Toyota Issues Recall - Problems with the front suspension

[wmarhel]

The Associated Press
Updated: 3:52 p.m. ET May 17, 2005

WASHINGTON - Toyota Motor Corp., in one of its largest safety recalls ever, said Tuesday it is recalling more than 750,000 pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles because of problems with the front suspension that could hinder steering.

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The company said the recall covers 774,856 vehicles in the United States, including the 2001-2004 model years of the Tacoma, the 2001-2002 versions of the 4Runner and the 2002-2004 model years of the Tundra and Sequoia.

Toyota said the surface of a ball joint which connects to the front suspension may have been scratched when it was manufactured, which could lead to wear and tear over time.

Any excessive wear or looseness in the joint could force drivers to exert more effort when steering, allow the vehicle to drift and increase the amount of noise from the suspension.

Ming-Jou Chen, a Toyota spokeswoman, said the company had confirmed six cases in which the condition existed in the suspension. There have been no injuries associated with the problems.

Toyota said it planned to conduct a similar recall of the affected vehicles in Canada, Japan, Australia and other countries, but did not immediately have the number of vehicles that would be covered outside the U.S.

[Wes Bucey]

I am surprised this item did not elicit more comment.

I'm curious how many vehicles OUTSIDE the US may be affected.

I'm curious how big/deep the scratch was.

I'm curious what caused the scratch.

I'm curious how the scratch was detected in the first place (supplier or user?)

I'm curious what the ramifications are for the supplier.

I'm curious how many more similar problems lurk on other vehicles but haven't been reported because a manager said "Ship it anyway!"

I suppose the delay in the recall is to accumulate enough "good" parts to make the replacements. Do you suppose the original supplier is making the replacements?

As the tabloid commercial says, "Inquiring minds want to know!"

[jmp4429]

I'm guessing the ball joint is a tie rod end? If so, I would imagine a lot of people with the older (2001) models have already replaced the parts.

Any excessive wear or looseness in the joint could force drivers to exert more effort when steering, allow the vehicle to drift and increase the amount of noise from the suspension.

Or, especially in the case of an SUV, cause a rollover!

[David Hartman]

Originally Posted by jmp4429

I'm guessing the ball joint is a tie rod end? If so, I would imagine a lot of people with the older (2001) models have already replaced the parts.



Or, especially in the case of an SUV, cause a rollover!

Actually the ball joint is the joint between the steering knuckle and the control arm. Its design allows the steering knuckle (and hence the wheel) to laterally rotate (for turns) as well as move vertically for bumps (and the dreaded chuck hole). Binding within this joint could result in the steering wheel being difficult to turn, or even locking up in mid-turn (worst case scenario).

I believe that this recall only demonstrates that even the reliability leaders can have mistakes get through. But it would be interesting to be behind the scenes to view how the root cause and corrective action process is handled.

[QChas]

Turn the clock back .... It's 1979 and I was in an accident that required extensive repairs to my 1978 Toyota Celica. When I got the car back the speedometer wasn't working. Took the car back and was told it wasn't related to the accident. This is a known problem with the car. When I asked about a recall, I was told "Toyota only recalls vehicles for safety reasons". I asked isn't this safety related? The answer ..... "Your car has a tachometer so you can gauge your speed by that". I actually sent a letter to Toyota and got the same response. Just think, here I am 1 year out of school as a Quality Engineer pumped on the Japenese Quality Programs so I purchase a Toyota based on low recall notices. Needless to say it was the last Toyota I purchased!

[AllanJ]

Originally Posted by Wes Bucey

I am surprised this item did not elicit more comment.

I'm curious how many vehicles OUTSIDE the US may be affected.

I'm curious how big/deep the scratch was.

I'm curious what caused the scratch.

I'm curious how the scratch was detected in the first place (supplier or user?)

I'm curious what the ramifications are for the supplier.

I'm curious how many more similar problems lurk on other vehicles but haven't been reported because a manager said "Ship it anyway!"

Let's face it, Wes: you are just a most curious person!