NHTSA Complaint #11406561 — 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

DRIVING EASTBOUND INTO PORTLAND (OR) ON HWY.26 (SUNSET HWY.), THREE LANES INBOUND. THREE LANES INBOUND, I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE.AS WE NEARED THE TUNNELS, TRAFFIC STOPPED BUMPER-TO-BUMPER, AS IT OFTEN DOES. I STOPPED, LEAVING A SMALL BUFFER BETWEEN MY VEHICLE AND THE ONE AHEAD OF ME, AND WATCHED THE RED MAZDA CX-5 APPROACHING BEHIND, NOT SLOWING, AND BRACED FOR THE BUMP. BAM! IT WAS A SERIOUS JOLT. WE PULLED OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. TRAFFIC WAS BUSY, SO IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET OUT TO INSPECT DAMAGE. I WAS EXPECTING MORE THAN I FOUND, AND ACTUALLY NOTICED NO DAMAGE AT THE TIME. THE MAZDA THAT HAD REAR-ENDED ME SUSTAINED SOME SERIOUS COSMETIC DAMAGE, BUT WAS STILL DRIVEABLE. WE TRADED INFO, AND I HEADED ON TO MT.HOOD TO SKI. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, I NOTICED THAT MY DRIVERS SEAT WAS A BIT WOBBLY. WHEN I GOT A CHANCE TO CHECK THE CAUSE,I FOUND THAT THE FRONT LEFT BOLT HOLDING THE SEAT WAS LOOSE.I TIGHTENED IT BACK DOWN.,BUT IT CAME LOOSE AGAIN AFTER THE EMBEDDED NUT CAME LOOSE FROM THE FRAME. A GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED A PLEATHORA OF 4RUNNER AND TACOMA OWNERS ENCOUNTERING SIMILAR FAILURES.TO FIX, I DRILLED A 1/2" HOLE THROUGH THE BOLT HOLE AND THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME CHAMBER, RAN A 4"X1/2" STEEL BOLT THROUGH THE HOLE, FASTENED WITH A LARGE WASHER, LOCK WASHER, AND NUT, SOME THREAD-LOCK, AND SLATHERED ON THE BLACK SILICONE RTV. ALL DONE. SEEMS JUST FINE, NOW. CBS NEWS DID A STORY ON THEIR MORNING SHOW LAST THURSDAY, REGARDING DANGERS OF SIMILAR SEAT FAILURES IN HONDAS, I BELIEVE. I'M SURPRISED THAT THESE COMPANIES HAVE NOT DONE RECALLS ON THESE DESIGN FAILURES,ALREADY.