Toyota Announces New Recall: Over 683,000 Vehicles Affected In A Week

Topline

Toyota is recalling about 381,000 Tacoma pickup trucks over a loose part that can separate from the rear axle, increasing the risk of a crash, the company announced Tuesday—the latest recall for the Japanese automaker over the last week.

The Japanese automaker said some Tacoma pickup trucks have a loose part that can separate from the rear axle. © 2022 Bloomberg Finance LP

Key Facts

The recall affects Toyota Tacoma trucks in the U.S. from the 2022 and 2023 model years, the company said in a release.

Welding debris left on the ends of the rear axles could cause some nuts to loosen over time before falling off, resulting in another part separating from the axle, according to Toyota, which said vehicle stability and brake performance could be affected if the part falls off.

Toyota dealers will inspect the rear axle and retighten the loose nuts for free, while any damaged components will also be repaired or replaced without charge, the company said.

Toyota customers will be notified about the issue through the mail by late April.

Toyota declined to comment to Forbes about whether the issue has caused any crashes or injuries.

Key Background

Toyota has issued three other recalls in the last week. The Japanese automaker recalled nearly 280,000 Toyota Tundra, Sequoia and Lexus LX 600 vehicles over a defective transmission. Parts of the transmission do not immediately disengage when the vehicle is shifted into neutral, which could result in engine power being transferred to the wheels. The problem could cause vehicles to creep forward at lower speeds when on a flat surface, leading to “an increased risk of a crash.” That same day, Toyota recalled just over 4,000 Camry and Camry Hybrid vehicles from the 2023 and 2024 model years over a head restraint bracket that was insufficiently welded. A defective bracket may not properly restrain a passenger in a crash, increasing the risk of injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toyota also recalled over 18,600 vehicles for a defective rearview camera that fails to display an image, reducing the driver’s rear view and increasing the risk of a crash, regulators said. That recall affected some Toyota Mirai and Lexus vehicles from the 2023 model year.

Big Number

4.2 million. That’s how many vehicles Toyota recalled last year, according to NHTSA data. Of these, about 1 million vehicles were recalled in December because of a defective airbag sensor, which could prevent the airbag from deploying in a crash.

Further Reading

Toyota Recalls 280,000 Vehicles Over Transmission Issue (Forbes)