Steering Rod Relay Connection problems of the 1998 Toyota T100

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 relays. If so, then there are other t-100s out there that could kill their owners.