Too many young children are killed or injured in motor vehicle collisions every year. A large number of those injuries — as many as three out of four — happen because children are not correctly buckled into their child safety seats or are not restrained at all.
Federal laws mandate that children must be buckled into car seats and that every vehicle must have anchors for tethering those car seats.
Toyota recently discovered a problem with its child seat anchors, specifically that the anchor weld might break, enabling a child seat to shift rapidly after an accident or sudden stop.
As of July 21, 2022, Toyota has issued a safety recall affecting over 75,000 of its newly released Tacoma vehicles.
What Is the Issue Being Recalled?
The truck’s child seat anchors may not have been adequately welded, which means that the Toyota Tacoma truck may not meet industry safety standards for its upper child seat anchors. As a result, a child seat is more likely to shift during an accident, increasing the risk of injury.
What Is a Child Seat Anchor?
In 1999, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed a standard requiring automakers to install child restraint anchor systems in their vehicles. The anchors must be independent of seat belts and uniform across all vehicles.
All passenger vehicles must have the three-point child restraint anchoring system, which consists of two lower anchors and a higher anchor used to secure a child restraint system to a vehicle.
How Do Child Seat Anchors Work?
Car seat anchors keep the child seat in place and decrease the risk of injury to the child in the event of an accident. Car seats that are not securely fastened to the vehicle can be stabilized by using tethers to connect to the child seat anchors.
Which Toyotas Are Impacted?
Because of the child seat anchor issue, certain Toyota Tacoma pickups manufactured for 2022 and 2023 have been recalled.
If you own one of these Toyota Tacoma trucks, you should check to see if your model is affected by the recall. You can do this by entering your VIN (vehicle identification number) at the Toyota recall website or the NHTSA recall page.
Toyota intends to contact impacted Tacoma owners in September after the company has determined a formal solution.
What Is Toyota Doing About the Issue?
The harsh reality is that there isn’t a solution to the problem right now. Toyota claims to be working on a fix for this issue and plans to provide it in September.
Toyota could be able to fix the anchor with a different, stronger weld, but specifics on the repair are still forthcoming. A Lemon Law lawyer in Los Angeles can help you through the tricky recall process.
Tacoma’s History of Recalls
The child seat anchor recall is not the first recall for Toyota Tacomas. Toyota has previously recalled the Tacoma for issues such as:
- Damaged brake master cylinders
- Problems with the fuel pump
- Oil leaks
The most recent recall was in 2018. Over 130,000 trucks and SUVs were subject to two voluntary product recalls by Toyota. The recall included models going back more than ten years.
Lemon Law Lawyers in Los Angeles and Recalls
In the case of a defective vehicle, it’s crucial that you understand the nuances of the rules that apply if you buy a faulty car.
The California law often referred to as the Lemon Law protects customers against manufacturers and dealers who sell faulty vehicles. You could be eligible for compensation or replacement if your vehicle contains flaws that haven’t been repaired after a reasonable length of time.
Lemon Law Applicability
If your automobile is recalled, you may take it to your dealer and have the issue rectified without cost. In that case, California’s Lemon Law does not apply, and you won’t require a Lemon Law lawyer in Los Angeles.
However, if you are the owner of a Tacoma that has been the subject of several recalls or if the dealer has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to fix the issue, you could have a strong case under the Lemon Law.
Contact a Lemon Law lawyer in Los Angeles immediately if you find yourself at the dealership with your Tacoma and have trouble figuring out California’s Lemon Law.
