Toyota Has Fix for Minivans Recalled for Spare-Tire Corrosion

Source: Bloomberg

Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s largest automaker, said it has a repair about 600,000 Sienna minivans recalled in the U.S. three months ago for possible corrosion in a cable that holds the spare tire.

The company will remove and repair any corroded sections and will apply anti-rust agents to all cables in each of the vehicles, according to a July 12 letter to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The letter was posted on the agency’s website today.

The spare tires can fall off if the cable deteriorates, a flaw more common where salt is most likely to be used on roads during cold weather, the Toyota City, Japan-based automaker maker said in announcing the recall on April 16.

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-16/toyota-has-fix-for-minivans-recalled-for-spare-tire-corrosion.html

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To contact the reporters on this story: Angela Greiling Keane in Washington at agreilingkea@bloomberg.net;

Drill a hole in the middle of the place where the spare tire goes. Rustproof the cut edges of the metal, and put a rubber grommet in the hole. Stick a long galvanized carriage bolt (one threaded all the way up) through the hole, and secure it in place with a nut. Drill a hole in the end of the bolt to take a clevis. Then use a piece of metal and a wing nut to hold the tire to the bottom of the car, and a clevis to keep the wing nut from coming off.

You know, like they used to do.