPSIDE DOWN, AND I COULD SEE THE FLUID DRIPPING OUT. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS WAS $3,855.95. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE, WHICH WAS DENIED CITING THE FACT THAT THE TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. TOYOTA DID NOT ISSUE A WRITTEN RESPONSE, AND I SIMPLY RECEIVED A PHONE CALL TO TELL ME THAT THE CLAIM WAS DENIED. I EXPLAINED THAT AN ISSUE SUCH AS THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT AND THIS FLUID COULD HAVE BEEN LEAKING INTO THE COMPUTER FOR YEARS. THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT CARE ABOUT THIS FACT OR THE POTENTIAL ISSUE WITH FLUID GETTING INTO THE TRUCK'S COMPUTER. A FAULTY COMPUTER, DAMAGED BY TRANSMISSION FLUID COULD CAUSE A NUMBER OF SAFETY ISSUES. IN THE CASE OF MY TRUCK, IT WAS THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OFF WHEN THE KEY WAS REMOVED. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IF NHTSA COULD LOOK INTO THIS. I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR FOLLOW UP. THANK YOU.