Toyota, the wellknown Japanese automotive company, has recently issued a recall for approximately 381,000 of their Tacoma pickup trucks. This action was prompted by a defect in the vehicle that could lead to an increased risk of accidents.
The defect stems from debris left during manufacturing in the welding process on the ends of the rear axle assembly. Over time, this can result in the loosening and eventual loss of certain retaining nuts. This potential loss can affect the stability of the vehicle and reduce braking performance, increasing the likelihood of a crash.
Any Toyota dealership will now perform an inspection and fasten the axle retaining nuts free of charge. If any components of the axle are found to be damaged as a result of this issue, based on the inspection, necessary repairs or replacements will be conducted.
The recall concerns Tacoma pickup trucks from model years 2022 and 2023. Toyota plans to send notifications about this issue to customers via mail by late April 2024. The company did not disclose whether this issue has caused accidents or resulted in any reported injuries.
In recent history, Toyota has issued other recalls affecting various models. This includes a prior recall concerning approximately 280,000 trucks and SUVs due to another issue causing the vehicles to creep forward when put in neutral. The affected vehicles were Toyota's large Tundra pickup, as well as Sequoia and Lexus LX 600 SUVs.
In addition, Toyota last year recalled 1 million vehicles over a sensor issue that could inadvertently result in airbags being deployed.
