2008 Toyota Sequoia

My wife pulled out of a parking lot and there was a loud noise and the vehicle began to shudder violently. Approximate speed was 10 mikes an hour and she was able to stop. The drivers side rear suspension airbag had broken through the lower control arm, and was under the rear driver side tire. It appears some frame members are cracked as well. Had this happened at highway speeds, it may have resulted in a catastrophic accident. Writer contacted Toyota, as I do not recall being notified of their ZH9 frame replacement program that resulted from a class action settlement, and the rear of the frame is horribly rusted. Vehicle probably would have qualified at that time to be fixed, but am now out of the window. Manufacturers should be made to notify via certified mail, so they know their customers received notifications like this.

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN MAY 2011 WITH 60,000 MILES ON IT. IT CURRENTLY HAS 100,440 MILES ON IT.. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE FROM A DEALER, AN UNDER CAR INSPECTION INDICATED NO VISIBLE RUST TO SPEAK OF AND PAINT/FINISH WAS STILL PATENT ON REAR SUSPENSION, AT THE LAST OIL CHANGE OIL CHANGE, THE TECH NOTED THE EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE REAR SUSPENSION AND COMMENTED THAT HIS TOYOTA TUNDRA A FEW YEARS OLDER HAD A RECALL FOR SEVERE RUST AND REPLACEMENT FOR THE SAME THING, AND THAT THIS WOULD LIKELY BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL TOO IN TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TOYOTA DEALER TODAY FOR A FRAME INSPECTION UNDER THE EXTENDED FRAME WARRANTY AND THE FRAME WAS DECLARED FAULTY FOR A SMALL RUST THROUGH AREA AND WILL BE REPLACED. HOWEVER THE ENTIRE REAR SUSPENSION AND CROSS FRAME WERE SEVERELY RUSTED THROUGH AND CRUMBLING, WHICH THEY SAID WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE FRAME WARRANTY. THIS PRESENTS A SEVERE SAFETY SITUATION SINCE THIS SUSPENSION COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. SINCE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE PAST ON TOYOTAS AND RESULTED IN A RECALL, IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AGAIN FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL. AT NO TIME DURING OUR OWNERSHIP HAS IT BEEN IN OR NEAR SALT WATER, NOR EVER SUBMERGED IN FRESH WATER. IT'S STORED OUTSIDE ON AN ASPHALT DRIVEWAY YEAR ROUND AND USED PRIMARILY AS A BACK UP FOR OUR MAIN VEHICLE. UNFORTUNATELY THE DEALER REMOVED IT FROM THE HOIST BEFORE I COULD GET A PHOTO OF IT IN CURRENT CONDITION.

I WAS DRIVING IN RAIN GOING ABOUT 35-40 MPH ENTERING A CURVE WHEN I SAW A CAR STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME TURNING INTO A DRIVEWAY. I TRIED TO HIT THE BRAKES BUT MY CAR ACTUALLY ACCELERATED TO 55-60 MPH HITTING THE VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. IT THREW THE CAR I HIT OVER 100-200 FEET OFF THE ROAD INTO A TREE. MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND FINALLY STOPPED 1-2 FOOTBALL FIELDS' LENGTH UP THE ROAD. I HAD OVER $23,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR INCLUDING A CRACKED FRAME. IT TOOK OVER 6 WEEKS TO GET MY CAR FIXED BECAUSE THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP KEPT FINDING MORE DAMAGE AS THEY WORKED ON IT. IT WAS NOT TOTALED EVEN THOUGH I HAD INSURANCE THAT WOULD HAVE TOTALLY REPLACED THE CAR WITH A NEW ONE IF IT WERE TOTALED. I FEEL THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE. I SUSTAINED SHOULDER, NECK, BACK, AND R KNEE INJURIES WHERE I KEPT TRYING TO HIT THE BRAKE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED I TOLD THEM THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP BUT ACTUALLY ACCELERATED WHEN I TRIED TO HIT THE BRAKE. I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO CORPORATE TOYOTA BUT THEY NEVER GOT BACK WITH ME. SOON AFTER THERE WAS A RECALL WHERE SOMETHING HAD TO BE REPLACED ON MY ACCELERATOR. I WAS VERY UPSET THAT I NEVER GOT ANY RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA ABOUT MY ACCIDENT. *TR

FOUND A LARGE (2" DIA.) WASHER ON THE DRIVEWAY AT REAR OF THE CAR AND LATER A LARGE APPROX. 3/4" BOLT HEAD ON THE DRIVEWAY AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, NOTED THAT THE FRONT BOLT ON THE RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM WAS MISSING ITS HEAD. SUBSEQUENTLY HAD THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. REPLACE THE BOLT AT A COST OF ABOUT $110.00. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT PREVIOUSLY THAT I KNOW OF (WAS PURCHASED AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED SUV WITH 60,000 MILES), NOR HAD IT BEEN SUBJECT TO ANY HARD USE OR ROUGH TRAVEL, NOR HAD IT HIT CURBING OR OTHER OBSTACLE DURING OUR USE. APPEARANCE OF THE SHEARED BOLT HEAD HAD INDICATED THAT STRESS CRACKING AND CORROSION HAD BEGUN PRIOR TO TOTAL FAILURE. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE CONTROL ARM OR THE SITE WHERE THE BOLT CONNECTS IT TO THE FRAME. CONCLUSION WAS THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PART THAT EVENTUALLY FAILED UNDER REGULAR USE. *TR