As most of you are all aware, someone broke into the Sequoia in Kazakhstan and robbed us and in the process of the robbery, the rear passenger window was completely shattered. Since the break-in, we have been using a blue plastic tarp as a make-shift window and have been dealing with the added cold, noise and inconvenience of discovering new, tiny shards of glass pretty much on a daily basis. Having a tarp for a window also poses a little bit of a security concern and it has definitely contributed to some added stress levels from time to time. We have tried unsuccessfully on a couple occasions to get the window replaced but we did not have our hopes up too high knowing that finding replacement parts for a vehicle that is not sold or manufactured anywhere near where we were was going to be a long shot. We came close to finding a new window surprisingly enough in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, but alas it did not pan out. We tried again at the main Toyota dealership in Istanbul but again, most people at the dealership had not even heard of a Sequoia let alone seen one. Another option was to get a replacement window shipped out from the states, but since we are pretty much on the move all the time, we were finding it difficult to coordinate just exactly where to ship the window, who to ship it to and how to do it without spending a fortune.
Finally, two months after Little Pepe’s window was smashed out we were able to get it replaced. Our friend Lori laid the groundwork for us at a Toyota dealership in Prague, Czech Republic and when we arrived three days before Christmas, the boys at the dealership were waiting with a brand new, rear passenger window that even had the same color tint. It was quite an event at the dealership because according to the manager, they only see about two Sequoias per year and this was the first that was in the middle of an around the world expedition. The staff at the dealership were very helpful and within a few hours everything was fixed and fixed for a lot less than we had anticipated. So, many thanks to Robert and everyone else at Toyota in Prague… having a new window is a relief and now Swinger has an entourage.
Toyota said they could help with the window but the mess and the smell is our problem
You guys want this tarp back?
Swinger’s new Toyota posse
Group photo at Toyota Prague
