CarSeekBlog

Just when Toyota Motor Corp thought things couldn’t get any worse, they have: earlier today, the automaker announced the recall of 870,000 Sienna minivans sold in cold-weather parts of the United States and Canada since the 1998 model, because long exposure to low temperatures and road salt could cause enough corrosion to cause the spare tires to drop from the vehicle.

The recalled vehicles, according to Reuters, include roughly 600,000 two-wheel-drive Sienna minivans from the model year 1998 to today sold or registered here in the United States, and about 270,000 of the same van in Canada.

Today’s announcement means that number of Toyota vehicles recalled since late 2009 has exceeded 9.3 million. Most of the recalls are related to the spontaneous acceleration issue tied to sticking pedals and faulty floor mats, while the Prius and other hybrids have been recalled for braking system issues.

This latest announcement comes just two days after the Japanese automaker was forced to halt sales of the Lexus 460 SUV because Consumer Reports labeled it a “safety risk” because of its handling on curves. A recall has not yet been issued for that vehicle, but engineers at Toyota have managed to duplicate the issue.

Owners of recalled Siennas should expect to receive a letter encouraging them to bring their vehicles to a dealership for inspection while Toyota works on a solution. The recall covers Siennas that were sold or registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Owners in other states may also choose to have their vehicles inspected, said Toyota.

Filed under: In the News, Toyota by Mel