Today, consumers must be more careful than ever when making decisions on large purchases such as vehicles. In another blow to Toyota’s previously sterling record for safety and quality, the auto giant has announced that it will recall 600,000 Sienna minivans due to a problem with rusty spare tire holders. The latest recall included the 1998-2010 model year Siennas with two-wheel drive, which have been sold or registered in 20 states known for cold weather. These include the District of Columbia and states such as Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia. Toyota said, “Continued prolonged exposure to road salts may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles. In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash.” Six such complaints have been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with luckily none causing accidents or injuries. Toyota has stated that customers will receive a notice instructing them to drop off their vehicle at the dealership for inspection and that the company would be offering free inspections nationwide to those consumers not included in the recall. This problem means that the automaker has recalled a total of 8 million of their vehicles with problems varying from sticky accelerator pedals to unacceptably high rollover risk to faulty electronic systems. These recalls are equally as assuring as they are disconcerting. They are comforting in that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration works as a safeguard to vehicle defects and protects consumers from unsafe choices made by automakers in the production of their vehicles. However, this trend of faulty parts and components in what has seemingly been the safest, most reliable automaker in the world is troubling, especially with the increasing financial problems facing automakers in the United States. These safeguards will continue to rise in importance as economic hard times persist and are made most effective by the active participation of the populace in reporting any problems they experience. To see a full list of Toyota’s recalls, click here. For more info on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, click here http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/toyota-to-begin-voluntary-safety-157049.aspx
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