1998 Toyota Towing Hitch Kit

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the equipment. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Equipment › Electrical › Anti-theft Devices1
000
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility1
001
Equipment1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Trailer Hitches99E012000
Filed Apr 19, 199920,613 vehiclesToyota Motor Co., Ltd.

Defect. TOWING HITCH KITS AND AFTERMARKET TRAILER TOWING WIRE HARNESS CONVERTERS FOR USE ON 1998-1999 LEXUS LX470, AND TOYOTA LAND CRUISERS. DUE TO INADEQUATE WATERPROOFING PERFORMANCE AND IMPROPER INSTALLATION LOCATION OF THE CONVERTER, WHICH IS MOUNTED ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT COULD OCCUR IF WATER ENTERS THE CONVERTER HOUSING.

Risk. THE SHORT CIRCUIT CAN CAUSE A FAILURE OF THE CONVERTER, AND IF A TRAILER IS BEING TOWED AT THE TIME, CAN ALSO CAUSE FAILURE OF THE TRAILER LIGHTS.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONVERTER.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility1 injured
Filed Aug 10, 2004TX

RELATED TO: MOST OF THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD POWER SEATS ON THE PASSENGER SITE. LAST EVENING, I LAID MY CELL PHONE AND WALLET ON THE PASSEGER SEAT BEFOR I STARTED THE ENGINE, WHILE I WAS BACKING OUT FROM THE PARKING LOT, I MADE A SMALL TURN, THIS MOVEMENT CAUSED MY CELL PHONE AND WALLET SLIDED DOWN TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE ENDED UNDER THE RIGHT SEAT. SO I STOPED THE CAR AND BENDED OVER THE RIGHT SIDE TO GET THEM OUT WITH MY RIGHT HAND, SINCE THEY WERE UNDER THE SEAT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO EVEN REACH THEM. THEN I USED MY LEFT HAND, TRIED REACH THEM FROM UNDER THE SEAT. GUES WHAT HAPPENED? SINCE MY RIGHT HAND STILL ON THE RIGHT SITE OF THE SEAT, IT ACCIDENTLY PUSHED THE SEAT MOVE FORWARD BUTTON, THE SEAT WAS MOVING FORWARD WHILE MY LEFT HAND STILL UNDER THE SEAT. BECAUSE THERE IS A MATEL OBJECT WAS UNDER, IT HURT MY LEFT HAND BADLY, LUCKILY I REALIZED I WAS PUSHING THE BOTTON, I RELEASED IT ON TIME, SO THERE'S NO SERIOUS INJURE. HAD I NOT RELEASE MY RIGHT HAND ON TIME, I WOULD HAVE GOT A REAL SERIOUS INJURY. SO PLEASE START SOME OF YOUR INVESTIGATION. IF POSSIBLE MAKE A RECALL RECOMMENDATION TO THOSE VEHICLE WILL CAUSE THE SAME SAFTY THREAD. THANKS. YAN FANG CAO

Equipment › Electrical › Anti-theft Devices
Filed Jul 29, 2003NC

BRAKE VIBRATION AND EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR. BRAKES WERE SERVICED AT ABOUT 38,000 MILES DUE TO SEVERE VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING. PROBLEM RETURNED AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS. BRAKES REPLACED AGAIN AT 68,000 MILES AND VIBRATION HAS AGAIN RETURNED. THERE IS A VIBRATION AND ROUGH BRAKING WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS.*AK

Equipment
Filed Jun 6, 2003WA

WE CURRENTLY HAVE A 1999 TOY EX CAB AND ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THE BACK SEAT BEAT TIGHT ENOUGH. I READ THE MANUAL THAT STATES FLIP SEAT UP AND PUT CUP HOLDER UP. WITH THE CUP HOLDER UP AND SEAT CARPET THE SEAT SLIDES AROUND A LOT. . WHERE THE SEAT BELT COME OUT OF THE FLOOR AND BUCKLES I HAVE TRIED AND TRIED TO GET IT TIGHT AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE. NOT IN THE BACK OF THOSE TRUCKS THE SEAT IS STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. I HAVE TRIED A STRAIGHT BACK AND A SEAT AT A SLANT IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY IT WILL NOT WORK. I THEN TOOK IT TO A MARY BRIDGE CAR SEAT CHECK AND THEY STRAIGHT THAT THE BELT IS TO FAR APART. WHEN YOU SIT IN A REGULAR SEAT THE BELT THE COME OUT OF THE FLOOR AND THEN CLICKS TOGETHER IS CLOSE TO YOU HIPS. NOT IN THE BACK OF THE TOYOTA'S THEY ARE FAR APART. TOYOTA DOESN'T SEEN TO BE HELPING ME AT ALL, AND AM WONDERING HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUTTING THERE CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT UNSAFE. I WOULD HATE TO SEE A CHILD GET KILLED DUE TO THIS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS A SECRET TO THIS THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT. PLEASE HELP. *AK

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1999
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
199921101Fatalities reported
1998 — this page3100Routine

Compare every Towing Hitch Kit year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 19, 1999. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.