TORRANCE, CA - Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall to inspect the front drive shaft on a small production run of certain MY 2010 Tacoma 4WD trucks.  

The front shaft in approximately 8,000 vehicles may include a component that contains cracks that developed during the manufacturing process, Toyota said. As those vehicles are used, the cracks may eventually lead to the separation of the drive shaft at the joint portion. 

This condition only involves two specific front drive shaft production lot numbers installed in certain 2010 model year Tacoma 4WD vehicles. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved, the company said.  

Dealers will be instructed to perform an inspection to identify the specific lot numbers located on the front drive shaft. Based upon the inspection results, in a limited number of cases, the front drive shaft may need to be replaced, Toyota said. 

The inspection is estimated to take 10 minutes. The inspection and replacement will be performed at no cost to the vehicle owner. 

Toyota will notify vehicle owners by mail starting in mid-March. 

For more information, visit www.toyota.com/recall or contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at (800) 331-4331.