By Alice Wright
Toyota has been forced to recall more than 43,000 of their trucks over defects that could pose a major crash risk.
The automaker has recalled 43,395 of its 2023-2024 Sequoia Hybrids in the US after identifying a potential issue with the vehicles’ tow hitches.
A tow hitch is a device on the rear of a car used to connect a trailer to the car in order to tow it.
‘The subject vehicles are equipped with a resin tow hitch cover held in place by molded clips to the rear bumper,’ Toyota explained.
Due to the design of the attachment structure between the tow hitch cover and bumper, there may be insufficient retention of the cover.’
The covers on the tow hitches may therefore detach and become a road hazard while driving, increasing the chances of a crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Owners of the effected vehicles have been urged to take their cars to a dealer to have the tow hitch cover replaced and the rear bumper modified, free of charge.
Letters notifying all owners of the recalled vehicles will be sent by late October, according to Toyota.
Owners can also call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 with recall reference numbers 24TB10 and 24TA10 to find out if their vehicle may be effected.
Toyota is not aware of how many of the recalled vehicles may actually have the defect.
Although most of the effected vehicles were sold in the US, some 2,000 were also sold in Central and South America as well as the Middle East, which have also been recalled.
It is the latest Toyota recall this summer after the automaker recalled more than 100,000 pickup trucks and Lexus cars in June.
The Japanese carmaker recalled 102,000 2022-23 Tundra and LX vehicles in the US over concerns dangerous machine debris may have been left in their engines during production.
The manufacturing fault occurred during the assembly process for the V35A-FTS engine where debris may not have been removed.
‘During a specific production period, there is a possibility that engine machining debris of a particular size and amount may not have been cleared from the engine during manufacturing’ the company explained
The issue may cause the engine to knock, run rough, fail to start or lose power, it said in a statement.
‘A loss of motive power while driving at higher speeds can increase the risk of a crash’ Toyota warned in the recall notice.
Other automakers have also been forced to issued recent recalls over serious safety concerns.
In August Ford and Mazda warned the owners of 477,000 older vehicles in the US not to drive them because they have killer air bags.
The Takata bags explode with excessive force – and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers, safety regulators said.
The warning covered 374,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from the 2004 through 2014 model years and nearly 83,000 Mazdas from the 2003 through 2015 model years.
The cars are part of the biggest ever recall in the US. More than 400 Americans have been injured and 27 killed by the airbags, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.
• Source: Dailymail.Com
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