Toyota Canada Recalls 28,000 Cars Over Transmission Flaw That Raises Risk of Crash

The Toyota logo on a dealership in Manchester, N.H, on Aug. 15, 2019. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)

Hundreds of Toyota and Lexus vehicles are being recalled due to a software error that increases the risk of a crash when the vehicle is in reverse.

“The rearview image may not display within the period of time required by certain safety regulations after the driver shifts the vehicle into reverse, increasing the risk of a crash while backing the vehicle,” a Toyota news release says.

The recall includes Toyota and Lexus vehicles, including the Lexus LS, LC, and ES in Canada, the company said. There are about 536 vehicles in Canada that are part of the recall.

Vehicle owners will be notified by late April, they said.

Dealers will update the software for the Panoramic View Monitor system, which will be done at no cost to customers.

A similar problem with the rearview cameras saw Honda recall 1.3 million vehicles worldwide in June 2023.

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That recall covered some models of Odyssey, Pilot, and Passport vehicles.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the rearview camera image may not show up on the display due to a faulty coaxial cable connector.

In December 2023, Toyota Canada had to recall over 100,000 vehicles because of faulty sensors that could prohibit the passenger airbag from deploying.

The move was made in two separate recalls, including for Toyota and Lexus vehicles made in 2020–2022, and the second for Toyota Corolla Cross vehicles from 2022 and 2023 model years.

Over a million vehicles in the United States were recalled for the same error.

Canada’s government says that around 6.6 million vehicles that have been recalled are still on the road.

A Transport Canada analysis in June 2023 estimated that about one in five of the 33.3 million vehicles registered since 2019 have been recalled, but they are still being driven.

The government said this puts drivers and passengers at risk, as well as others on Canadian roadways.

“Unresolved safety issues affecting vehicles, restraint systems for children and disabled persons, and tires can lead to property damage, injury or even death,” the analysis states.

Part of the issue was informing vehicle owners about recalls. It can be especially difficult if the car is second-hand and the manufacturer is unable to reach the original owner, according to the vice president of public affairs at the Canadian Automobile Association.

“Unfortunately in this country if you want to know for sure whether there’s a recall issued on your vehicle, you have to pay attention yourself—especially in the case of a used vehicle, because the only name on record that the government would have or that the automaker would have is likely the initial purchaser,” Ian Jack previously told The Epoch Times.

Mr. Jack said that not all the vehicles still on the road, even after being recalled, are dangerous.

“I don’t want to leave the impression that there are millions of vehicles driving around about to explode or kill people in the next five seconds.”

Many issues that are part of recall notices are minor, he said.

The Canadian Press and Jennifer Cowan contributed to this report.