Toyota Recalls 553,000 Tundras, Sequoias ; Steering Repair May Cost Supplier, Its Insurer More Than $250M

Toyota Motor Corp., which boasted one of the best recall records among major automakers in the U.S. last year after a troubled 2005, is starting the new year with a potential black eye.

The company's U.S. sales arm said Thursday that it was launching a safety recall of 553,000 full-size Tundra pickups and Sequoia sport utility vehicles to replace a key part of the front steering system.

Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said the part, a ball joint that enables the front wheels to turn, was made by an outside supplier. Replacing both of the lower front ball joints on the recalled vehicles could cost the supplier and its insurer more than $250 million, he said.

Toyota would not identify the supplier.

The recall will be handled in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Toyota said the problem was discovered as several customers complained to the safety agency, which found that failure of a lower ball joint on the vehicles was responsible for 11 accidents since late 2003.

There were no deaths, but the accidents resulted in six injuries.

A long string of recalls can start wearing away at a company's reputation, analysts say, but automakers that issue prompt recall notices can minimize the hit to their images.

"Toyota wrote the handbook on the right way to keep customers satisfied," said industry consultant David Hillburn, former strategic planner for the Ford Motor Co. account at advertising giant Young & Rubicam.

Toyota said vehicle owners would not be charged for the work, which will be done by appointment at dealerships.

Owners of the affected vehicles, which were built from September 2003 to last November at Toyota's plant in Princeton, Ind., will be notified by mail beginning in mid-February.

The suspect ball joints were experiencing premature wear, becoming loose in their fittings and causing increased steering effort, noise in the front suspension and a reduction in the steering systems' self-centering function, which pulls the wheels back to a forward-facing direction after a turn.

Toyota recalled 2.4 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2005, almost all of them in two campaigns involving steering system parts on older pickups and SUVs.

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What it means

Models involved: 2004-2006 Tundra trucks and 2004-2007 Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicles.

Problem: Possibility of excessive wear to a front suspension lower ball joint that could make it difficult to steer the vehicle and stay in the center of the driving lane.

Next step: Owners will be notified in mid-February of the recall and dealers will replace the left and right front suspension lower ball joint at no charge.

More information: Contact Toyota at 888-270-9371 or 800-331- 4331.

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