Toyota recalls Tundra pickups

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 15,600 new Tundra large pickups because a rear driveshaft can separate and cause the wheels to stop turning, a setback in the company's challenge to U.S. rivals' dominance in such trucks.

The recall covers four-wheel drive versions of the 2007 Tundra, Toyota said Friday. There has been one occurrence of the problem, with no accidents or injuries, the company said.

The flaw follows an earlier announcement by Toyota that it would replace V8 engines in 20 of the 2007 trucks because of defective camshafts. The revamped Tundra also failed to win top safety scores for all model types in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests.

Friday's recall is "small in terms of numbers, but when you look at the number of incidents Toyota has had on the Tundra, it begins to add up," said Dennis Virag, president of Automotive Consulting Group in Ann Arbor. "Pickups are a different breed of animal. Toyota is still on a learning curve." Detroit Free Press