TORRANCE, Calif. (May 30, 2014) — Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. is voluntarily recalling approximately 370,000 Toyota Sienna minivans, model years 2004-2011, whose spare tire carriers can corrode over time, the auto maker said on its website May 22.
The minivans being recalled were either originally sold or are currently registered in cold-weather states, where salt is used extensively on roads during winter, according to Toyota.
In these vehicles, the spare tire carriers are stowed under the vehicles with lightweight foam splash protectors in front of the carriers, the company said. The protectors can be lost or knocked out of position during normal usage, which can allow water with high concentrations of salt to splash the carrier and corrode its assembly cable, according to the car maker.
Some of the vehicles were already recalled in April 2010, Toyota said. In these cases, the company installed new splash protectors and also applied an anti-rust agent. However, the new protectors can also be lost or knocked out of position, and the anti-rust agent alone is not enough to prevent corrosion, the company said.
Sienna owners can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 for further information and recall instructions or visit the company's website.
