Excessive corrosion could cause brakes to fail and spare tires to fall off on Toyota Tundra pickups sold between 2000 and 2003.
Only weeks after notifying 3.8 million customers that deadly floor mats could cause accelerators to jam wide open, Toyota is set to launch yet another recall.
By comparison, the numbers are more modest, with just 110,000 vehicles involved, but government regulators stepped in when they realized excess rust on Tundra pickups sold during the 2000 through 2003 model-years could lead brakes to fail and spare tires to fall off.
The recall is focused on 20 states, as well as the District of Columbia, where road salts and chemical de-icers are used, during winter months, to clear roadways. They can cause “excessive corrosion,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
That, in turn, can lead to brake system failures or rust away the mounts holding spare tires underneath the vehicle. If tires break loose, the government said, that could create a road hazard for other vehicles. The NHTSA is recommending that until repairs can be made, motorists remove spare tires and store them in the vehicle bed.
Toyota is advising owners covered by the recall to contact their local dealer. The maker plans to either replace heavily corroded sections of a vehicle’s frame, if necessary, or if corrosion has been more limited, spray the impacted area with a rust-resistant compound.
The states covered by the recall include: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. And the automaker says it will also take steps to address the problem outside the U.S.
The recall covers the last-generation Tundra, but the current version of the full-size pickup has had its share of problems, including reports of excessive flexing of the cargo bed that can lead to warped tailgates. That led to the truck being removed from the Recommended Buy list published by influential Consumer Reports magazine, in 2008, though the non-profit organization noted significant improvement in Tundra quality this year.
In October, the Japanese maker revealed that it would recall 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles because of floor mats that can jam the accelerator pedal if loose or improperly mounted. Notices went out to consumers this month. But the investigation into the problem is continuing, and NHTSA investigators cautioned that other factors may be involved, such as a defectively-designed floor pan.
Several lawsuits, including at least one class action, have been filed against the company, with some plaintiffs contending that an unexplained glitch with vehicle electronics could be causing “runaway vehicles.” Numerous tests by the government, however, have so far failed to uncover such a problem.