Lexus Recall - Information & Updates

Just as things are calming after Toyota's eight-million-vehicle mistakes in the USA and Europe, Mazda is hit with a 90,000-car recall in Japan and China.Australia has again dodged the recall, which only applies to a specific model of the Mazda3 not sold here, but things are looking tougher for even the world's most-admired brands. "The Mazda3 is not affected in Australia," says company spokesman Steve Maciver. "It's only the 1.6-litre engine, which we do not get here."But Toyota Australia was forced to recall the latest Prius hybrid for tweaking of the braking system; elderly Daihatsus have been recalled - ironically, under the Toyota banner; and Great Wall was forced to recall the first batch of its Chinese twin-cab utes to rectify a seat belt problem.Even Suzuki, which has one of the lowest warranty-claim rates in the country, was forced to recall the baby Alto because of a problem with wiring to the stoplights. Suzuki Australia is still sourcing a replacement stoplamp switch and will contact owners.Then there is Toyota USA, which is hit with another cloud over the Lexus GS460. It's a heavyweight SUV which is built up from the Prado and, thanks to an unsafe rating by the influential magazine 'Consumer Reports', sales have been stopped while the company conducts safety tests. It is responding to claims the car can develop a tail slide, leading to a rollover, in an emergency situation. Once again, Toyota Australia is responding with a 'no panic' reply."The Lexus GX460 is not and has never been sold in Australia. Toyota Motor Corporation Japan has advised us that Prado is not affected by the sales stop. It has a smaller engine and significantly less weight overall, particularly over the front wheels, says Toyota and Lexus spokesman, Mike Breen. Toyota is even putting a positive spin on the Lexus development."This is firm evidence of Toyota’s stated intention to respond even more quickly to ensure quality and customer satisfaction. It shows that Toyota is taking the matter seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue that was identified," Breen says. "Having done that, Toyota Motor Corporation has adopted its normal approach of conducting further tests on other SUVs. These vehicles have already undergone extensive testing and Toyota is confident they meet its high safety standards. Toyota is therefore conducting these tests as an additional measure to ensure customer confidence."And it's not just cheap-and-cheerful car brands that get caught up in recalls. Ferrari is also suffering after recalling more than 2000 of its F355 model fitted with a single fuel pump system and sold in the 1990s. Ferrari says it will be contacting known owners so their cars can be checked for a problem with the fuel system pipes.Porsche, meanwhile, plans to recall 152 of its all-new Panamera flagship, which sells from $270,000 to $365,000. They have to be checked for faulty seatbelt mounting points.

It's the fourth time this year that the country's top selling brand has been forced into a recall for a safety problem, this time involving the Toyota Kluger and a range of Lexus models.The recall was triggered by a problem in the braking system that can lead to a fluid leak.  A total of 77 cases have been reported by owners in Australia and 17,582 Klugers and another 8201 Lexus vehicles will be recalled in a global total of more than 1.5 million vehicles.Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen, says the company is already working to advise customers and get the vehicles repaired.  The problem can occur because the Toyota braking system on the vehicles involved needs brake fluid containing lubricating polymers. If different fluid is used, a rubber seal at the end of the brake master cylinder can be damaged and allow a fluid leak to develop.  "We're only talking about a trickle of fluid. But the brake warning light can come on," Breen says.The affected Klugers were built between May 2003 and November 2005, while the Lexus vehicles involved are the RX330 SUV built between February 2003 and October 2005, the GS300 built from January 2005 to November 2005, and the IS250 built from September 2005 to November 2005.Breen says Toyota moved quickly to identify the problem, using the new global recall system put in place after the disastrous worldwide recall of 8.5 million cars last year for a faulty accelerator pedal."I'd suggested we picked it up more quickly with the new system. We had to wait for Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan to identify the situation," he says.The latest recall follows one for a steering problem in the LandCruiser, another in September for a faulty tailshaft support in some HiLux models, and one in February for re-calibration of the braking system in the Prius hybrid.The solution for the latest recall is to replace the questionable part in the braking system, then flush the braking system and replace the fluid.