The problem
Certain pickup trucks fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'Child restraint anchorage systems.' These vehicles have a manual air bag on-off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have a child restraint lower anchorage system in the front passenger seat. This specification does not meet the standard requirements.
The risk
This standard establishes requirements for child restraint anchorage systems to ensure their proper location and strength for the effective securing of child restraints, to reduce the likelihood of the anchorage systems' failure, and to increase the likelihood that child restraints are properly secured and thus more fully achieve their potential effectiveness in motor vehicles.
The fix
Dealers will remove the manual air bag on-off switch, replace the owner's manual, and affix a new sun visor air bag warning label. The recall began in early january 2007. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Contacts
Toyota recall no. 70A. Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized Toyota dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 05V254000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.