Toyota to Recall 110,000 Tundra Trucks Due to Rust

About 110,000 Toyota Tundra trucks from model years 2000 to 2003 will be recalled because of excessive rust on the vehicle’s frame where the spare tire is held in place, officials said today.

Owners of trucks covered by the recall who live in 21 “cold weather” regions of the United States are encouraged to immediately remove the spare tire from the frame to avoid the tire falling out due to rust corrosion while driving, creating a risk of traffic accidents, according to the Associated Press.

The recall applies only to 2000 to 2003 Tundras registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin as well as the District of Columbia.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received at least 20 complaints of severe frame corrosion in Toyota Tundra trucks. In some cases, consumers complained that the spare tire, which is carried under the truck bed, had separated from the frame. In five incidents, the rust on the frame was blamed for severing brake lines on the vehicles.

The use of road salts and chemical deicers commonly used in cold-weather regions is suspected of contributing to additional corrosion on the metal frames of the trucks, Toyota officials said.

Owners of the recalled trucks can have their vehicles inspected at a Toyota dealer for free and the frame assembly will be replaced if necessary at no cost to the truck owner, officials said. Where no significant rust is found, a corrosion-resistant coating will be applied to the frame.

For more information, owners may call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 800-331-4331, officials said.

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