2000 Toyota Tacoma

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT DETACHED AND CAUSED THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 270,000.

AFTER RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE FOR A RUSTED FRAME IN 2008 OUR 2000 TACOMA WAS INSPECTED AND SAID TO BE OK. RECENTLY THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISE IN THE REAR END, SO WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED US THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT RUST TO THE FRAME AND THE BACK SUSPENSION MOUNT WAS COMPLETELY DETACHED, LEAVING THE TRUCK UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE INITAL NOISE WAS NOTICED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A HIGHWAY.

MY TACOMA WAS BROUGHT TO TOYOTAWORLD NEWARK IN NOV. 2011 FOR A RUST PROBLEM AND THEY COATED THE FRAME WITH CORROSION PREVENTIVE COMPOUND AND PROMISED THAT THE COATING WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. IN NOV. 2015 IT WAS BROUGHT IN AGAIN BECAUSE RUST WAS PRESENT. DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 3 MONTHS (TOYOTA KNEW MY VIN, YET DID NOT NOTIFY) TOYOTA NEVER RECALLED 1995-2004 TACOMAS EVEN THOUGH THEY BOUGHT BACK AND CONDUCTED FRAME REPAIRS ON SOME VEHICLES THROUGH THOSE YEARS. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN MAY 2017. THERE WAS SOME RUST BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS THAT BAD. LAST WEEK I NOTIICED 2 CRACKS IN THE FRAME, ONE ON THE LEFT FRAME AND ONE ON THE RIGHT FRAME. I TOOK IT TO SHORE TOYOTA IN NJ AND THEY SAID IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY (BECAUSE WORK WAS DONE IN 2011 AND THE 15 YEAR WARRANTY APPLIED FROM THE TIME RUST WAS AN ISSUE) AND THEY WOULD CALL ME ABOUT A RENTAL CAR THE NEXT DAY. WHEN THEY DIDN'T CALL, I CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE AND I WANTED TO HAVE MY TACOMA FIXED THERE. THEY NEVER CALLED BACK. AGAIN I CALLED TO FOLLOW UP. LARRY, THE SERVICE MANAGER, SAID THAT IT WAS INSPECTED, THEY WOULDN'T FIX IT, AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I WROTE ON THEIR SERVICE INVOICE THAT 'SHORE TOYOTA REFUSED TO DO WORK ON FRAME WHEN I OFFERED TO PAY OUT-OF-POCKET.' WHEN I ASKED FOR A PHOTOCOPY OF THE INVOICE, THEY REFUSED. COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE CASE#1803132713. SUPERVISOR DID NOT RETURN MY CALL.BOTTOM LINE: I'VE BEEN DRIVING IN A VEHICLE THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF ME AND MY LOVED ONES. TOYOTA KNOWS THAT THE FRAMES OF THEIR 1994-2004 VEHICLES (800,000 OF THEM) ARE DEFECTIVE. YET, TOYOTA HAS NEVER RECALLED THESE VEHICLES. THEY SHOULD BE REPAIRED, BOUGHT BACK, OR REPLACED BY TOYOTA. HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE TO BE INJURED OR DIE BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED?