The spare tires on certain Toyota vehicles are at risk of detaching from their carriers, potentially causing a big issue for other road users, as a result of bad welds on the chains that hold them in place.
A total of 1,398 vehicles are included in the recall that will address this issue, and all are from the 2023 model year. Among them, 768 Toyota Tundras, 181 Tundra Hybrids, and 449 Sequoia Hybrids are thought to have potentially been affected by this problem.
And it’s a real issue. Toyota first became aware of it in June because a total of four vehicles at its manufacturing facilities were found to have lost their spare tire as a result of the chain holding them in place failing. Fortunately, it is no yet aware of any failures occurring in the field, but does say that a failure could occur at any time.
Read: Select Chevy Silverado And GMC Sierra Models Recalled Over Incorrect Spare Wheel
After looking through its production records, Toyota discovered that the chains that failed were produced in December 2022. Its supplier then realized that the timing coincided with a water leak occurring in its facility.
The leak hit the area of its factory where chains used by Toyota to keep spare tires in place were being welded. As a result of the links getting wet before the welding process was complete, the connections were compromised.
In testing, Toyota discovered that parts produced under these circumstances do not have the tensile strength they are supposed to, and could break. As a result, the automaker has launched a recall campaign and will start getting in touch with owners on August 14. They will be asked to return their vehicle to a dealer, where their spare tire carrier will be replaced at no cost.
