REPORT: Toyota forced to submit data on Tundra frame rust to NHTSA

REPORT: Toyota forced to submit data on Tundra frame rust to NHTSA

Filed under: Truck, Safety, Toyota



The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began a preliminary evaluation last month of rusting Tundra frames from the 2000 and 2001 model years. Around 200 complaints had been registered before the NHTSA commenced its investigation, with upwards of seventy more complaints coming in since then.

As with the rusting Tacoma frames, the Tundra members in question were made by Dana. Importantly, though, the Tundra examination is focused only on "the cross member that supports the spare tire -- not the entire frame." Still, that area has been blamed by consumers for the spare tire coming loose, and for brake system failures due to corrosion at the brake line mounting points.

Toyota ended up buying back Tacomas or extending warranties to settle the rust issue, but Tundra frames were built at different Dana plants and to different specifications, so the Tundra issue is not assumed to be the same as the Tacoma issue. Toyota had until last week to submit its information on the frames, now the NHTSA will need to decide what to do next.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]REPORT: Toyota forced to submit data on Tundra frame rust to NHTSA originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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