Toyota Recalls and Class Action Lawsuits
Toyota Motor North America is recalling approximately 6,000 model year 2018 Camrys and Highlanders and model year 2017 Siennas, Tacomas and Lexus RX350s.
A component in the vacuum pump assembly which provides braking assist may have been manufactured incorrectly. This condition could lead to the illumination of a warning light, a warning message, an audible tone, and result in the sudden loss of braking assist.
A sudden loss of braking assist while driving could increase ...
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 19 model year 2018 Toyota Prius C vehicles sold in Puerto Rico.
The front passenger airbag and recommended child occupant seating positions label may not have been attached during assembly.
If the label is missing, occupants may not follow the proper restraint usage guidelines, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners and will mail the removable labels to all known owners of the v...
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Consumers saddled with sludge-clogged Toyota engines may soon get some help from the Japanese auto giant under the terms of a class-action lawsuit settlement that covers roughly 3.5 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles damaged by engine oil sludge.
An engine gummed up with oil sludge can cost thousands of dollars to repair and in many cases must be replaced. The class action settlement could potentially cost the automaker hundreds of millions of dollars.
The agreement will al...
Toyota Motor Co. is recalling 533,000 trucks and SUVs because of possible steering and suspension problems caused by faulty ball joints.
The recall marks a sudden shift in policy for the Japanese automaker after repeatedly denying consumer complaints about ball joint problems and failures in the Tundra and Sequoia.
The Toyota recall includes 2004 to 2007 model year Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicles and 2004 to 2006 Tundra pickups sold in the U.S.
A ball joint in the ...
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 21 model year 2008-2016 Toyota Land Cruisers, model year 2006 Lexus LX470s, and model year 2008-2013 Lexus LX570s.
The vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect driver or front passenger air bag. As such, they vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
An incorrect driver or front passenger air bag may not deploy as intended i...
Standing room only may be the rule as hybrid hunters line up outside Toyota showrooms to join the ever-growing waiting list for a new Prius.
But not every Prius owner is smiling. Disillusioned Prius owners routinely report their view of the hybrid's dark side to ConsumerAffairs.com.
Recent complaints settled into several areas: unintended acceleration, troublesome traction control, battery failure, trouble filling the fuel tank, unusual tire wear and relatively poor gasoli...
Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 1,325 model year 2013-2017 Toyota Tundras and Sequoias accessorized with Southeast Toyota accessory 20-inch Rockstar wheels.
The Rockstar wheels, installed by SET or an SET dealer, has lugnuts that may crack and detach causing the wheels to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement lugnuts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June ...
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 649 model year 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runners and Tundras, 2018 Toyota Highlanders, RAV4s and Lexus GX460s, and 2017 Toyota Siennas and Tacomas.
The vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity labels, thus failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle...
Scott of Rockland, ME may have identified a major oversight on Toyota's part:
After having major engine work done on my T-100 truck, at the Toyota dealership where I bought the truck new, I figuerd out that they neglected to properly flush the cooling system before adding new anti-freeze/coolant during reassembly.
At first I thought the dealer had decided to omit this important step, until I ordered the Toyota official repair manuel, directly from Toyota. This is when I le...
One year after first reports in ConsumerAffairs.com that the Toyota Prius traction control system can fail to operate properly on a snowy road, Prius owners report the hybrids TRAC system is still inadequate on slippery inclines.
One Vermont Prius driver, suffering through a recent January snowfall, described Toyota Prius traction control as "dangerous in mountainous snow country.
The Vermonter wrote that the system is flawed and should definitely be modified. In marg...
Toyota Motor North America is recalling about 28,600 model year 2018 C-HR vehicles and 39,900 model year 2012 - 2015 Prius Plug-In Hybrids.
C-HR
There is a possibility that the electronic parking brake (EPB) in the C-HR vehicles may not operate properly, causing the parking brake to not disengage after it is applied or prevent it from being applied.
If the electronic parking brake cannot be applied, this could result in a potential noncompliance with a federal safety stand...
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling 1,121 model year 2017 Toyota Highlanders and Highlander Hybrids equipped with accessory roof rail cross bars.
The fasteners for the roof rails may not be torqued properly, may loosen and possibly detach from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
GST will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and properly torque the fasteners, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 25, 2017.
Owners ...
Toyota Motor North America is recalling 671 model year 2016 Avalon and Camry Hybrids.
The vehicles' front drive shaft assembly may have been misassembled. This could cause vehicle vibration and certain components in the drive shaft assembly to separate, resulting in a loss of propulsion while driving and the transmission not holding the vehicle when shifted into the Park position.
A loss of propulsion while driving at higher speeds could increase the risk of a crash.
In ad...
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 31,824 model year 2016-2017 Tacomas equipped with a six-cylinder engine.
The vehicles have a crank position sensor that may malfunction, potentially resulting in an engine stall that may increase the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crank position sensor with an improved design, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 17, 2017.
Owners may contact Toyota customer servi...
It was just a few weeks ago that federal safety regulators found that Toyota's unintended acceleration incidents were not caused by the automaker's electronic system. But that doesn't mean there haven't been any incidents.
Now Toyota is recalling 2.17 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the United States to inspect and, if necessary, replace accelerator pedals that may get trapped in floor mats or carpeting. Toyota conducted a massive recall in 2009 to address the same problem.
A 10-month investigation by NASA engineers determined that electronic flaws were not to blame for widespread consumer complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus models, the U.S. Department of Transportation said this month.
The Japanese automaker has now recalled a total of 19.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles worldwide and more than 13.7 million in the United States to address safety problems since the fall of 2009.
Toyota said 20,000 2006 and early 2007 Lexus GS 300 and GS 350 all-wheel-drive sedans will be recalled to modify the shape of the plastic pad embedded in the driver's side floor carpet. Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified in early March.
If the floor carpet around the accelerator pedal is not properly replaced after service, Toyota said there is a possibility that the plastic pad embedded into the floor carpet may interfere with operation of the accelerator pedal.
If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position. Toyota said it recently received two complaints about the problem.
In addition, Toyota is recalling 372,000 2004 through 2006 and early 2007 Lexus RX 330, RX 350, and RX 400h units, and about 397,000 Toyota Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles sold from the 2004 through 2006 model years to replace the driver's side floor carpet cover and its two retention clips.
Not electronic
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said on Feb. 8 that federal investigators had found no evidence the automaker's electronic throttle system played a part in incidents of unintended acceleration.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the study ten months ago and called on NASA engineers to help determine whether cases of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus models were caused by any cause other than sticky gas pedals and floor mats that trapped the gas pedals.
“We enlisted the best and brightest engineers to study Toyota’s electronics system, and the verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended, high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.” LaHood said.
It was just a few weeks ago that federal safety regulators found that Toyota's unintended acceleration incidents were not caused by the automaker's electronic system. But that doesn't mean there haven't been any incidents.
Now Toyota is recalling 2.17 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the United States to inspect and, if necessary, replace accelerator pedals that may get trapped in floor mats or carpeting. Toyota conducted a massive recall in 2009 to address the same p...
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.
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 l...
By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
July 14, 2010
After reviewing nearly 2,000 cases of sudden, uncontrolled acceleration events reported by drivers of its cars, Toyota says it has found no problem in the vehicle electronics that control the throttle.
In some of the cases, the carmaker said, it has evidence that the driver mistook the accelerator for the brake.
Toyota elaborated on a subject raised Wednesday when The Wall Street Journal reported U.S. safety investigators had reached a similar conclusion.
The newspaper quoted sources within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as saying that, in a few of the reported cases of sudden acceleration, a review of the electronic event recorder showed the car's throttle was wide open while there was no pressure applied to the brakes.
Since the incidents of uncontrolled acceleration began to occur, Toyota attributed many to driver error. When Audi vehicles were investigated two decades ago for similar reasons, safety investigators concluded that drivers, in most case, slammed on the accelerator when they believed they were applying the brakes.
NHTSA
After launching an investigation of reports of sudden acceleration in Toyotas during the early 2000s, NHTSA reported in 2004 that it was unable to find a cause for the problem. The agency said it analyzed many of the cars involved in the mishaps and found nothing abnormal with the throttle controls.
Once again NHTSA pointed to the driver. The agency said sudden surges are sometimes caused by drivers who are unfamiliar with their new vehicles.
The Transportation Department declined to comment on the subject, noting that a NHTSA probe of Toyota's electronics system is still underway and will not be completed for several months. The agency is conducting an investigation to determine if electronics played any role in hundreds of reported incidents.
The reports of uncontrolled acceleration resulted in a massive recall of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in late 2009 and early 2010. Toyota has steadfastly maintained the problem does not lie in the electronics, but rather in the design of the accelerator pedal. The recall removed floor mats and modified the pedals in affected cars and trucks.
By Mark HuffmanConsumerAffairs.com
July 14, 2010 After reviewing nearly 2,000 cases of sudden, uncontrolled acceleration events reported by drivers of its cars, Toyota says it has found no problem in the vehicle electronics that control the throttle.
In some of the cases, the carmaker said, it has evidence that the driver mistook the accelerator for the brake.
Toyota elaborated on a subject raised Wednesday when The Wall Street Journal reported U.S. safety investiga...