Toyota recalls Siennas for corrosion in spare-tyre holder

Toyota Motor Corp, the world’s largest automaker, said it will recall about 600,000 Sienna minivans for corrosion in a cable that holds the spare tire.

Toyota, which has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide in the past year for unintended acceleration, said in a statement today that the spare tire can be dislodged if the cable deteriorates. The company will voluntarily recall 1998 through 2010 models of the vehicle that were sold in parts of the US where salt is most likely to be used on roads.

“Toyota is listening to its customers attentively, and we want to make sure their voices are heard,” Steve St. Angelo, the Japanese automaker’s chief quality officer for North America, said in the statement. “We are also working diligently to develop a remedy as soon as possible.”

New York and New Jersey are among 20 states and the District of Columbia that are covered by the recall. Toyota is working on a fix for the defect and will inspect affected vehicles in the meantime, the company said.

The automaker, based in Toyota City, Japan, said it will provide free inspections of spare-tire cables in all states, including those not in the recall, to customers who want them.