The Toyota Motor Corporation announced they will recall about 110,000 Toyota Tunra trucks made from 2000 to 2003.  According to details of the products liability recall, excessive rust on the vehicle’s frame can cause hazards for other vehicles on the road.

The recall only applies to Tundras registered in 20 “cold weather” states like Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York as well as the District of Columbia.

Our San Diego car accident lawyers believe that while the recall only applies to certain trucks in certain states, the need to fix the problem still applies.  Cars with design defects can easily lead to car accidents that cause personal injury or wrongful death.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started an investigation into extreme rust on the Tundra frames in October after getting complaints of “severe frame corrosion.”  NHTSA said 15 more reports came in alleging the spare tire separated from the frame.

Road salts and chemical deicers in cold weather states used can cause added corrosion in the trucks, but steps beginning in December will hopefully change that.

Toyota will notify owners in December and tell them to go to a dealer for products liability inspection of the frame’s rear cross-member.  One of three things will happen to a truck with this alleged problem:

• If the inspection reveals the spare tire can’t be supported, the assembly will be replaced.
• If replacement parts aren’t available, the dealer will find another solution such as securing the spare tire to the truck bed.
• If no significant rust is found, a corrosion-resistant compound will be added to the frame.

As with any recall involving a car or truck, repairs will be done at no charge.

Our products liability lawyers believe it is necessary for car makers to act swiftly when it is discovered their cars have potential defects that can cause car accidents.  Doing so is responsible to prevent car accidents.

Call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced products liability lawyer and find out how we can help you.  We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case.   No fee if no recovery.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.