NEWS:   Toyota recalls 550,000 vehicles on steering

YAHOO NEWS -- November 9,  2011 – (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Co is recalling 550,000 vehicles worldwide, including more than 420,000 in the United States, to replace an engine component that could hamper steering, the Japanese automaker said on Wednesday.

Models involved include the Toyota-branded Camry sedan, Solara coupe, Highlander SUV, and Sienna minivan for the 2004 and 2005 model years.

The recall also covers the 2004 Toyota Avalon sedan and 2006 Highlander HV. Toyota luxury brand Lexus models recalled were the 2006 Lexus RX 400H SUV as well as the 2004 and 2005 ES330 sedan and RX330 crossover.

The recall is the latest in a reputation-damaging series that began in the fall of 2009, mainly involving complaints of unintended acceleration linked to defective floor mats and gas pedals.

This recall affects 283,200 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles in the United States, bringing the total in the country so far this year to a little more than 3.3 million vehicles.

Toyota will replace the crankshaft pulley on the six-cylinder engines of the models.

The company said the outer ring of the pulley may not be aligned with the inner ring. If the condition were not fixed, a component of the power steering pump could be detached from the pulley and force the driver to put in more effort to steer.

About 27,000 vehicles were recalled in Canada and 38,000 recalled in Japan, a Toyota spokesman said

MORE RECALL INFO:

• Toyota Avalon
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Highlander
• Toyota Sienna
• Toyota Solara
• Lexus ES330
• Lexus RX 400H
• Lexus RX330

NOVEMBER 2011 -- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004 Avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 Camry, Camry Solara, Highlander, and Sienna vehicles, 2006 Highlander Hybrid; 2004 and 2005 Lexus ES330 and RX330; and 2006 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured from June 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005, equipped with the 1MZ-FE or 3MZ-FE engine. The amount of adhesive agent applied between the outer ring and the torsiona l rubber damper (inner ring) in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate. If the adhesive is insufficient, there is a possibility that the outer ring may become misaligned and it may not properly rotate with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the battery discharge indicator light. In some cases, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley which could result in a loss of power steering and a sudden increase in steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the U.S. supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during early January 2012.  . 11V-539

JULY 2011 -- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2011 Lexus RX350 passenger cars manufactured from August 30, 2010, through May 18, 2011, and equipped with vehicle dynamics integrated management (VDIM). The calibration for the hydraulic control valves is incorrect. Due to this condition, there is a possibility that the right front wheel may not be controlled properly during ABS (antilock brake system) or VSC (vehicle stability control) actuation. This could result in increased stopping distances and/or a failure to adequately correct a vehicle slide, which could increase the risk of a vehicle crash. Dealers will replace the brake actuator with a new one, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during August 2011.   11V-377

JUNE 2011 -- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX400H passenger cars manufactured from February 16, 2005, through August 30, 2006. A module inside the inverter module may contain inadequately soldered transistors that during high-load driving, may be damaged by heat caused by the large current. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash. Toyota/Lexus will mail an interim owner notification in the middle of July 2011 to advise owners of this recall and the fact that they will receive a future notice when parts become available to complete repairs. Toyota dealers will inspect the hybrid inverter production number to determine whether the inverter contains suspect transistors and replace the module free of charge.   11V-342

NEWS:   Toyota to recall 82,200 vehicles in the US

YAHOO NEWS -- June 29,  2011 – Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will recall about 82,200 hybrid SUVs in the U.S. due to computer boards with possible faulty wiring.

The car giant said the recall will involve Highlander and Lexus brand hybrid SUVs from its 2006 and 2007 lines. The action covers just the vehicles sold in the U.S., with no other models affected.

The recall is the latest setback for Toyota, which is just recovering from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan in March. The company earlier this month predicted annual profit will fall nearly a third due to recent production disruptions related to the disasters, though it expects a strong rebound in the coming months.

Wednesday's recall involves about 45,500 Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus Rx 400h vehicles, the company's U.S. subsidiary said in a press release.

Toyota said the affected vehicles' hybrid system has a computer board with inadequate soldering that could be damaged during high-load driving. If damage were to occur, the company said the vehicles would either continue to operate under reduced power for a short distance, or coast to a stop.

The automaker said it is working on obtaining replacement parts, and for now will notify owners of possibly faulty vehicles by mid-July.

Toyota was recovering from a series of recalls that soiled its reputation for safety and eventually reached 14 million vehicles worldwide when the natural disasters struck in March.

The company said last week it will hire 3,000 to 4,000 temporary workers in Japan to be ready for a recovery in vehicle production as automakers bounce back and revamp their operations.

Even with a recovery, Toyota is expected to lose its spot as the world's top-selling automaker to General Motors Co. this year because of the disasters.

Japanese automakers are also dealing with possible electricity shortages after the quake and tsunami destroyed a nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.

MORE RECALL INFO:   

• Toyota Highlander Hybrid
•  Lexus Rx 400h Hybrid

FEBRUARY 2011 -- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, and model year 2004-2007 Lexus RX330, RX350, and RX400H vehicles. If the forward retention clip used to secure the floor carpet cover, which is located in front of the center console, is not installed properly the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal and interfere with the accelerator pedal arm. If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may temporarily become stuck in a partially depressed position rather than return to the idle position. A stuck accelerator pedal may result in unintended and sustained vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Dealers will replace the floor carpet cover with a newly designed one free or charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during March 2011.   11V-112

NEWS:   Toyota recalls 2.17 million vehicles in US

YAHOO NEWS -- February 23,  2011 – Toyota Motor Corp. recalled 2.17 million vehicles in the United States on Thursday to address accelerator pedals that could become entrapped in floor mats or jammed in driver's side carpeting, prompting federal regulators to close its investigation into the embattled automaker.

The Transportation Department said it had reviewed more than 400,000 pages of Toyota documents to determine whether the scope of the company's recalls for pedal entrapment was sufficient.

"As a result of the agency's review, (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) asked Toyota to recall these additional vehicles, and now that the company has done so, our investigation is closed," said NHTSA administrator David Strickland.

Toyota has now recalled more than 14 million vehicles globally to fix gas pedals and other safety problems since 2009. The company has received intense scrutiny from the government since August 2009, when four people were killed in a high-speed crash involving a Lexus near San Diego.

U.S. regulators largely cleared the company earlier this month, saying that electronic flaws were not to blame for reports of sudden, unintended acceleration that led to hundreds of complaints. Transportation officials tied the problems to mechanical defects dealt with in recalls and "pedal misapplication," in which the driver stepped on the accelerator instead of the brakes. The company has, however, paid the U.S. government a record $48.8 million in fines for its handling of three recalls.

The world's No. 1 automaker has tried to move beyond the recalls, vowing to heed customer complaints and upgrade its safety technology. The company has installed on new vehicles brake override systems, which automatically cut the throttle when the brake and gas pedals are applied simultaneously, and created engineering teams to examine vehicles that are the subject of consumer complaints.

In its latest safety action, Toyota said more than half of the vehicles under recall were being added to a massive 2009 recall that fixed gas pedals getting trapped in the floor mat.

The Japanese automaker said it would add three models to the 2009 pedal entrapment recall: about 600,000 4Runner SUVs from the 2003-2009 model years; 761,000 RAV4 compact SUVs from the 2006-2010 model years; and 17,000 Lexus LX 570s from the 2008-2011 model years.

Toyota spokesman...said the additional pedal entrapment recalls were "based on our continued constructive dialogue with NHTSA. While our actions up to now have led to a substantial reduction in reports of acceleration concerns, we mutually agreed that Toyota would take these additional steps to help ensure that acceleration concerns are further reduced."

The recall also includes 372,000 RX 330, RX 350 and RX 400H vehicles from the 2004 through early 2007 model years and 397,000 2004-2006 Toyota Highlander SUVs and hybrid versions to replace floor carpet covering and retention clips on the driver's side that could interfere with the accelerator pedal arm.

Toyota also recalled 20,000 2006 through early 2007 GS 300 and GS 350 all-wheel drive vehicles to change the shape of a plastic pad embedded in the driver's side floor carpet that could cause pedal interference.

Lyons said the company was unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the new recalls. He said Toyota was pleased NHTSA had closed its investigation.

Toyota still faces dozens of lawsuits from owners. NHTSA has received about 3,000 reports of sudden acceleration incidents involving Toyota vehicles during the past decade, including allegations of 93 deaths. NHTSA, however, has confirmed five of them.

The company said owners of the recalled GS 300 and GS 350 vehicles will be notified of the recall in early March. Owners of the RX and Highlander vehicles will be notified in the "near future" and receive a second notification once replacement covers are available.

Owners of the recalled 4Runner, LX 570 and RAV4s will also receive an initial notification in the near future, followed by a second notification once the recall preparations are complete.

MORE RECALL INFO:

• Toyota 4Runner
• Toyota Highlander
• Toyota RAV4
• Lexus GS
• Lexus LX
• Lexus RX

OCTOBER 2010 -- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 Avalon, model year 2004-2006 Highlander, model year 2004-2006 Lexus RX, and model year 2006 Lexus GS and IS vehicles. Brake fluid containing polymers is used that acts as lubricants for certain brake system components. If replacement brake fluid is used that does not contain such polymers, or that contains only small amounts, a part of the rubber seal located at the rear of the brake master cylinder may become dry, and the seal may curl during movement of the piston. If this occurs, a small amount of brake fluid could slowly leak from the seal into the brake booster. A leak of brake fluid could lead to a change in brake pedal feel and overtime a degradation in braking performance increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the seal with a newly designed one. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during November 2010.  10V-499

NEWS:  Toyota to recall 1.66 million cars over brake fluid leak

YAHOO NEWS -- October 21,  2010 –  Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it would repair 1.66 million Avalon and other vehicles, mostly in Japan and the United States, in the latest large-scale recall to plague the world's biggest automaker.

The announcement came less than two months after a recall in Canada and the United States of 1.3 million Corolla and Matrix cars carrying defective engine control modules that could cause the vehicles to stall.

Toyota had already recalled over 10 million vehicles in the past year, mostly for unintended acceleration, denting its reputation for quality and attracting intense scrutiny from U.S. safety regulators.

Toyota said it would recall 740,000 Avalon, Highlander, Lexus GS300, IS250 and IS350 cars in the United States to replace a brake master cylinder seal because there was a possibility that some brake fluid could leak from the cylinder, causing the brake warning lamp to light up.

The recall is expected to begin in October.

MORE RECALL INFO:  

• 2005-2006: Toyota Avalon
• 2004-2006: Toyota Highlander (non-hybrid models)
• 2006: Lexus GS 300
• 2006: Lexus IS250 and IS350
• 2004-2006: Lexus RX 330

NEWS:   Toyota recalling Highlander SUV, Lexus models in U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) - July 12, 2006 -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it was recalling 367,500 Toyota and Lexus sport utility vehicles in the United States because a piece in the front console area could come loose and interfere with the gas pedal.

The recall involves 2004-05 models of the Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX 330 and early 2006 models of the Highlander hybrid SUV and the RX 400h, the hybrid version of the RX 330....