Another problem with the excessive corrosion is that it might affect the functionality of the rear brake systems. If this occurs, your Tundra will lose its capacity to brake with the rear wheels, which will increase vehicle stopping distance.
In addition to the District of Columbia, the involved cold climate states with high road salt usage are: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
Don’t hurry to the closest Toyota dealer, as every owner will receive a Safety Recall notification via first class mail asking them to take their vehicles to come in for an initial inspection of the rear cross-member. Based on the result of the inspection, Toyota says it will take one of the following actions, at no charge:
- "If there is no significant corrosion of the rear cross-member assembly or the rear brake line at the proportioning valve, owners will be notified of that fact and requested to subsequently bring their vehicle back to the dealership so that a corrosion-resistant compound can be applied to the rear cross-member. Toyota will notify the owner when the corrosion-resistant compound is available."
- "If significant corrosion is detected such that the rear cross-member can no longer safely support the spare tire and replacement components are available, the cross-member assembly will be replaced. In the event replacement components are not available, a temporary solution, such as the removal of the spare tire and securing it to the truck bed, will be performed until parts are available."
The recall will start in December 2009 and continue throughout early 2010. The inspection will only take about 20 minutes.
Google News