NHTSA Complaint #11338446 — 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA

OUR 2001 TOYOTA TACOMA 4WD DOUBLE CAB (WITH 143,000 MILES AND EXCELLENT CONDITION) ABS CONTROL UNIT FAILED SOMETIMES IN EARLY JAN 2020. AFTER WE SEARCHED FOR REPLACEMENT PART ON TOYOTA DEALERS' WEBSITES, THEY SHOWED "THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE." OUR SHOP SEARCHED AND WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA DEALERS THE SAME THING. I CONTACTED DEALERS AND THEY SAID NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT TO CONTACT TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA IN PLANO, TEXAS. WE ALONG WITH OUR SHOP SEARCHED FOR USED/RECYCLED PART ACROSS AMERICA. WE FOUND ONE FROM OREGON BUT IT DID NOT WORK AFTER INSTALLATION. MARCH 17, 2020, WE CONTACTED TOYOTA IN PLANO, TEXAS, WITH A LETTER TO CHRIS NIELSEN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTS SUPPORT & CHIEF QUALITY OFFICER, ABOUT THIS ABS CONTROL UNIT WITH A "SAFETY ISSUE" AS MY FAMILY AND 10 OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS WHO HAD STUCK OR HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH THIS "SAFETY ISSUE." TOYOTA RESPONDED MARCH 27, 30, 31, APRIL 6, 8, BUT REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE "SAFETY ISSUE." FINALLY, ON APRIL 9, TOYOTA SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. WHEN I ASKED IF WE, ALONG WITH THOUSAND OF OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS ARE STUCK WITH THIS "SAFETY ISSUE"? TOYOTA RESPONDED BY SAYING WE GOT THERE PHONE NUMBER AND ADDRESS IF WE HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS. MEANWHILE, ON APRIL 3, 2020, WE FOUND A SECOND UNIT, BUT IT AGAIN FAILED AFTER 2 MONTHS. THESE ARE EXPENSIVE UNITS EVEN A USED ONE AND IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL AND TO UNINSTALL. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE AND THOUSAND OF OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS ACROSS AMERICA ARE STUCK WITH THIS "SAFETY ISSUE" BECAUSE NO PART WAS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE WITHIN US. IT IS NOT JUST 2001 AS OTHER YEARS USED THE SAME PART. TOYOTA KNEW LONG AGO AND DECIDED NOT TO PRODUCE THEM ANYMORE AND THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA ARE STUCK WITH THIS, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN. I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THERE HAVE BEEN FATALITIES INVOLVED THIS ABS CONTROL UNIT BUT NO ONE KNEW ABOUT IT.