NHTSA Complaint #10429359 — 2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA

DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE SPARE TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY (MOUNTED BENEATH THE VEHICLE) FELL WITHOUT WARNING TO THE ROADWAY BELOW. THE TIRE/WHEEL ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVING LANE, CAUSING NUMEROUS VEHICLES FOLLOWING BEHIND ME TO SWERVE TO AVOID IT. I PULLED OVER TO CONFIRM THE WHEEL WAS FROM MY VEHICLE, AND THIS WAS VERIFIED. I THEN TURNED AROUND TO PICK UP THE WHEEL AND REMOVE IT FROM THE HIGHWAY. I FOUND THE BRACKET STILL IN PLACE IN THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL, HOWEVER IT WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND HAD NO STRUCTURAL STRENGTH LEFT. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF THE CHAIN OR CABLE THAT HELD THE WHEEL AND BRACKET TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRUCK. THIS VEHICLE HAD RECENTLY BEEN TO A TOYOTA DEALER EARLIER IN THE YEAR FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE FRAME (CORROSION RECALL), AS WELL AS FOR REPLACEMENT OF GAS TANK STRAPS (WHICH WERE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION ISSUES). IT HAD BEEN DETERMINED THAT NO ACTION WAS NEEDED WITH REGARDS TO FRAME CORROSION. THE GAS TANK STRAPS WERE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO COMMENT FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER ON ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH THE SPARE TIRE MOUNTING SYSTEM. *KB