Toyota Tundra Recall: New Trucks Brakes BreakWritten by Anna Henningsgaard
Toyota Tundra models have serious break problems, many of which Toyota is refusing to take responsibility for. Toyota recently issued a recall notice for its 2004-2005 model Toyota Tundras equipped with dual exhaust because one of exhaust pipes was found to rub against brake line. Toyota states that this will “possibly cause brake fluid leakage and raise risk of a crash”. To put it honestly, friction will cause break fluid to leak and brakes will fail. Whether car crashes or not depends on how fast you are going, whether you are driving downhill, and behavior of vehicles surrounding you.Toyota has recently been grievously irresponsible about issuing warnings and recall notices on its Toyota Tundra trucks. There is little question that a design flaw in Tundra causes front rotors to warp very quickly, causing truck to shudder during braking. Toyota even issued a technical service bulletin, but Toyota dealers have not alerted consumers to problem. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Toyota owners have been told there isn’t a problem or blamed for “driving too hard”, that is until their 36,000 mile warranty expires. At this point Toyota dealerships acknowledge brake problem and offer assistance –- at full price. The Toyota Tundras are breaking down because rear brakes do not self-adjust properly. This transfers entire braking load to front wheels. The front rotors are not designed to withstand that much pressure and heat, and so they end up warping. This is what causes severe shimmy and vibration at all speeds, but especially between 40-50 mph. Because this is a fundamental problem with rear brakes, rotors that are repaired are completely warped again within 3,000 miles. Toyota has had dozens of other problems with Tundra model, but they only issue technical service bulletins online and make no attempt to inform customers. Unless Toyota owner checks internet every month or two, it is likely they will not notice their faulty calipers, backing plates, lines, bearings, and breaks until it is too late. Either their warranty expires or they suffer through a car accident. The shaking also damages other systems and components in truck, including transmission and stereo systems. If this has happened to you, you are not alone.
| | Toyota Truck Recall: Tacoma, 4Runner, Tundra, and SequoiaWritten by Anna Henningsgaard
A wide scale recall is last resort for a car company to take with a problematic vehicle, and most automotive problems do not even make it to recall stage. Toyota has been known to avoid issuing recalls at all cost, preferring to issue safety warnings and avoid covering repair costs on vehicles that are beyond warranty. This should put this year’s massive Toyota truck recall into perspective.This May, Toyota Motor Corp issued one of its largest safety recalls in history. Toyota is recalling more than 750,000 pickup trucks and SUV’s because of problems with front suspension that could make vehicles difficult to steer. The recall covers 775,000 vehicles in United States alone, including 2001-2004 model years of Toyota Tacoma, 2001-2002 models of Toyota 4Runner and 2002-2004 model Tundra and Sequoia. During manufacturing of these vehicles, surface of front suspension ball joint was scratched. Wear and tear on this ball joint creates friction that makes vehicles difficult to control. At speeds as low as 20 mph, Toyota drivers have reported ball joints collapsing, causing front wheels to fold under truck. Overall, Toyota admits to conducting five recalls this year in United States affecting nearly 1 million vehicles. In 2004, Toyota conducted nine recalls affecting 1,060,000 vehicles, according to NHTSA. This year, Toyota has also recalled:
|
