If you’re currently the owner of any 2023 or 2024 Toyota, you may want to listen up. The automaker is recalling thousands of every model it sells because the vehicles may have been fitted with the wrong load sticker.
First spotted by Car And Driver, NHTSA documents say the affected vehicles may not have the correct load carrying capacity modification label. This means the vehicles don’t conform with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. While it might not sound serious, it is. From NHTSA:
On the affected vehicles, the weight listed on the load carrying capacity modification label may be higher or lower than the actual total weight of accessories installed. In the worst case, a driver may unknowingly overload a vehicle, which may increase the risk of crash.
The problem was discovered during a vehicle inspection at Gulf States Toyota, one of the largest distributors of Toyota parts and vehicles in the country. According to NHTSA, Gulf States Toyota was also responsible for applying the stickers to the vehicles. The issue affects approximately 33,848 vehicles. It’s not just one or two Toyota models, either. The agency says nearly every single Toyota model from the 2023 and 2024 model year is affected.
NHTSA says dealers were notified of the problem before August 9th. However, owners won’t start being notified by mail until September 16th to 20th. This is just one of a few recalls the automaker has issued so far in 2024. In January, a few thousand 9th generation Corollas were recalled over an airbag issue. A month later, 381,000 last-gen Tacomas were recalled over welding defects on rear axles that could cause them to break. This was in addition to 280,000 Sequoias, Tundras and Lexus LXs recalled over transmission issues.
The last two months have been especially busy for Toyota recalls. After Tundra, Sequoia and Lexus LX owners began experiencing engine failure, the automaker recalled just over 100,000 of those in early June, with the fix being full engine replacements. And then earlier this month, it was discovered that some owners of the new Tacoma have been experiencing transmission issues, some on trucks with less than a thousand miles. While no recall has been issued yet, it could come soon. All of this adds up to a bad look for an automaker that has built a reputation for quality. Whatever is going on with Toyota lately, it needs to get it together.