Toyota Recall - Information & Updates

And the car industry is not immune from being saddled with these potentially damaging problems.Apart from Ford's recent problems with brake hoses and brake booster valves on E-Gas Falcons the other ‘big two’ carmakers have had their fair share of recalls.Holden has had five recalls for its VE Commodore and Statesman range since its introduction in 2006, involving things like fuel vapor lines, fuel lines and defective valves on LPG cars.ToyotaToyota had a range of recalls for its Camry, HiLux, RAV4, Yaris and LandCruiser over the past three years. Most, like a headlight dimmer switch on a Camry, have been minor. Others, like the potential fire hazard stemming from a poorly installed insulator pad on a Yaris, raised alarm bells among some customers.NissanLast week Nissan was forced to recall 11,743 Maximas and 4972 Muranos because of a vibrating air intake in the engine bay.AudiEven the luxury German brands are not immune. Last year Audi had to recall its TT for a piece of rear side trim in its cars that unless fixed, could potentially injure passengers.Mercedes-Benz This year Mercedes-Benz has recalled its M-Class off-roader for a possible glitch in its electric rear hatch. It was also forced to recall S-Class sedans fitted with active body control because of problems with the front lower ball joints on its suspension. On some high-mileage vehicles, the front suspension could fracture on rough roads. Faulty left and right windows in the Viano van also required the replacement.BMWOf the German carmakers, BMW has fared better. It has not had a official government recall since 2006.Volvo Volvo has had three recalls this year of its S80, XC70, V70 and new XC60 for engine cooling fan problems and windscreen wiper problems with the S80 and XC70.JaguarJaguar, once widely ridiculed for its poor quality cars, has come a long way over the past few years. Jaguars these days have no less, or no more, problems with recalls than some of the other luxury brands. Last year it experienced some minor problems with the XF range involving wiring and rear seatbelts.In all cases, recalls by carmakers are handled quickly and responsibly. If you want to check out whether your vehicle has had a recall, go to www.recalls.gov.au

We'll be alleging in court on behalf of the people of Orange County that Toyota knowingly sold cars and trucks with defects that caused Toyotas to accelerate suddenly and uncontrollably,'' Orange Country District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said.We intend to prove that Toyota ignored, omitted, obfuscated, and misrepresented the evidence that was amassing for many years regarding serious safety defects in their cars.Toyota has already been hit with dozens of lawsuits from owners seeking compensation in the wake of a series of mass recalls due to defects that led to sudden, unintended acceleration. At least 89 class-action lawsuits have been filed against the Japanese auto giant, which could cost it $US3 billion ($A3.28 billion) or more.Toyota has also been called to Washington to answer a congressional investigation and faces scrutiny by regulators and a US federal grand jury investigating whether there is sufficient evidence for criminal charges related to problems with Toyota's brakes and accelerators. Friday's suit is the first filed under consumer protection laws and the district attorney is seeking a civil penalty of $US2,500 ($2,731.94) for every violation of the state's unfair business practices act.These defects exist in hundreds of thousands of Toyotas sold to Californians over the last several years,'' Rackauckas said. Rackauckas said the purpose of the suit is to protect the public from "unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices.''"Toyota has known about these defects but intentionally did not disclose them to California purchasers,'' he said. "Rather than halt the sales of products in California until the problem was fixed, they made a business decision to continue selling and leasing their defective products to Californians.''Toyota said in a statement that it "has not received the complaint and is not in a position to comment on pending litigation''. Toyota has insisted that it has found a solution to the defects that triggered the recall of more than eight million vehicles worldwide, including six million in the United States, and have been blamed for about 50 US deaths.The most high profile case was the death of California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family whose heart-wrenching 911 call for help has been played repeatedly on national television.Critics question whether the mechanical fixes being applied to recalled vehicles are sufficient or if there's a problem with the electronic engine controls. The Japanese automaker made headlines earlier this week after a Prius owner sought help from police after the car sped uncontrollably along a San Diego freeway. US Federal safety regulators are investigating more than 60 reports of sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles which had already received the mechanical fix.

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.

The recall involves cars built between June 2005 and April 2007 and is part of a world-wide recall of 1.3 million cars.The carmaker says in severe front-end collisions, the seat belt is at risk of causing a foam pad in the car to ignite.Toyota Australia spokesman, Glenn Campbell, said three cars globally, including one in Australia, had experienced the problem.“There is a possibility that a noise-absorbent insulation could heat up when the seatbelt-tensioner is activated in a crash,” he said.“In extreme cases, this could lead to a post-crash fire.”Campbell said Toyota was contacting customers by mail to have their cars checked and have the faulty insulation removed.“The repair takes less than an hour and will be done at no cost to customers,” he said.The insulation was originally designed to reduce noise but subsequent testing by Toyota has found it does not increase noise levels when removed. 

The world's largest carmaker has bowed to global safety pressure and announced a massive recall of its flagship future car, the Prius hybrid.  After bungling a safety threat to more than eight million cars in dozens of countries over a faulty accelerator pedal, Toyota confirmed in Tokyo yesterday that it would recall more than 400,000 hybrids.The local implications of the recall are relatively minor, as Toyota Australia has only sold around 1700 of the latest-model Prius, with cars in dealer stocks taking the total to 2378.   But the damage to the brand's reputation, particularly in Australia where it has been number one for most of the past two decades, is impossible to calculate.Toyota has always stood for rock-solid reliability and safety so the two recalls, particularly the one triggered by fatal crashes in the USA, have done considerable damage to its brand."Toyota Motor Corporation has undertaken a thorough investigation and we are taking the appropriate course of action in the interests of our customers," the head of sales and marketing for Toyota Australia, Dave Buttner, said yesterday as he confirmed the recall of all 2010-model Prius."There have been no accidents linked to this issue reported in Australia. No other Toyota or Lexus models in Australia are affected by this recall."The Prius recall, announced in Japan by company president Akio Toyoda - grandson of the Toyota founder - involves a car that has always stood for the future of Toyota. The Prius is now into its third model and, in Australia, the same petrol-electric power package is fitted inside the Hybrid Camry that went on sale yesterday.The Prius problem was first reported in the USA, where owners complained of a strange feel to the braking system. Only two Australian owners have reported the problem, from 111 complaints worldwide.Toyota says it is the result of a delay that occurs when the car switches from regenerative braking - which captures energy from braking to recharge its on-board batteries - to the conventional braking system.  It says the solution to the problem is a relatively minor software tweak, which will be done free-of-charge to cars in Australia.

After a series of safety problems that has seen more than eight million cars recalled, including the current model Prius, Toyota may have to target the Corolla’s steering.The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 83 complaints about the power steering in 2009-2010 Corolla.  The reports say the cars veer left or right at speeds over 64km/h. Six crashes that resulted in 10 injuries are being investigated. The spate of recalls and safety scares may have an impact on the auto giant’s brand image, and credit agency Moody’s is tipped to be reviewing Toyota’s rating.

Every day there seems to be something new, from extra customer complaints to a damaging internal document which points to deliberate delaying tactics on the safety front.  The total cost of the fiasco is likely to be around $2 billion in lost sales, but no-one can yet say what the safety disaster - everything from faulty accelerator pedals to steering complaints on the Corolla and a brake drama on the Prius - will eventually cost the company in long-term respect.Even in Australia, where Toyota has been largely insulated from the safety problems, apart from the 1700 Prius owners who got a computer tweak to their car's brakes, there are people who are worried about buying a car from the company. And it's early days yet for the full impact on consumer confidence down under.Things are so bad internationally that Akio Toyoda, only recently installed in the top job, will head to Washington to represent Toyota in congressional hearings into the safety failings.  Toyoda is seen as the 'new broom' at the world's largest carmaker, with the potential to turn the company into more than just a brand that mass-produces cars for people who put transport ahead of personality or style. He is already pushing cars like the FT-86 concept, which is expected to be a born-again Sprinter for Gen-Y when it reaches production in 2011.But even he could be tainted, just as Australia's Jac Nasser - once the shooting star at the Ford Motor Company - was brought undone by the unsuccessful campaign to protect the Ford Explorer from a safety crisis in the USA.Toyota has reacted with things like a brake-against-throttle safety switch, but other brands have had that protection against a runaway for years.  It has also set up a new global committee for product quality, which will be chaired by Toyoda, but people are asking why it was not done before.The reason is simple: the Toyota production system is designed to stop faults and flaws before the factory gates. It's so good that it has been copied around the world, and by many companies outside the auto business, for decades.But the safety shortcomings highlighted by the multi-million-vehicle safety recalls show the system is only as good as the people who run it. And Toyota has been caught short.  The Toyota safety story has a long way to run and I am not expecting much good news for a long while yet.

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.