Toyota's Tundra Is Probed by U.S. for Steering Flaw (Update1)

April 17 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s 2004 Tundra pickups are being investigated by U.S. safety regulators after more reports of a steering-system defect that led to a recall last year of 790,000 of the automaker's vehicles.

The inquiry covers 95,000 Tundras built after Sept. 30, 2003, the last manufacturing date for vehicles in the recall last May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today said on its Web site. The Washington-based agency said it received four additional reports that a ball joint in the front suspension broke, causing drivers to lose control.

Toyota recalled some 2002 through 2004 Tundra large pickups and Sequoia sport-utility vehicles in May, as well as 4Runner SUVs from 2001 and 2002, and 2001 through 2004 Tacoma pickups. That recall was one of the largest in the U.S. for Toyota, the world's second-biggest automaker.

``We are cooperating fully with NHTSA to investigate the allegations,'' said Sam Butto, a spokesman at Toyota's U.S. offices in Torrance, California.

The agency said the reports that led to its investigation included one accident, with an injury. In the recall, failure of the ball joint, which helps keep the suspension in place, was blamed for at least two accidents without injuries.

The automaker, based in Toyota City, Japan, is second in sales to General Motors Corp.

Toyota's U.S. shares fell 45 cents to $112.67 at 4:02 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have gained 55 percent in the past 12 months.

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=100...Up98&refer=asia

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Sucks for them.

variance, you will be 'assimilated'. watch out for the guys pulling up in the big car with tinted windows.......

Edited April 19, 200619 yr by regfootball

variance, you will be 'assimilated'.  watch out for the guys pulling up in the big car with tinted windows.......

You mean this one?

Toyota's stock is worth 5 TIMES as much as GMs? Wow...

Edited April 19, 200619 yr by bowtie_dude

With tons of reserve cash and growing market share, it should be.

With tons of reserve cash and growing market share, it should be.

that doesn't mean Toyotas don't suck - yuck yuck

You mean this one?

you're on the right track but I am guessing the black toyota that pulls up to take away variance will have hippie/ecoweenie bumper stickers on the back, or samurai logos.....

With tons of reserve cash and growing market share, it should be.

With no retirees or health care costs in Japan (where they make most of their cars), and very few retirees and little investment in America, it should be.

With no retirees or health care costs in Japan (where they make most of their cars), and very few retirees and little investment in America, it should be.

LOL.

Wow, ball joint problems, sounds like our good friends over at DCX tossed the crappy balljoint problem with the Durango's over to the Tundra.....at least my truck has no problems with its suspension (with the exception of 30 years of driving under it with NO replacement)....