1998 Toyota T100 Complaints

ON JULY 28, 2004, MY 1998 TOYOTA T-100 4X4 SUFFERED A COMPLETE LACK OF STEERING CONTROL AS I STARTED DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAUSE WAS A STEERING ROD RELAY THAT BROKE IN TWO. I HAVE THE FAILED PART. IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN EITHER A TWO-PART FAILURE OR A FLAW IN THE ORIGINAL CASTING. ONE-HALF OF A CROSS-SECTION THROUGH THE BREAK IS BRIGHT GRAY STEEL WITH THE ROUGH SURFACE CHARACTERISTIC OF FATIGUE FAILURES, THE OTHER HALF IS COMPARATIVELY SMOOTH AND THE SAME RUST-COLOR AS THE OUTSIDE OF THE PART. MY TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN USED FOR ROCK-CLIMBING, NOR HAS IT BEEN RAMMED INTO A SOLID OBSTACLE SUCH AS A CURB OR LARGE POTHOLE. THE ONLY TRAUMA IT HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO IS LOW-SPEED MANEUVERING IN HEAVY SNOW AND ICE. ALTHOUGH THE FAILURE DID NOT CAUSE DEATH OR DAMAGE, IF IT HAD OCCURED A FEW MINUTES LATER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. WHILE I DON'T THINK TOYOTA OWES ME ANYTHING ON A SIX-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE, I AM WORRIED THAT THIS FLAW MIGHT REPRESENT A BAD BATCH OF STEERING ROD...

WE HAVE A TOYOTA T-100 SR 5, EXTEND CAB 4X4 TRUCK. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT. THE BELT WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE AND IS LOOSE. I HAVE ASKED AT DEALERS AND I AM TOLD THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY SAFETY WARRANTY. WE HAD A VEHICLE THAT WAS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD AND IT HAD A SEAT BELT PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS REQUIRED BY LAW TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT. I CANNOT FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUE. "SAFETY DEVICES ARE UNDER WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS (BY LAW)." I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE ON THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. [XXX] NOTE: THE ADDRESS IS STILL A TOYOTA DEALER, BUT IS NO LONGER BALES TOYOTA. I DO NOT KNOW THE NEW NAME.*AK ODI SPOKE TO CONSUMER AND THE RETRACTOR WILL ALWAYS LOCK WHEN UNDER HEAVY BRAKING AND MAY NOT LOCK WHEN THE WEBBING IS SUDDENLY TUGGED. ALSO AT TIMES THE WEBBING WILL NOT RETRACT. INTERMITTENT ISSUE. CW INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE CONSUMER WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH, VEHICLE WILL START VIBRATING AT THE FRONT. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT VIBRATION WAS COMING FROM DEFECTIVE WHEELS THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THREE OF THE WHEELS WERE WARPED, A FACTORY DEFECT. *JG *AK

REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. (DUNLOP 265/70R16 1115). YH