Toyota Recalls 550k Cars Over Steering Issue

Toyota Motor Corp. issued a recall Wednesday for about 550,000 vehicles worldwide — the majority of those (Approx. 447k) being in the U.S. — after the company detected a potential flaw that may suddenly affect steering.

The latest recall includes the 2004 Avalon, the 2004 and 2005 Camry and 2006 Highlander HV. Within the Lexus brand, the 2004 and 2005 ES330, the RX330 and the 2006 RX400h are being recalled, according to the auto manufacturing giant.

In a statement, Toyota admitted the recall was implemented after the company discovered a problem with the outer ring of the V6 engine’s crankshaft pulley, which may become misaligned with the inner ring.

The Japanese automaker said if not corrected, the power steering pump could become detached from the pulley and cause an immediate difficulty in steering for the driver, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

While Toyota has received a total of 79 reports about the defect dating back to 2007, they say there have been no known cases of accidents or injuries related to the problems as of yet.

The car maker said that it would send owners a notification (starting in January) to make an appointment with an authorized dealer to have their cars inspected once replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities. If your car is among those that the recall affects, it will be serviced free of charge.

For more information on the latest Toyota recall, head over to the company’s official website.

via SF Chron
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