Toyota to recall 533,000 SUVs, trucks

Automaker says 11 accidents were reported because of a defect that makes Sequoia, Tundra difficult to steer.
January 19 2007: 8:43 AM EST

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Toyota Motor Corp. plans to recall about 533,000 Sequoia SUVs and Tundra pickup trucks in the United States to repair faulty components that could make the vehicles difficult to steer.

Six injuries and 11 accidents were reported as a result of the defect, Japan's top automaker said Friday.

Toyota (Charts), on its way to becoming the world's biggest auto maker ahead of General Motors Corp. (Charts), has vowed to step up its quality efforts after a rise in vehicle recalls and increased scrutiny from Japanese media over quality issues.

The latest recall covers certain 2004 to 2007 model year Sequoias and 2004 to 2006 model year Tundras, both built at Toyota's Indiana plant, the automaker's U.S. sales unit said in a statement.

Collectible cars of tomorrow
Toyota as a policy does not disclose estimated recall costs. A spokesman said the automaker has funds reserved against quality costs at all times and expects no impact on its earnings.

Toyota last year recalled more than a million vehicles in Japan and 760,000 units in the United States, but the publicity has done little to hurt it. Toyota boosted its global sales by 9 percent in 2006, fueled largely by a 13 percent jump in sales in the United States.

Toyota and its premium Lexus brand are perennial outperformers in the closely watched J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey in the United States, although the Toyota brand ranked second among non-premium brands in 2006, behind South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. (Charts)

"Toyota has a lot of goodwill built up," said Christopher Richter, an auto analyst at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, adding that recall numbers would naturally rise with an increase in vehicles sold.

Recalls have also been on the rise across the industry as car makers use common components on various models to save costs. The Tundra and Sequoia, both of which are due for a full remodeling, share most of the same components.

Toyota will notify owners starting in mid-February and repair the defective front suspension lower ball joints free of charge.

toyotasucks - 1/19/2007 11:30:22 AM

-5 Boost

AHAHAHAHAHA, so much for toyotas so-called overhyped/overrated reliability reputation. This is the beginning of toyotas down fall from such a rapid expansion and the frequent recalls are showing why toyota is going to hit a brick wall soon, and toyotas crash will be loud one when it falls! Stick a fork in toyota, cause there done!

toyotasucks - 1/19/2007 11:49:11 AM

-5 Boost

ROFL!!!!!!!!

EL34 - 1/19/2007 12:07:03 PM

-1 Boost

Will, check this out???

www.Tiguan.com

EL34 - 1/19/2007 12:18:50 PM

0 Boost

Really, check out the site.

www.Tiguan.com

It no longer goes to Toyota.

EL34 - 1/19/2007 11:59:58 AM

-1 Boost

And this go along with 7.5 million extended warranties for sludgy Toyote engines.

Agent009 - 1/19/2007 2:09:15 PM

-2 Boost

Well they are handling it the correct way. But if they didn't they would be forced to. So really they have no choice. That is the way the system works. It looks like you have a choice but really don't.

rocker - 1/19/2007 12:15:37 PM

0 Boost

Will the extended warranty count as a recall?

Agent009 - 1/19/2007 2:10:00 PM

+1 Boost

No that is a Technical Service Bulletin not a recall. It is not deemed to be safety related.

A4ORCE - 1/19/2007 1:19:52 PM

+1 Boost

I read this article that said some of the execs acknowledge some of the quality issues and are trying to handle these issues quickly before their reliability reputation gets tarnished. I guess we'll have to see how they handle the situation...

1970toyotamarc - 1/19/2007 3:58:27 PM

+2 Boost

I would rather have my car recalled a dozen times than have the problem ignored. Kaizen means continuous improvement. Toyota has learned from the past mistakes to recall early and fix potenttial problems. That is why you so often see Toyota recalls of huge numbers of vehicles after so very few accidents or complaints. They have learned not to wait for catastrophic distasters. Likely 500,000 of those affected trucks would never have developed a problem. But they will all be recalled. (Just like the vast majority of the recent 7.5 million never developed sludge.) I would hope every mfr over-recalls to catch every potentially affected vehicle. And I would hope they wouuld issue their recalls before any serious accidents or death resulted.

Bring on the flaming. I know some German or domestic fan out there will be pissed off by comment. But I never hide my bias, it's in my name.

paul3230 - 1/20/2007 11:13:29 AM

0 Boost

But the point is..it should have never happened in the first place. Especially anything that could endanger someone's life. How is that Kaizen??

chewy - 1/19/2007 4:14:35 PM

+1 Boost

"TOKYO (Reuters) -- Toyota Motor Corp. plans to recall about 533,000 Sequoia SUVs and Tundra pickup trucks in the United States to repair faulty components that could make the vehicles difficult to steer.

Six injuries and 11 accidents were reported as a result of the defect, Japan's top automaker said Friday."

Yes, Toyota fans. This has become a serious recall. Most others ones are just that, recalls before anything has even happened. But here, we have had accidents and injuries already. If there was a death this would rival the Firestone fiasco. I can't believe that some Toyota fans will brush this off. Out of all the recalls in the past year or so, I think this is the first "real" one with accidents and injuries. There is no way that any Toyota fan can spin this positively.

trd1 - 1/19/2007 5:37:05 PM

+1 Boost

is this really a recall or they might recall it, because my dad has a 2006 tundra double cab and im not going to lie the steering is pretty hard, because it doesn't go all the way. but i mean its not that bad to be recalled.

toyotasucks - 1/19/2007 5:51:13 PM

-1 Boost

See I told YA! You should have bought that Silverado!

trd1 - 1/19/2007 6:02:36 PM

+2 Boost

silverado that thing is stiff, not comfertable at all, feels like you have no springs and my dad wants a truck that won't die the next weak.

paul3230 - 1/20/2007 11:14:01 AM

0 Boost

Umm..well, at least you can steer a Silverado.

2JZSoarer - 1/19/2007 9:35:13 PM

0 Boost

I have to check the TIS to see what the faulty components are,I have done a ton of lower ball joint replacements already for a recall (50J) that caused steering issues on Tundra,Sequoia,4Runners and Tacoma!!

EL34 - 1/20/2007 2:45:30 AM

+2 Boost

nice.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/20/2007 11:34:12 AM

+1 Boost

The recalls don't seem to end...

mobiustech - 1/22/2007 3:47:14 AM

0 Boost

Goes to show you that marketing goes a long way. The fact that Toyota is not a perfect company, and now people can stop making the misbelief that all things Japanese is bulletproof. I'm just as concerned with purchasing anything Toyota with record recalls the past 3 years . If this is what Toyota calls Kaizen, then someone is lying. Constant improvement is just that, improvement. Not greed. Toyota has officially gone the way of GM and all the other large companies under the falsehood of enviromental king, making a truck the size of Detroits best with the worst gas mileage and carbon emissions to choke 10 Prius. Great marketing.