4x4Wire's TrailTalk Forums: Toyota Steering Relay Rod Recall

Thread locked for reference only. If you have any questions, please either contact your local dealer, or post in the applicable Toyota section, as this section is not viewed regularly. Thank you.

Here is the literature from www.nhtsa.gov

Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 05V389000 Mfg's Report Date : SEP 06, 2005
Component: STEERING:LINKAGES:ROD:RELAY:CONNECTING
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 977839

Summary:
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS REPEATEDLY TURNED UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHERE HIGH STEERING EFFORT AND POWER ASSIST ARE REQUIRED, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN FULLY TURNING THE WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, A FATIGUE CRACK MAY DEVELOP IN THE STEERING RELAY ROD.
Consequence:
IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE RELAY ROD MAY FRACTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING RELAY ROD. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING LATE SEPTEMBER 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Notes:
CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

AFFECTED VEHICLES

Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
TOYOTA / 4 RUNNER 1989-1995

TOYOTA / PICKUP 1989-1995

TOYOTA / T100 1993-1998

Other notes:

**Tacos do not fall under this recall, as they have rack and pinion steering.

**SAS’d Yotas do not fall under this recall (common sense disclaimer).

**The dealer is to do a front end alignment after replacing the rod, as the pitman arm is torn down for this work.

**If you do not receive a letter from Toyota, call the number above; have your VIN handy, as they will need it. Those of you who do NOT have a dealership do your work will need to take this action, as recall notices are sent out on based on their dealerships’ databases, and NOT your vehicle registration. YOU are the one responsible for making an appointment with your dealership to make this repair, once it’s established that your vehicle is eligible for the recall.

**An excerpt from a reader’s letter from Toyota:
“Toyota will launch a SSC in mid-September 2005 to replace the Steering Relay Rod on certain 1989 – 1995 Model Year Truck 4WD, 1990 – 1995 Model Year 4Runner 2WD and 4WD, and 1993 – 1998 Model Year T100 4WD vehicles. On the involved vehicles, if the steering wheel is repeatedly turned under certain conditions where high steering effort and power assist are required, for instance, when fully turning the wheel while the vehicle is stopped, a fatigue crack may develop in the steering relay rod due to insufficient strength. In the worst case, the steering relay rod may fracture, causing a loss of vehicle steering control and thus increasing the possibility of a crash.

The SSC will be performed at NO CHARGE to vehicle owners. The anticipated repair time is approximately two hours. However, an additional 1 1/2 hours may be necessary for front end alignment. The dealership may require your vehicle for a longer period of time based on their workload.”

For the front end breakdown, view this link:

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/steering/16steer0.pdf

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