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Toyota has confirmed that it will expand its November recall to fix all U.S. Tundra pickups for the 2000 to 2003 model year. The recall addresses a risk that part of the truck’s frame could corrode, causing the spare tire or the gas tank to drop on the road.

Originally, Toyota had recalled 110,000 Tundras in 20 cold-weather states. At the time Toyota said that heavy road salt could cause corrosion. But Toyota has now told its U.S. dealers that it will expand the recall by launching a repair campaign to cover trucks sold in the other 30 U.S. states. Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons was unable to confirm how many additional vehicles would be recalled.

The Tundra rust problem is obviously separate from the ongoing unintended acceleration issues that have Toyota going crazy. Fixing affected Tundras, however, is far more costly and in some cases, fixing a Tundra with serious rust problems could take more than 7 hours by a technician. The work could include replacing part of the vehicles frame, replacing fuel tank straps and the spare tire carrier, Toyota said.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)