Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | |||||
| PG00503 | 08/19/2003 | 10003563 | Spare tire carrier operation. various modlels including the 2004 landcruiser and 4 runner. *tt | 10/23/2003 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | ||||||
| PE09049 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 10/06/2009 | 01/26/2010 | FRAME CORROSION | 09V444000 | |
| This investigation was opened based on 20 reports of model year (my) 2000 and 2001 vehicles experiencing severe corrosion of the frame, resulting in either under-body mounted spare tire separation or rear brake failure.the failure report counts shown above are for my 2000 and 2001 vehicles only.by letter of november 16, 2009 toyota has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (09v-444) of approximately 110,000 model year (my) 2000 through 2003 tundra vehicles.the affected recalled vehicles were sold or are currently registered in the district of columbia and the states of ct, de, il, in, ky, ma, md, me, mi, mn, nh, nj, ny, oh, pa, ri, va, vt, wi, wv.toyota alleges high amounts of road salts are used in these areas and excessive corrosion of the rear cross-member (to which the spare tire is mounted) can occur and cause the spare tire to separate from the vehicle and can also lead to rear brake failure.toyota stated: toyota has tentatively concluded that the root cause is a combination of factors, including usage in areas where road salt is applied, inadequate vehicle maintenance (i.e., not following the recommendations in the owner's manual), the design of the rear cross-member, and manufacturing issues.the design of the rear cross-member is such that it is open on the top side and susceptible to accumulation of dirt, water and road salt.manufacturing issues of the rear cross-member related to the coating process also affect its corrosion resistance.toyota also states that owners of my 2000 through 2003 vehicles in states not covered by the recall will be notified on how to obtain the same inspection and repair as the recalled vehicles, free of charge.further toyota states: please note that while toyota has not determined a defect exists in 2004 through 2006 my tundra vehicles, toyota plans on initiating a field action in the near future to prevent future corrosion on those vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the affected region at no cost to the owner.by letter of january 8, 2010 toyota has notified the agency that it amended its defect information report for safety recall 09v-444 to include the fuel tank mounting system (i.e., fuel tank support straps and fuel tank mounting cross-members) in the safety recall.toyota states: toyota has not decided that the fuel tank mounting system in those vehicles contains a safety-related defect within the meaning of federal motor vehicle safety law.rather, toyota is taking this action at odi's request and to avoid future disagreement with odi with respect to this issue.my 2007 and newer tundra vehicles are not included in any of toyota's actions as the rear cross-member in those vehicles have been redesigned so that it is open on the bottom.the actions taken by toyota are sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist in the subject vehicles.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| PE09049 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 10/06/2009 | 01/26/2010 | FRAME CORROSION | 09V444000 | |
| This investigation was opened based on 20 reports of model year (my) 2000 and 2001 vehicles experiencing severe corrosion of the frame, resulting in either under-body mounted spare tire separation or rear brake failure.the failure report counts shown above are for my 2000 and 2001 vehicles only.by letter of november 16, 2009 toyota has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (09v-444) of approximately 110,000 model year (my) 2000 through 2003 tundra vehicles.the affected recalled vehicles were sold or are currently registered in the district of columbia and the states of ct, de, il, in, ky, ma, md, me, mi, mn, nh, nj, ny, oh, pa, ri, va, vt, wi, wv.toyota alleges high amounts of road salts are used in these areas and excessive corrosion of the rear cross-member (to which the spare tire is mounted) can occur and cause the spare tire to separate from the vehicle and can also lead to rear brake failure.toyota stated: toyota has tentatively concluded that the root cause is a combination of factors, including usage in areas where road salt is applied, inadequate vehicle maintenance (i.e., not following the recommendations in the owner's manual), the design of the rear cross-member, and manufacturing issues.the design of the rear cross-member is such that it is open on the top side and susceptible to accumulation of dirt, water and road salt.manufacturing issues of the rear cross-member related to the coating process also affect its corrosion resistance.toyota also states that owners of my 2000 through 2003 vehicles in states not covered by the recall will be notified on how to obtain the same inspection and repair as the recalled vehicles, free of charge.further toyota states: please note that while toyota has not determined a defect exists in 2004 through 2006 my tundra vehicles, toyota plans on initiating a field action in the near future to prevent future corrosion on those vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the affected region at no cost to the owner.by letter of january 8, 2010 toyota has notified the agency that it amended its defect information report for safety recall 09v-444 to include the fuel tank mounting system (i.e., fuel tank support straps and fuel tank mounting cross-members) in the safety recall.toyota states: toyota has not decided that the fuel tank mounting system in those vehicles contains a safety-related defect within the meaning of federal motor vehicle safety law.rather, toyota is taking this action at odi's request and to avoid future disagreement with odi with respect to this issue.my 2007 and newer tundra vehicles are not included in any of toyota's actions as the rear cross-member in those vehicles have been redesigned so that it is open on the bottom.the actions taken by toyota are sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist in the subject vehicles.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||
| 01/29/2008 | 31000 | 1 | 07/01/2003 |
| Driving at highway speed on a bridge, the tire blew out, causing the truck to spin around 180 degrees. the truck was able to be driven on the rim to an area where the tire could be changed. inspection of all four tires showed no excessive tread wear and no items lodged in the tire which would cause a flat. we are still deciding whether to replace all four tires or not. tire is dueller h/t 689. *tr | |||
| 12/30/2004 | 2 | ||
| Recemt rainy weather in southern california have shown the oem tires b.f.goodrich tires 265/70r16 rugged trail on my 2003, toyota tundra to be dangerous. these tires not only show significant wear, at only 17000 miles, but dangerously slip and slide on wet roads. on 2 separate occasions, in wet conditions, my truck slipped off the roadway. one occasion, resulting in damage to my front bumper. at first opportunity i replaced these tires with bridgestone, dueler at revos, an exceptional tire in wet conditions. toyota should be alerted to (1) the rapid wear condition of these oem tires and (2) the potential danger in wet conditions. *ak | |||
| 07/05/2003 | 10 | 3 | |
| The truck has a severe pull to the right while driving. this occurs because an incorrect tire size was installed on the truck at the factory. consumer has gone through arbitration, in which the manufacture is blaming on to the dealership and not correcting the problem . *la | |||
| TIRES - TREAD/BELT | |||
| 05/03/2007 | 8126 | 1 | 10/13/2003 |
| Tire failure: toyota tundra 2003 equipped with dunlop grand trek p265/70r16 tires: the tires developed 5 long cracks between the treads parallel with the treads on the wear surface. the tires were the original equipped tires on the vehicle from the manufacturer. the vehicle was manufactured in 08/03. mileage of the vehicle was 8,126 miles. the vehicle was noncommercial, light duty work and has been parked in a closed location-garage. there was no evidence of weather checking on the tires and the tread depth was near new. there has been no off road use of the vehicle. there has been very limited towing use of less than 1,500 lbs of total towed weight. the tread separation occurred on the right front tire.*ak | |||
| 10/20/2003 | 16000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 toyota tundra (2 wheel drive/v8) has uneven tire wear. needs tire replacement at 16,000 miles. mechanics tell me it's a shock or frame problem. toyota denies their responsibility, says it's the tires and/or i drive too hard. *la | |||