After announcing that it would recall around 270,000 cars worldwide, Toyota Motor Corp. this week has begun its safety recall, starting with more than 95,000 vehicles sold in Japan and South Korea. Other countries will follow by the end of the week.
The recall affects Lexus models produced between July 2005 and August 2008—including 138,000 vehicles in the United States, 91,903 cars (including the Toyota Crown) in Japan, 15,000 in Europe, around 10,000 in the Middle East, 6,000 sold in China, 4,000 in Canada, and 8,000 vehicles sold elsewhere.
The recall would target valve springs in the cars’ engines, which could cause the motor to stall while in operation. So far, no accidents due to the defect have been officially reported.
According to an AP report quoting a Toyota official, the company knew of the engine value problem as early as 2007, and thus starting in model year 2008, Toyota switched to thicker engine valves to prevent the problem.
At the time, company officials thought the problem was isolated and did not think the issue warranted a safety recall.
This latest recall follows another recent one announced by Toyota just last week on 17,000 Lexus hybrid vehicles. Tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that fuel could leak from the vehicles upon rear-end collisions.
Toyota this year has been mired in a slew of safety recalls and negative publicity, and the latest gaffes do nothing to instill consumer confidence in the automaker and confidence in its president, Akio Toyoda.
In the United States, Toyota faces more than 200 lawsuits over safety issues, decline in vehicle resale value, and from shareholders on declining stock price.
In January, Toyota was forced to recall more than 8.5 million vehicles globally across its model lineup on separate issues related to steering column, brake pedals, and accelerator pedals that could become stuck during operation.
Toyota was fined a record $16.4 million by U.S. regulators for its slow response in addressing its safety defects earlier this year.
The recall affects Lexus models produced between July 2005 and August 2008—including 138,000 vehicles in the United States, 91,903 cars (including the Toyota Crown) in Japan, 15,000 in Europe, around 10,000 in the Middle East, 6,000 sold in China, 4,000 in Canada, and 8,000 vehicles sold elsewhere.
The recall would target valve springs in the cars’ engines, which could cause the motor to stall while in operation. So far, no accidents due to the defect have been officially reported.
According to an AP report quoting a Toyota official, the company knew of the engine value problem as early as 2007, and thus starting in model year 2008, Toyota switched to thicker engine valves to prevent the problem.
At the time, company officials thought the problem was isolated and did not think the issue warranted a safety recall.
This latest recall follows another recent one announced by Toyota just last week on 17,000 Lexus hybrid vehicles. Tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that fuel could leak from the vehicles upon rear-end collisions.
Toyota this year has been mired in a slew of safety recalls and negative publicity, and the latest gaffes do nothing to instill consumer confidence in the automaker and confidence in its president, Akio Toyoda.
In the United States, Toyota faces more than 200 lawsuits over safety issues, decline in vehicle resale value, and from shareholders on declining stock price.
In January, Toyota was forced to recall more than 8.5 million vehicles globally across its model lineup on separate issues related to steering column, brake pedals, and accelerator pedals that could become stuck during operation.
Toyota was fined a record $16.4 million by U.S. regulators for its slow response in addressing its safety defects earlier this year.
