- Vehicles
- 359,000
- Built between
- Aug 1979 – Jul 1982
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 1 May 1986
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1979 and July 1982. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1980-1982 Toyota TercelBuilt August 1979 to July 1982
What the defect is
The lower control arms, which support the rear wheels, are subject to corrosion if operated in areas where a large amount of road salt is used to aid in snow and ice removal. Consequence of defect: continuous exposure to road salt may cause corrosion failure of the lower control arm affecting vehicle operation; this could result in loss of control and an accident.
What gets fixed
RUST PROOF OR REPLACE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. (OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN IN MAY 1986).
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1979 to July 1982
- Recall reported to NHTSA10 March 1986
- Owners notified1 May 1986
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 10 March 1986.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD.
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
System: lower control arms. Vehicle description: passenger cars.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.