Toyota Motors announced this week that it is initiating a relatively massive recall for one of its best-selling Pickup Trucks in the United States. The company announced that over 228,000 Tacoma pickup trucks, ranging from 2016 to the 2017 model year are affected.
A potentially dangerous leak
The recently announced recall apparently involves the truck's rear differential assembly, which might have leaky gaskets that may result in unwanted leaks. The gear assembly on the rear axle, which transfers power from the engine to the rear wheels, could malfunction without proper lubrication.
If the oil inside the differential were to run out due to the leakage, the gears could seize up. In a worst-case scenario, this could result in a Loss Of Control of the vehicle that may cause a crash if it happens at speed. Toyota did not specify if there have already been accidents or crashes resulting from the particular issue. Additionally, a leaking differential could lead to damage to the gears, extra noise, and a loss of power.
How to check if you are affected
Toyota mentioned that it would be sending out emails to all its customers with the affected units by June. Those who don't want to wait for an email can manually check online to see their unit is affected by the recall.
Entering in a unit's VIN at the U.S.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website will also determine if it is affected. Another option would be to call Toyota directly through their Customer Service hotline at 800-331-4331.
Affected units will be checked by Toyota for any leaks on the rear axle at no extra cost. If a leak is found, several gaskets will be changed with new ones, and the oil will be replaced.
If there has already been damage on any of the differential components due to the leak, the entire assembly will be replaced free of charge.
First, and hopefully the last
The new recall will be the first one to involve the 2017 Toyota Tacoma models and the second one for the 2016 model. While the recall for the 2016 Tacoma was a minor one, fans are hoping that no further recalls will be made for the latest model.
The first recall for last year's model involved having the wrong bolts installed on the driver's knee airbag module. Leaving this unresolved would likely cause the incorrect deployment of the knee airbag, which might result in unwanted injuries to the driver during a crash.
