1997 Toyota T100

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WORN OUT PARTS. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ON ONE OCCASION. *AK

THE CENTRAL STEERING LINKAGE THAT CONNECTS THE TIE RODS WAS DEFECTIVE. THIS DEFECT RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING. FORTUNATELY THE STEERING LINKAGE ROD FAILED AS I TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I SAVED THE ROD FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS IF YOU WISH TO RETRIEVE THE ROD. THE AUTO SHOP THAT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE HAD NOT SEEN THIS DEFECT, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE ROD WAS MANUFACTURED ABOUT 80% SEPARATED. DESPITE THIS, IT REQUIRED ALMOST 6 YEARS FOR THE ROD TO FRACTURE. THE 80% THAT WAS NOT SOLID WAS NEVER COMPLETELY FORMED. MINUTES BEFORE THE FAILURE , I WAS RETURNING FROM THE HOSPITAL, AND THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 55 MPH. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE ROAD I WOULD HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC STEERING FAILURE AND RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY MUCH WORSE. I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES COULD HAVE THIS DEFECT AND LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, AND OR FATALITIES. *LA

I HAVE A 1997 TOYOTA T-100 4X4 EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCK. THE CENTER DRAG LINK IN THE STEERING FAILED. I AM A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL STRUCTURAL ENGINEER AND HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF METAL FATIQUE, FABRICATION DEFECTS, ETC. THE CASTING APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. THIS COMPONENT HAS NEVER BEEN ABNORMALLY STRESSED TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. THE RESULT OF THE FAILURE LEFT THE STEERING WHEEL TURNING FREELY WITHOUT CHANGING THE DIRECTION THAT THE WHEELS WERE POINTED. THE FAILURE ACTUALLY OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT, THEREFORE THERE WAS NOT ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURED MINUTES EARLIER I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT SPEED. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN THE CAUSE OF A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO RELATED ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE FAILURE THAT WERE TAKEN BY THE DEALER. THE PHOTOS ARE DIGITAL AND ARE SUCH THAT THEY CAN BE EMAILED.

CLUTCH PEDAL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET WAS TWISTED. WORK ORDER STATED PART WAS WORN. CONSUMER REFUSED SERVICE. CONSUMER'S INSPECTION REVEALED THE REPLACEMENT PART HAD BEEN COMPLETELY REMANUFACTURED WITH A HIGHER GRADE OF STEEL. AFTER REMOVING THE OLD BRACKET, CONSUMER FOUND TWO FRACTURES IN THE UNIT. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT DEALERSHIP KNEW ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE PART. *TT *JB *TS