Toyota Motor North America, Inc.: Structure › Frame and Members › Underbody Shields
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Nov 18, 2009 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 110,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
TOYOTA IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 TUNDRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: 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. EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE REAR CROSS MEMBER MAY CAUSE THE SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE STOWED UNDER THE TRUCK BED WHICH WOULD PRESENT A ROAD HAZARD THAT COULD CAUSE A CRASH. ALSO, CORROSION OF THE REAR CROSS MEMBER COULD AFFECT THE REAR BRAKE LINES AND THE PROPORTIONING VALVE RESULTING IN DIMINISHED BRAKING CAPABILITY.
The risk
SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE AND DIMINISHED BRAKE CAPACITY COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
TOYOTA IS ASKING OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL A REMEDY CAN BE OBTAINED. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR CROSS MEMBER AND RELATED COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE BRAKE LINES, AND REPLACE THEM IF NECESSARY. IF THE CROSS MEMBER DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED, IT WILL BE SPRAYED WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION COMPOUND. THESE SERVICES WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE, HOWEVER MULTIPLE VISITS TO THE DEALER MAY BE REQUIRED. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT APRIL 30, 2010. OWNER MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Toyota Tundra | 399 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
| 2002 Toyota Tundra | 482 | 6 | 1 | 30 |
| 2001 Toyota Tundra | 415 | 5 | 2 | 27 |
| 2000 Toyota Tundra | 1,011 | 7 | 5 | 43 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 09V444000.
Full record for the 2003 Toyota Tundra → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →