Feds Probe Toyota Tundras
2000-01 models face inquiry into corrosion, brake, spare tire issues
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
Toyota Tundra
Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday opened a preliminary investigation into corrosion on 218,000 Toyota Tundra pickups — the latest safety issue to dog the Japanese automaker.
In a notice on its Web site, NHTSA said its Office of Defects Investigation had opened a preliminary probe into corrosion linked to spare tires and brake lines on 2000 and 2001 model year Tundras.
The government said it has “received 20 reports on the subject vehicles that relate to spare tire separation and brake system failures as a result of severe frame corrosion.”
NHTSA said 15 reports allege the underbody-mounted spare tire “separated from the rear crossmember” and five reports alleged brake lines broke on the driver’s side of the “rear crossmember at upper shock mount.”
Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said the company is aware of the NHTSA investigation, and was conducting its own evaluation of the issue.
“We’re at the preliminary evaluation stage,” he said, adding that the company hasn’t communicated with its dealers about the issue.
NHTSA said it had not identified any accidents or injuries as a result of the complaints.
This isn’t the first trouble Toyota has had with corrosion on pickups.
Last year, Toyota offered to buy back 1995-2000 model year Tacoma pickups whose frames were rusted beyond repair. The buyback — 1.5 times the Kelley Blue Book price — applied to pickups in 20 cold weather states.
Toyota also agreed to apply supplemental corrosion treatment and inspect and replace frames if necessary on 2001-04 Tacomas in cold weather states, but not to buy them back.
In total, Toyota extended the warranty to 15 years and unlimited miles on more than 1.4 million 1995-2004 Tacoma trucks.
Toyota said the 2000-01 Tundras under investigation by NHTSA “had a similar frame design” and were built by the same Toyota supplier, but were manufactured at a different North American plant, Lyons said. He said Toyota hadn’t decided to take any similar steps for the Tundras.
Sean Kane, president of Massachusetts-based Safety Research & Strategies, said that when rust developed on some Toyota pickups “the bottom can collapse.”
“This is just more bad news for Toyota at a time when they are getting hit on all sides,” Kane said.
The new NHTSA investigation came just one day after Toyota formally agreed to recall 3.8 million 2004-09 model year vehicles over reports of sudden acceleration that may have been linked to jammed accelerator pedals under floor mats.
The company’s president issued an apology Friday after four people died in an Aug. 28 California crash whose cause is suspected of being linked to a jammed floor mat.
That recall is the company’s largest ever in the United States — surpassing a 900,000 vehicle recall in 2005.
Toyota and the Transportation Department urged owners of the affected vehicles to immediately remove the floor mats until Toyota comes up with a “vehicle” fix — something that will go beyond simply a new floor mat.
dshepardson@detnews.com (202) 662-8735
