NHTSA Complaint #11306844 — 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

WE BOUGHT IT IN 2014 WITH 76K AND THE FRAME HAD RECENTLY BEEN COATED. SUPPOSEDLY IT WAS FROM TEXAS, AND WE LIVE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THE FRAME LOOKED GOOD AND SEEMED SOLID, BUT WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO ALL OF THE COATING FELL OFF REVEALING VERY RUSTY METAL. BY 3 YEARS (2017) THERE WERE HOLES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME MAINLY BEHIND THE FRONT TIRES AREA, AND THE REST OF THE FRAME IS ALSO QUITE RUSTY. I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT SWAY BAR END LINKS BUT THEY BROKE SOON AFTER AND KEPT BREAKING WITHIN A FEW MONTHS AFTER REPEATED REPLACEMENT DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME MOVEMENT. IT FEELS LESS SAFE WITHOUT A FUNCTIONAL SWAY BAR ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AND HAS MORE BODY ROLL WITH MORE RISK OF ROLLOVER. THE FRAME IS ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT, AND THE RUST IS SPREADING LIKE CANCER IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS UNDERNEATH. THE BODY HAS ALMOST NO RUST AT ALL. I PARKED IT IN THE WINTERS TWICE NOW, HOPING TO BUY TIME. BUT I'M COUNTING THE DAYS THAT IT WILL BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE ANYMORE. I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHEN TO DETERMINE WHEN THAT WILL BE, AND AM HOPING IT DOESN'T HAVE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS LIKE OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH THE EARLIER SEQUOIAS. I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY WIFE AND PAID $16000 CASH FOR IT. WE'VE PUT ON 60K MILES BUT EXPECTED TO GET MANY MORE YEARS OUT OF IT BEING THAT IT IS SO SOLID AND RELIABLE OTHERWISE. THIS FRAME IS HORRIBLE, AND PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SHOWN ITSELF A PROBLEM SOONER, HAD IT NOT BEEN IN TEXAS MOST OF ITS PREVIOUS YEARS. IT IS WRONG THAT THE 01-04 YEARS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL THAT ONLY COVERED THE 05-08 MODELS, WHEN IT IS OBVIOUS THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTED THEN AS WELL BASED ON SO MANY SIMILAR REPORTS. TOYOTA GOT MONEY FROM THE FRAME MAKERS AND US CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE SEVERELY PREMATURELY RUSTING FRAMES, THAT WILL BE TAKING 10 OR MORE YEARS OFF THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE OTHERWISE. PLEASE ADDRESS AND TAKE THIS PROBLEM SERIOUSLY.