Toyota not expanding Tundra recall

Toyota has retracted an earlier statement in which it said it would be expanding a recall of Toyota Tundra pickup trucks that originally applied only in cold-weather areas in the U.S. and Canada.

The Japanese automaker is sticking with the recall it issued on Nov. 16, 2009, which covers 110,000 trucks in 20 "cold weather" states in the U.S. and about 10,000 vehicles in Canada, said company spokesperson Nicole Grant in an email Wednesday.

It won't be expanding the recall to all 50 states as it had said it would do on Tuesday.

Toyota recalled the trucks in cold-weather areas because road salts and chemical deicers typically used to treat roads during the winter could cause additional corrosion in the trucks. That could result in the frames of the trucks rusting and in turn causing the spare tires attached to them to fall from the vehicle. 

The fix for the Tundra involved an inspection to gauge the condition of the frame cross-member and the likelihood of the spare tire coming loose during vehicle use. If no excessive corrosion was detected, a corrosion-resistant compound was applied to the vehicle. If corrosion was detected, the cross-member assembly was replaced.

Toyota has recalled more than eight million cars and trucks worldwide to address problems with gas pedals and vehicle floor mats that can result in the accelerator becoming stuck in the depressed position. Federal regulators in the U.S. have linked 52 deaths to crashes allegedly caused by the accelerator problems.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into excessive rust on Tundra frames in October after receiving 20 complaints of "severe frame corrosion."