DECEMBER 2007 -- Toyota is recalling 15,616 MY 2007 Tundra 4-wheel drive pickup trucks. Due to the improper heat treatment of the slip yokes that had been reworked during the manufacturing process, the hardness of the slip yoke may be insufficient. In this condition, there is a possibility that the yoke may break causing the propeller shaft to separate at the joint and come into contact with the road surface or the fuel tank which could result in a loss of vehicle control or a fuel leak. Dealers will inspect the slip yoke and replace the propeller shaft if necessary. The recall is expected to begin during January 2008. 07V579

NEWS:   Toyota recalling 15,600 Tundra pickups

DETROIT (Reuters) -- December 14, 2007 -- Toyota Motor Corp said on Friday that it is recalling 15,600 Tundra pickup trucks in the United States because a rear propeller shaft may separate at the joint.

The recall involves 2007 model-year Tundra four-wheel-drive pickup trucks.

"There is a possibility that a joint in the rear propeller shaft may have been improperly heat treated, resulting in insufficient hardness," Toyota said in a statement.

This may cause a section of the rear propeller shaft to separate at the joint, it added.

No injuries or accidents have been connected to the recall.

NEWS:   Toyota fixing engine failures in new Tundra truck

DETROIT, May 29 (Reuters) - A glitch in Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tundra pickup truck has caused 20 engine failures and forced it to track down other trucks at risk for the problem, the Japanese automaker said on Tuesday.

Toyota said a flaw in the camshaft in a limited number of 5.7-liter, V-8 engines installed in early versions of the Tundra has caused the engine component to crack and fail.

Toyota has billed the Tundra as its most important product launch ever. Its engine problems comes as Toyota faces pressure to maintain its reputation for quality in the face of a stretch of fast growth that has made it the world's largest automaker.

Toyota said it has determined that a flaw in the casting of a still-undetermined number of Tundra camshafts -- made for Toyota's Alabama engine plant by an outside supplier -- prompted the engine failures.

"The supplier has made changes, and we think the problem is solved," Toyota spokesman John McCandless said. Toyota declined to identify the component supplier.

In cases in which a Tundra camshaft fails, Toyota is replacing the truck engine at no charge, representatives said.

NEWS:    Toyota chases Tundra camshaft failures

Automotive News  - May 28, 2007  -  LOS ANGELES -- A batch of camshaft failures in 5.7-liter V-8 engines has dinged the launch of the Toyota Tundra pickup.

Camshafts in 20 engines have snapped, says Toyota spokesman Mike Michels. The outside camshaft supplier, which Toyota declined to identify, has traced the problem to "a metallurgical defect in the casting, a flaw in the metal which they have corrected," he says.

To date, Toyota has built 30,000 of the engines, and the company is determining how many might be affected. Michels says that it was "an early batch," and that "Toyota is confident in the production from that point on."

A camshaft is a spinning rod that opens the engine's intake and exhaust valves in sequence. Toyota's camshafts are designed to avoid collateral damage if they snap.

Toyota rushed the 5.7-liter engine into production in time for the Tundra's February launch. The 5.7-liter initially was scheduled to arrive this summer. But Toyota dealers and product planners told the manufacturing arm that the Tundra needed the big V-8 at launch because the 4.7-liter V-8 would not make a strong enough statement.

The 5.7-liter represents more than 70 percent of the engine mix.

Toyota's top executives repeatedly have stated their concern that Toyota is growing too quickly to keep quality at past high levels.

Toyota likely will not test each camshaft to see if it is prone to failure. Rather, customers whose camshafts fail will have their entire engines replaced.

One Toyota dealer service technician who declined to be identified says Toyota asked him to ship overnight a defective engine to its V-8 engine plant in Alabama.

"The guy was towing a small trailer, not under full load," the technician says. "Other folks have been towing 10,000 pounds with no problem."

You may e-mail Mark Rechtin at mrechtin@crain.com 

WASHINGTON - January 17, 2007 - Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it was recalling 533,000 Tundra pickup trucks and Sequoia sport utility vehicles because of potential steering problems.

Toyota said the recall involved 2004-2006 Tundra trucks and 2004-2007 Sequoia full-size SUVs. The automaker has received reports of 11 accidents and six injuries connected to the recall, said Toyota spokesman...

The automaker said there was a possibility of excessive wear to a front suspension lower ball joint that could make it difficult to steer the vehicle and stay in the center of the lane. Drivers may also notice more noise coming from the front suspension,....

MORE RECALL NEWS >>

DETROIT FREE PRESS -- August 8, 2006  -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tundra pickup might be recalled for the second time in as many years after new complaints of suspension failures prompted U.S. auto safety officials to upgrade an ongoing investigation.

The inquiry covers 219,522 Tundras from 2003 and 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday. The agency is continuing a review linked to last year's recall of 775,000 Tundras and other vehicles.

DETROIT FREE PRESS -- (AP) July 9, 2006  -- Toyota Motor Corp. will deactivate front-seat passenger air bag cut-off switches in many Tundra pickups to avoid having to install a costlier child safety seat anchoring system, a newspaper said Monday.

NEWS: 

• Detroit News - Despite reliability image, automaker has had five recalls in the United States this year...

• LA Times - Toyota Recalls More Than 750,000 Vehicles...

• Google News Links - more Toyota Recall information...