Photo: Toyota
For a nameplate that is not made by an indigenous American carmaker, the Toyota Tacoma is handling itself very well. In fact, the vehicle ended 2023 as the number 1 small pickup on the U.S. market for the 19th consecutive year, selling over 230,000 examples, far ahead of runner-up Chevrolet Colorado (almost 90,000 units).
But, as the famous Spiderman quote says, with great power comes great responsibility, so every single issue that surfaces with these trucks can't be overlooked by the carmaker. Not even things that seem as trivial as welding debris.
In an undisclosed fashion, Toyota seems to have discovered that someone didn't do their jobs properly during the assembly process of a huge number of Tacoma trucks. In a nutshell, they forgot to clean up the welding debris on the ends of the rear axle assembly.
That may not seem like such a huge problem, but Toyota says it could affect some of the axle's retaining nuts. More specifically, some of these small parts could loosen as a result of the welding debris, and might end up falling off eventually.
If retaining nuts are missing from the rear axle, a certain part of the assembly (which was not specifically named by Toyota) could fall off completely, seriously impacting vehicle stability and braking performance. Naturally, this could easily transform into a crash.
Toyota says there are 381,000 Tacoma trucks from the 2022 and 2023 model years affected by this issue. All of them will have to make a trip to the dealer to be inspected and, if need be, fixed.
The procedure is pretty simple and shouldn't take long - in most cases, mechanics will simply retighten the axle retaining nuts. There might be instances when the axle's components have already been damaged and in this case they will either be repaired or replaced, depending on their condition.
As usual, the procedure will be conducted at no cost to the owners of affected Tacomas. They should all receive mail notifications about the recall by late April. If you need to know before that time if your truck is on the list, a call to the Toyota Brand Engagement Center (1-800-331-4331) or a visit on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website should do the trick.
The Toyota Tacoma in its current, 2024 model year configuration, is selling on the American market for prices that start at $31,500. The 2023 version can still be had, somewhat cheaper at $28,600.
For the newest version there are no less than six versions on the table, the most expensive being the $52,100 Limited double cab. A single engine in various states of tune and running various configurations is available across the range, a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder.
In an undisclosed fashion, Toyota seems to have discovered that someone didn't do their jobs properly during the assembly process of a huge number of Tacoma trucks. In a nutshell, they forgot to clean up the welding debris on the ends of the rear axle assembly.
That may not seem like such a huge problem, but Toyota says it could affect some of the axle's retaining nuts. More specifically, some of these small parts could loosen as a result of the welding debris, and might end up falling off eventually.
If retaining nuts are missing from the rear axle, a certain part of the assembly (which was not specifically named by Toyota) could fall off completely, seriously impacting vehicle stability and braking performance. Naturally, this could easily transform into a crash.
Toyota says there are 381,000 Tacoma trucks from the 2022 and 2023 model years affected by this issue. All of them will have to make a trip to the dealer to be inspected and, if need be, fixed.
The procedure is pretty simple and shouldn't take long - in most cases, mechanics will simply retighten the axle retaining nuts. There might be instances when the axle's components have already been damaged and in this case they will either be repaired or replaced, depending on their condition.
As usual, the procedure will be conducted at no cost to the owners of affected Tacomas. They should all receive mail notifications about the recall by late April. If you need to know before that time if your truck is on the list, a call to the Toyota Brand Engagement Center (1-800-331-4331) or a visit on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website should do the trick.
The Toyota Tacoma in its current, 2024 model year configuration, is selling on the American market for prices that start at $31,500. The 2023 version can still be had, somewhat cheaper at $28,600.
For the newest version there are no less than six versions on the table, the most expensive being the $52,100 Limited double cab. A single engine in various states of tune and running various configurations is available across the range, a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder.
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