Toyota has issued a recall for over 33,000 vehicles over labels on the cars that show incorrect load capacities. The recall spans 23 different models, and stems from accessories added to the vehicles that affect total load. The company will mail new labels with correct load ratings to owners of affected vehicles starting September 16.
Toyota just recalled 33,848 vehicles spanning 23 different models, or nearly every Toyota you can buy right now. The reason isn't due to mechanical problems or software glitches. It's because some vehicles have stickers showing incorrect weight ratings.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company named in the recall, issued July 23, is Gulf States Toyota, Inc., based in Texas. This is a distributor of Toyota vehicles and accessories, and therein lies the reason for the recall.
When accessories are added to a vehicle, updated labels showing new load capacities are required. That makes sense—if your new Tundra has 100 extra pounds of cool off-roading gear, that's 100 fewer pounds you can carry in the bed.
Per the recall, an inspection in late June found a vehicle with incorrect stats on its updated label. A deeper look found that "programming errors resulted in the system using incorrect weights for multiple accessory parts...." Oops.
The recall includes everything from large SUVs like the Sequoia to a base Corolla, spanning the 2023 and 2024 model years. Recall documents don't highlight a specific region for this recall, but the website for Gulf States Toyota mentions over 150 dealer locations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma among its clients.
As you might guess, the fix is extremely simple. New labels with the correct information will be sent to affected owners, free of charge. Owner notification with updated labels will begin September 16.
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