Just when we thought the Toyota recall saga was done and dusted, Toyota has just announced that it’s recalling another 550 000 vehicles around the world, including Lexus models.
The reason? It’s due to a potentially faulty crankshaft pulley that could cause noise and make steering more difficult.
A Toyota spokeswoman told AFP that the company had logged 79 complaints worldwide over the defect, but the company said it had received no reports of accidents or injuries related to the fault.
The recall includes about 447 000 vehicles in North America and 38 000 in Japan, the spokeswoman said.
Toyota said the recall was due to the possibility that the outer ring of the crankshaft pulley may become misaligned with the damper, causing noise or the illumination of an electrical system warning light.
If this condition is not corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley and the driver may notice a sudden increase in steering effort, it said.
The affected models include Alphard, Avalon, Camry, Highlander and Sienna as well as Lexus models ES300, ES330, RX300 and RX400h.
The only South African model that could be affected is the RX300 (2004 and 2005 models) and at this stage there is no recall planned as Toyota SA does not consider it to be a safety issue (referring to the international effort as a service campaign rather than a recall). That said, the SA division has promised to monitor a number of local vehicles and owners with concerns have been welcomed to contact the company.
Previously lauded for its safety standards, Toyota became mired in crisis when it recalled nearly nine million vehicles between late 2009 and February 2010 due to brake and accelerator defects, prompting it to expand its global recall policy.
In 2008 Toyota ended General Motors' 77-year reign as the world's largest automaker but since then the Japanese giant has faced the impact of the economic crisis, recalls, a strong yen and the impact on production of natural disasters in Japan and Thailand.
Analysts predict that Toyota will lose its ‘best seller’ crown this year amid strong competition from General Motors and Volkswagen. -AFP & IOL