Toyota Motor Corp. started Monday a global recall over engine defects in its Lexus luxury models sold around the world, as well as the Crown sold in Japan, moving to repair some 270,000 vehicles to replace valve springs — crucial engine components that are flawed and could cause vehicles to stall.
In August 2008, Toyota changed that spring part, making it thicker, to prevent the problem, spokesman Hideaki Homma told The Associated Press. That is why the latest recall does not affect vehicles produced after August 2008.
Toyota, the world's top automaker, previously thought the problem was caused by a foreign substance entering during manufacturing of the valve springs, and beefed up checks so that wouldn't happen. But the company had thought the issue was an isolated problem that didn't require a recall.
But the complaints started climbing, and Toyota decided recently they weren't isolated problems after all, but a design defect, and decided to issue the recall, Homma said.
Affected in the latest recall were Lexus models GS350, GS450h, GS460, IS350, LS460, LS600h, LS600hL and Crown models, including about 138,000 vehicles in the U.S., nearly 92,000 in Japan, 15,000 in Europe, 10,000 in the Middle East, 6,000 in China, 4,000 in Canada, and 8,000 elsewhere.
Toyota has received about 200 complaints, but no accidents due to the defects have been reported.
