120 Towbar recall

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

For anyone in the northern Adelaide suburbs, speak to Ash at the Service dept at Peter Kittles and he will be more than willing to help PradoPoint members streamline the recall process to make it a one visit affair.

Damn you Andrew!
I have my two stickers now (they did replace the bolts) but I was hoping the whole hitch assembly would get swapped!!

Plus - it now appears the hitch is not dead-centre to the bumper cut-out like it was beforehand (points slightly to the driver-side)

Next time andrew can you come and pick-up my car and do the running around for me??

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

This is the Toyota LDH picture from the facelifted 150 accessories page

Thank you amts, looks a bit lighter than my 750 pound H/R hitch for my 150 (did not see it on anything I looked up). Don't know of any recall for the 150 towbars.

Put my van over a weighbridge a couple of weeks back, needed to go on a diet, and the ball weight was a bit over, so have now back traded and waiting for a new van to be built, early next year.

The 750 pound H/R hitch will be a bit of overkill now.

From speaking to people since then, including my van serviceman, one vanner was checked and weighed in country NSW by inspectors, his van found to be overweight, and he had to have the van towed home by a towtruck, 490 kms to home and a big bill to go with it.

Another was involved in a collision with another vehicle, van weighed, found to be overweight, and the insurance company would not pay up for damage to the van.

Also cops and RTA inspectors have been told (NSW), when a van is involved in a roll over, all contents from the van to be stuffed back inside, and the van taken to the nearest weighbridge.

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

[QUOTE=amts;441220]Here's the contents of the CSE provided by my local dealer
"BACKGROUND
Toyota has decided to initiate a Customer Service Exercise to inspect and if necessary correct the Toyota genuine accessory tow bar and mountings that may have been affected by incorrect use of aftermarket load distribution. Clarify the owner’s manual towing instructions, offer to exchange the aftermarket load distribution hitch with a genuine unit and provide a copy of the Toyota towing guide for future reference .

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
Customers who use aftermarket load distribution hitches (LDH) when towing and incorrectly operate the vehicle with the LDH engaged, such as when traversing over steep driveways, spoon drains or large undulating road surfaces may experience the tow bar mounting bolts loosening and in some circumstances result in damage or breakage of the tow bar tongue or hitch receiver. This condition may result in a low speed separation of the caravan or trailer from the vehicle."



When using a LDH or WDH, it should not be attached on a rough or bumpy dirt road, through steep river crossings, driveways, speed humps in caravan parks, or steep driveways into service stations to re-fuel.

Damage can be occasioned to the neck of the tow hitch, especially the non-off-road types that don't twist and turn.

[peril Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close peril]

This condition may result in a low speed separation of the caravan or trailer from the vehicle.

Good to know it wont separate at high speed, only low speed!!! (PR waffle at its best)

[Whitey1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Whitey1]

So this only affects those who use a WDH? Or should we all get it checked. Might just chuck it on the hoist and check it myself anyway.

[Guest Close Guest]

So this only affects those who use a WDH? Or should we all get it checked. Might just chuck it on the hoist and check it myself anyway.

All Toyota genuine towbars needs to be checked. It sounds like they are replacing all the bolts to the towbar.

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

Good to know it wont separate at high speed, only low speed!!! (PR waffle at its best)

[/I]

Nah it means the van will only slowly separate for your prado and slowly destroy it - and anything else in its path...!!

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Nah it means the van will only slowly separate for your prado and slowly destroy it - and anything else in its path...!!

Mike, an example of slow destruction would be say, leaving that lever thingy in "D", not engaging the handbrake whatsiemacallit and getting out of your car while queued up on a PP outing? Just asking......

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

Yes there was that 'one time' at band camp where I did a whoopsie, I'll admit it (finally).

HOWEVER I will point out my PP name should be changed to 'NeverBeenStopped'...

p.s when are we getting a group together again - I haven't used my rear points/bridle for a while

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Yes there was that 'one time' at band camp where I did a whoopsie, I'll admit it (finally).

HOWEVER I will point out my PP name should be changed to 'NeverBeenStopped'...

p.s when are we getting a group together again - I haven't used my rear points/bridle for a while

I haven't used my bride for a while either. Its not my birthday until March.... that's what you meant right?

[macaroon1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close macaroon1]

Hi All, Waiting for a call now regarding this as he seems to think he will order the parts first before i come in. Paul

Your one of the lucky one's good foresight by your dealer

Why waste a customer's booking when you can order extra units in being so early in the 'recall' stage. Surely there would be more affected Prados coming in soon. This way a new towbar can be installed while the plastic bumper is already off.

Could not agree more..have no stock available for mine and it's faulty, you would have thought they would load up with stock...have to go back and do it all over again. They changed the bolts for me though...which was nice..

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

I haven't used my bride for a while either. Its not my birthday until March.... that's what you meant right?

Thought you had dumped her for that cougar?

[waltec Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close waltec]

Your one of the lucky one's good foresight by your dealer


Could not agree more..have no stock available for mine and it's faulty, you would have thought they would load up with stock...have to go back and do it all over again. They changed the bolts for me though...which was nice..

Hi Charles

Where did you get yours looked at?

Thanks
Matt

[sjcprado120 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sjcprado120]

Hi guys,

After all these posts regarding the 120 tow bar I thought I'd call Toyota and see what they had to say. So I get put through to the service manager and then I started to explain that I heard of an issue with the towbar on the Prado, his reply was "where did you hear this as I haven't heard anything about it" I then went on to say through this website only to be rudely cut off before finishing to " I wouldn't be listening to any website" I then had to put him in his place so I could finish what I was saying only to get " leave your number I'll call you back". So he calls me back only to tell me there might be a problem and to take my Prado in to Toyota to have my Vin number checked, I said "I can give you the Vin no. now if you like" and because he CBF he just said "bring it in on Monday". I don't know how people with attitude like that get jobs dealing with the general public or how Toyota Australia doesn't inform every dealership that there is an issue like this.

Thanks to all you guys on here for making me aware of this problem..

Steve

[sjcprado120 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sjcprado120]

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