Feds probe Toyota Tundras

[Romulox]

Source: Detroit News

Washington -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday opened a preliminary investigation into corrosion on 218,000 Toyota Tundra pickups -- the latest safety issue to dog the Japanese automaker.

In a notice on its Web site, NHTSA said its Office of Defects Investigation had opened a preliminary probe into corrosion linked to spare tires and brake lines on 2000 and 2001 model year Tundras.

The government said it has "received 20 reports on the subject vehicles that relate to spare tire separation and brake system failures as a result of severe frame corrosion."

Read more: http://detnews.com/article/20091007/AUTO01/910070318/1148/Feds-probe-Toyota-Tundras

[xultar]

1. Is your Star Trek 3-D chess set a real prop from the show?

WOW it is cool.

[WriteDown]

5. That's what that is!

I've always wondered.

[Romulox]

6. Not terribly sure, but I think this set is from the Franklin Mint.

The use of the image is to mock those who claim that Obama is playing "chess while everyone else plays checkers"--e.g. with regard to his Wall Street bailout.

[Romulox]

2. Some images of a 2003 Toyota Tundra's undercarriage...

2003 Toyota Tundra with only 62k miles... :wow: Look for the probe to expand.











http://www.zimbio.com/Toyota+cars/articles/TBzrYe7Fw7e/62k+mile+2003+Toyota+Tundra+Shows+Frame+Rust

[WriteDown]

4. I had a friend you used to do buybacks for lemon cars...

They had a large contract with Toyota and they would offer money to owners to take the lemons off their hands. He said Toyota was in crisis mode over the rusting frame issue.

[ingac70]

8. Are there problems with other vehicles besides the Tundra? n/t

[high density]

11. Yep

Tacoma: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/toyota-offers-to-buy-back-rusty-tacomas/

[Paulie]

12. Oh Dear

The Tacomas were built at the New United Motor Manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif., which is a joint venture started in 1984 by Toyota and General Motors.

Probably didn't help with the decisions to close the plant. Assemblers are not the suppliers of the materials, but they take the brunt of the grief.

[LeftyMom]

18. Don't buy anything out of that plant, GM or Toyota.

I know people who used to deal speed at that plant at lunch hour. By all accounts they did a hell of a business.

[jmowreader]

16. They are aware of this brand-new process called Galvanizing, right?

That frame doesn't even look like they painted it. That's reprehensible.

[LeftyMom]

19. Where the hell is that truck from?

Jebus. I see cars left to rust in fields out here for decades that aren't half that bad.

[vinylsolution]

3. Yikes, that's scary stuff.

Did they make those frames out of recycled bean cans?

So much for that 'legendary' Toyota quality.

[LiberalEsto]

7. My 2005 Matrix is flimsy inside and out

The exterior paint scratches practically if you breathe on it.
The interior is cheap, thin plastic that cracks and breaks easily.
We have a 1992 Toyota Corolla with an interior in better condition than the Matrix. Toyota's quality has gone way downhill in the past decade.

I will not buy a new Toyota again (even if I could somehow afford to).

[safeinOhio]

9. They saved $5/truck using

cheap coatings. That adds up.

[ingac70]

10. Won't add up to as much as they will lose...

in a massive recall. This isn't one faulty part, this is the entire structural integrity of the vehicle.

[fujiyama]

13. Looks pretty bad

I wonder how the other vehicles fare. This is likely far from over.

[damntexdem]

14. No frozen Tundra here.

Maybe they should rename it the Toyota Oxidizer. ;-)

[Brickbat]

15. There's that Toyota quality again.

Huh.

[itsrobert]

17. Looks like Toyota and Dell have similar management styles

Both were known for their quality and the unsuspecting consumer bought off on that as both started subcontracting out on the cheap. They both are suffering from lack of quality now.