Autovolt Magazine

Toyota & Lexus Recall Some Hybrids Over Safety Fears

Toyota & Lexus have taken the decision to recall nearly 73,000 UK-registered car. To date, there have been no reports of any accidents or injuries relating to these issues. Toyota and Lexus are conducting the recall according to DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, previously known as VOSA, Vehicle Operating Standards Authority) code of practice.

The recall is preventative against possible injury and so should not immediately be of cause for concern. All repairs will be conducted free of charge for owners of affected cars. To find out more and if your car is affected, please read on below and click the links at the bottom of the page. Toyota & Lexus will contact affected owners over the next couple of weeks.

Fuel Emissions Control Unit (Canister) – Prius, Auris and Lexus CT 200h

Toyota and Lexus will conduct a recall involving certain Toyota Prius, Auris and Lexus CT200h models which affects 72,885 vehicles in the UK. The subject vehicles are equipped with an evaporative fuel emissions control unit (canister) mounted in the fuel tank. There is a possibility that cracks could develop in the coating of the emissions channel due to improper shaping of portions of the channel. As a result of this condition, the cracks could expand over time and, eventually, fuel may leak from these cracks when the vehicle has a full tank of petrol.

There has not been any report of accidents, injuries or fatalities linked to this issue. The vehicles subject to this recall were manufactured within the period April 2006 and August 2015. For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will replace the canister with an improved one at no cost. The work will take approximately two to three hours.

Curtain Shield Airbag – Prius and Lexus CT 200h

Toyota and Lexus will conduct a recall involving certain Toyota Prius and Lexus CT200h models which affects 34,135 vehicles in the UK (NB: all these vehicles will also be included in the above recall).

The involved vehicles are equipped with curtain shield air bags (CSA) in the driver and passenger side roof rails that have air bag inflators composed of two chambers welded together.  Some inflators could have a small crack in the weld area joining the chambers, which could grow over time, and lead to the separation of the inflator chambers.  This has been observed when the vehicle is parked and unoccupied for a period of time.  If an inflator separates, the CSA could partially inflate, and, in limited circumstances, one or both sections of the inflator could enter the interior of the vehicle.  If an occupant is present in the vehicle there is an increased risk of injury.

For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will install retention brackets on the curtain shield air bag inflators at no cost.  These retention brackets are designed to prevent the inflator chambers from entering the vehicle interior if separation occurs. The repair will take approximately two to four hours.

As of June 20, 2016, based on a diligent but not yet exhaustive review of available data, the company is not aware of any injuries or fatalities associated with the condition.

The vehicles subject to this recall were manufactured within the period October 2008 and August 2012.

Customer information

In accordance with DVSA guidelines vehicle owners will be contacted by Toyota or Lexus within the coming weeks by post or telephone and asked to make an appointment to bring their car to their nearest Toyota or Lexus Centre. Customers can check whether their vehicle is affected using a registration look-up function in the owners section of the main website www.toyota.co.uk or www.lexus.co.uk

If owners require additional information they can contact Recall Helpline on 0344 7016202

Source; Toyota & Lexus