The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into claims that Toyota may have failed to promptly disclose possible defects in the steering relay rod on Toyota Trucks, Toyota T100s and 4Runners in model years 1989 through 1998.
This comes on the heals of the company paying a $16.4 million fine for allegedly sticky accelerator pedals and a recall of more than 100,000 Toyota Tacomas and Tundras, model years 2000 to 2003 for rust problems on the trucks’ frames.
The tie rod problems were first noted in Japan in 2004; however company officials failed to notify NHTSA officials for nearly a year despite 41 complaints for the same problem lodged by U.S. consumers.