By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
July 6, 2010
After giving a warning last week that it was considering a recall, Toyota today announced it would indeed recall 270,000 luxury Lexus models, including 139,000 sold in the U.S.
The Japanese carmaker said the vehicles' engines are prone to stall while running.
Toyota said it has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of its intention to file a Defect Information Report (DIR) regarding the Lexus vehicles, powered by 4.6 and 5.0 liter V8 and 3.5 liter V6 engines in certain 2006, 2007 and 2008 GS, IS and LS models in the U.S. The formal report will be filed later this week.
"In the covered vehicles, due to slight variations during the manufacturing process, some foreign material may have contaminated a small number of the valve springs," Toyota said in a statement.
If a vehicle is affected, the company says there is a "remote" possibility that abnormal engine noise or idling may occur. In extremely rare instances, the engine may stop while the vehicle is in operation.
According to Reuters, Toyota received reports of the defect more than three years ago.
Lexus estimates that the likelihood of a customer vehicle experiencing this condition is two-tenths of one percent. Lexus said it has received no reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition. No vehicles from the current 2010 model year nor 2009 are affected.
Lexus said it will send owners of the involved vehicles a recall notification via first class mail. Owners are requested to contact their local Lexus dealer for diagnosis and repair after receiving their notification. The repair will involve replacement of the engine's valve springs at no charge.
The company say owners can continue to drive their vehicles. If symptoms are noticed, such as vibration, rough idling, unusual engine sounds or poor performance, the vehicle should be brought to a Lexus dealer for service.
Certain Lexus vehicles produced among the following models and years are covered:
Model | Model Year | |
GS 350 | 2007 | |
2008 | ||
GS 450h | 2007 | |
2008 | ||
GS 460 | 2008 | |
IS 350 | 2006 | |
2007 | ||
2008 | ||
LS 460 | 2007 | |
2008 | ||
LS 460 L | 2007 | |
2008 | ||
LS 600h L | 2008 |
Not a new problem
While Toyota conceded that it had received complaints of the problem dating back to 2007, it said that it was not until October 2009 that the complaints of "total engine failures" began to spike.
The company said that on July 1, it decided to issue the recall after tracing the problem to the strength of valve springs with a wire diameter of 3.3 mm.
