- Toyota is recalling 600,000 of its 1998-2010 Sienna minivans.
- The spare tire carrier cable could rust and cause the spare tire to fall off.
- Toyota announced the recall; NHTSA has yet to post any information on its Web site.
TORRANCE, California — In yet another blow to its once-sterling image, Toyota on Friday said it will recall approximately 600,000 of its 1998-2010 Sienna minivans sold in the U.S. because the spare tire carrier cable could fail and cause the spare tire to fall off the vehicle.
The Sienna recall is the latest stumble for the Japanese automaker and comes on the heels of massive global recalls, an unprecedented $16.4-million federal penalty for its slow response to recalling vehicles in the U.S. and a pending May 13 U.S. District Court date in Santa Ana, California, to face off against consumers suing the automaker for damages in the wake of recalls.
The Sienna recall was announced by Toyota, not the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has yet to post any information about a Sienna recall on its Web site. Toyota said the problem with the spare tire cable may appear on Sienna minivans that have been operated in cold-climate areas with high road salt use.
"Continued prolonged exposure to road salts may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles," Toyota said in a statement. "In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash."
Toyota did not spell out whether any injuries, fatalities or crashes have occurred as a result of the Sienna defect.
The Japanese automaker also noted that it does not yet have a remedy for the flaw in the Sienna minivan. "Until this remedy is developed, customers will receive an interim notice instructing them to bring their vehicle to a dealership for a preliminary inspection," Toyota said.
Customers will then get a secondary notice advising them of the "remedy availability."
The affected Sienna minivans were originally sold or are currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Toyota said owners of vehicles in other states will receive a separate special service campaign notification that includes details on how to obtain an inspection if they desire.
Inside Line says: If you own the aforementioned Toyota Sienna minivan, have it checked out ASAP with your dealer. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
madandpissed says:
11:06 AM, 08/31/2010
I have a 2006 Sienna and I will never buy another Toyota. My door is broke and clicking and toyota corp will not fix it. They cliam that it is not a recall but an extended warranty. A notice that as an orignal owner I never got. I called Toyota Corp and they basically dont give a shit. They are waiting for a recall. I am 3000 over the warranty and they won"t fix it. I have never posted anything in life. I am doing it because TOYOTA just really dont give a shit!! I will not support a company that thinks so little of its customers. I am so disappointed. My family has never bought anything but Toyotas and as a total have purchased over 50 vehicles from Toyota. We will never buy another car fom them!
dslocum says:
05:10 PM, 04/25/2010
My '98 Toyota Sienna is still going strong after all these years and nearly 200K miles. Off I go to my dealership (that treats me very well, by the way) to see about recall. And may I say, "thanks," to Toyota for such an awesome quality product; I'll never drive anything else (if I have my way).
tbone85 says:
06:33 PM, 04/20/2010
Only if you consider the U.S. government to fanatic fanboys of the German, Japanese, and Iraqi governments over the years. Are you suggesting that the Japanese government has never provided support to Toyota over the years? If so, you desperately need to read up on Toyota's history.
It is a common (and infantile) fanboy tactic to bring in a straw man to attempt to divert attention from the discussion. "It's not my fault, besides the other guy did if first". The tires I see on the highway are 99% large truck tires. There is no evidence that the brands/models you name have any higher incidence of rusted bolts than other brands/models. Honestly, it's just as bad as the people running around saying "Toyota sucks".
Toyota VOLUNTEERED to make this adjustment for their customers. Why would that be a source of anger or frustration for people who don't own this model of vehicle?
calspecial68 says:
04:50 PM, 04/19/2010
Well now Toyota's playing it safe on any problem it's product has. Real or not. Smart move. Hope everyone else is taking a lesson from this.
jeremy_c says:
12:44 PM, 04/19/2010
"It's funny how Toyota fans will support Toyota to the death."
hmmm... let's see, did "Toyota fans" pay Toyota billions in bail out money? I guess that make the US government fanatic fans of GM, and Chrysler!
jeremy_c says:
12:40 PM, 04/19/2010
I thought this was a common occurence with Ford exploer, Expedition, GMC suv's in cold climates. The salt corrodes the bolts which secure the spare tire which drops off? I frequently see tires on the highway shoulders. There were never any recalls for these models. It is up to the owner to inspect for rust?
tbone85 says:
12:37 PM, 04/19/2010
"Only tools go 70mph in a Minivan."
With a comment like that, you're calling others "tools"? The speed limit in my area is as high as 70 MPH. If a vehicle is unsafe to operate at the legal speed limit, then it should not be sold, period. There is no doubt that the Sienna, and virtually any other minivan can be driven at legal speeds with a reasonable adjustment for less handling capability than most cars.
cmike2780 says:
12:20 PM, 04/19/2010
It's funny how a recall involving Toyota brings out those who say, "I told you so!"
All cars are complex machines that have issues that cannot all be addressed at the design phase. Just about every car maker runs a multitude of quality assurance test to make sure they don't get sued, not just Toyota. Recalls will be around for as long as cars will be around, and its a good thing. I'd rather have a company tell me about a possible problem, than finding out for myself (what Toyota should have done with the sticky pedals). Give the engineers some credit though, if you can design a car with ZERO flaws and will never require repairs go for it.
Heck, planes have recalls too, maybe we should all stop flying...or at least fly American...
Only tools go 70mph in a Minivan.
mediabias says:
11:44 AM, 04/19/2010
It's funny how Toyota fans will support Toyota to the death.
alman08 says:
10:47 AM, 04/19/2010
tszk, actually this site reports almost all recalls