Toyota recalls 100,000 Tundra trucks
Federal safety regulators say the vehicles are prone to excessive rust, which can cause brakes to fail and spare tires to fall off.
Find your next Car
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Federal regulators announced Tuesday the recall of 110,000 Toyota pickup trucks in 20 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that road salts can cause "excessive corrosion" of the Toyota Tundra's frame, which holds a spare tire mounted underneath the vehicle. NHTSA said dislodged spare tires can cause hazards for other vehicles on the road.
The corrosion can also damage the rear brake lines and lead to brake system failures, the NHTSA said.
The agency urged Tundra owners to remove the spare tires even before taking the vehicles to a dealers to be remedied.
The recall involves Tundras from model years 2000 through 2003 that are registered in states where chemical de-icers, such as road salts, are used to treat roadways during the winter.
The states included in the recall are: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
NHTSA said Toyota will contact owners of affected vehicles and ask that they bring the vehicles to a local dealer to be inspected and repaired.
Toyota will either replace the damaged portion of the vehicle's frame, or apply a rust-resistant compound to the affected area, depending upon how bad the corrosion is. Toyota will also contact Tundra owners outside of the United States, according to NHTSA.
It was the second major safety problem for Toyota in as many months. In October, the Japanese automaker issued a safety warning for 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota cars because of potentially deadly floor mats. 
