Faulty part prompts Toyota to recall 15,600 Tundras
Ryan Beene Automotive News December 14, 2007 - 12:35 pm ET
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. is recalling 15,600 2007 Toyota Tundra pickups because a transmission part could break.
Toyota says the rear propeller shaft on four-wheel-drive Tundras could separate at a joint. No accidents or injuries have been reported resulting from the faulty shaft.
"The front joint on the rear driveshaft may have been improperly heat treated by our supplier," a Toyota spokesman said. "In the worst case, the shaft may separate at the joint."
Toyota discovered the flaw after a customer complained of abnormal noises coming from the shaft.
Owners of the recalled trucks will receive a notification in the mail starting late this month, Toyota said in a statement today.
The recall is not related to the previously reported "rumble strip" noise that came from the torque converter's inability to change gears, which has yet to result in a recall but has prompted Toyota to replace entire transmissions.
Toyota also replaced some Tundra engines this year because of faulty camshafts. The automaker hopes to sell 200,000 of the redesigned full-sized trucks this year.