Toyota issues more recalls, braking systems & drive shafts affected

Posted on Feb 16, 2010

The number of recalled Toyota vehicles keeps rising, unnerving investors and making customers uneasy. To date about ten million recall notices have been sent out to Toyota owners across the globe, prompting safety experts to question the auto giant’s commitment to manufacturing excellence.

The recent recall events began late last year, when Toyota issued a recall affecting over four million vehicles for a floor mat accelerator entrapment issue. The vehicles were recalled after the widely discussed death of an off-duty California trooper who died with his family when their Lexus sped out of control after the accelerator pedal became stuck.

Safety experts questioned whether faulty floor mat design was the root of the unintended acceleration problem. Not long after another recall was issued for a similar issue, this time for a faulty throttle. Vehicles affected by this recall could have their accelerator pedal get stuck, leading to an increased risk of a traffic crash.

The braking systems of three popular vehicles, the Prius, Camry, and Lexus were the focus of a recent recall. Computer software that controls the brakes in the Prius and Lexus must be modified to prevent vehicles from being perceived as taking too long to brake. The Camry has a brake tube defect that could lead to the loss of braking power, which could contribute to a serious crash.

Lastly, Toyota recently recalled about 8,000 2010 Toyota Tacoma vehicles for a defective drive shaft that could cause drive shaft separation and potentially contribute to motor vehicle crashes. Owners of affected vehicles are asked to visit their dealer for a fix.