The campaign affects 4WD 116,507 Hilux vehicles that use petrol and diesel engines and rolled off the production lines between January 2005 and February 2010.
The center support brackets for the vehicles’ rear tail shaft could break if the driver makes a habit out of accelerating or decelerating while the vehicle is traveling on rough terrain. The issues could also appear as a result of heavy off-road sessions or frequent crossings over obstacles.
Toyota said that the two-wheel drive vehicles are not affected by this problem. The company added that it was aware of 19 cases in which the problem surfaced, but only one of them involved the failing of the part while the vehicle was in motion and that no injuries resulted from the incident.
The company will notify owners, asking them to bring their vehicles to its dealers. The dealers will check the rear tail shaft area for signs of unusual wear and replace the cross member with a re-engineered one if necessary. The vehicles that pass the inspection in the first place will receive reinforced brackets as a safety measure.
Toyota underlined the fact that this is a preventive campaign and the owners can keep on driving their vehicles.
Our say: Did Toyota forget that the Hilux is indestructible?
Google News