Toyota Motor North America has recalled 342,000 Tacoma trucks with faulty seatbelts. Toyota Tacoma truck drivers, take note. Toyota Motor North America, based in Torrance, CA recently announced a voluntary recall of 342,000 Tacoma trucks with faulty seatbelts. Affected units are Toyota Tacoma Access Cab vehicles made between 2004 and 2011 and sold at Toyota dealerships across the United States. Recalled trucks have screws that attach the seat belt pre-tensioner to the seat belt retractor within the seat belt assembly for the driver and front passenger. Over extended periods of repeated and forceful closing of the access door, these particular screws can become loose. If the screws loosen completely, the seat belt pre-tensioner and the retractor spring cover could detach from the seat belt retractor, which can affect retractor and pre-tensioner performance. This can make the seatbelts less effective or even render them potentially dangerous. Toyota is attempting to notify all registered owners of recalled Toyota Tacoma vehicles via letters or postcards sent by first class mail. However, you also can click here and enter the VIN number of your vehicle to find out if it’s among the recalled units. Your truck’s VIN number is a unique series of 17 numbers and letters located in one or more of several spots. These may include:
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- The lower-left corner of the dashboard, in front of the steering wheel
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- At the front of the engine block, easily spotted by lifting the hood and looking at the front of the engine;
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- At the front of the car frame, near the windshield washer fluid container;
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- At a rear wheel well, directly above the tire;
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- Inside the driver-side doorjamb, underneath where the side-view mirror would be located if the door was shut;
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- At the driver-side doorpost, near the spot where the door latches, not too far from the seatbelt return;
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- Underneath the spare tire.
If your Toyota Tacoma truck is one of the 342,000 recalled and neither you nor your dependents have been injured as a result of the faulty seatbelt, take your vehicle to any Toyota dealership for a free repair. However, if you believe an injury was caused by the seatbelt issue, consider talking with an experienced product liability attorney. Jacksonville-based Harrell and Harrell has offices located throughout Northeast Florida, in Orlando and in Brunswick, GA. Call 800-251-1111 to schedule a consultation with attorney at the office nearest you.