Toyota is recalling about 79,000 Tundra full-sized pickups in North America to reinforce bumpers that could break away and result in mild injuries.
The problem is with resin reinforcement brackets on the corners of the rear step bumpers, which have a step built into them to allow easy step up into the pickup bed. The problem is that in the event of a knock to the corner of the rear bumper, the resin bracket could break (even though it may not be obvious). If somebody then attempts to use the step in the centre of the bumper, putting weight on the bumper could cause it to come loose and the person might tumble down, risking injury.
Toyota is mailing out notices in the middle of February, making owners aware of the problem and asking them to return the vehicles to a dealership where the resin brackets will be replaced with steel brackets to prevent the issue from arising in the future.
The recall affects Tundras from 2016 and 2017, with just under 73,000 in the US and 6,157 from Canada. Owners can check if the recall affects their Tundras by checking their VINs at www.toyota.com/recalls or at www.safercar.gov/vin.