Toyota Recalls Over 340,000 Tacoma Trucks for Seat Belt Defect
On August 7, 2013 Toyota announced it was recalling approximately 342,000 Tacoma trucks because of a seat belt defect. The affected models are the Tacoma Access Cab trucks manufactured from 2004 to 2011.
The screws on the seat belt pre-tensioner were found to come loose over time as the door closes repeatedly. This can cause the seat belt to retract incorrectly. Although most recalls are from manufacturing defects, this particular one was from a design flaw. No accidents or injuries have been reported.
Toyota will notify owners of the vehicles by mail and dealers will install new screws and thread-locking sealant. The dealers will also install a new spring cover for the belt retractor. All of the repairs and installations will be done free of charge.
For more information on the recall you can visit http://www.toyota.com/owners/web/pages/resources/recalls.