Steering problems force Toyota to recall 550,000 vehicles

by Steven Mostyn - Nov 10 2011, 10:08

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has issued a product recall concerning some 550,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles—420,000 of which are in the United States—in light of potential problem connected to their steering.

According to Toyota, the problem is rooted in the crankshaft pulley’s outer ring assembly, which can become misaligned with the inner ring, thereby causing a notably different engine noise and illuminating a corresponding dashboard warning light.

If left unattended, the alignment defect can then cause the belt for the power-steering pump to detach from the pulley, at which point drivers may suddenly find it hard to turn the steering wheel. 

The U.S. recall covers the 2004 Avalon, 2004 ES330, 2004-2005 Camry, 2004-2005 Highlander, 2004-2005 Sienna, 2004-2005 RX330, 2006 Highlander HV, and 2006 RX400h.

Although Toyota has said it plans to formally contact all affected owners in January—with a view to replacing affected parts without charge—it has advised that any unusual sounds emanating from the engine should be referred to an official dealer as soon as possible.

Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said that, while the company had received some 79 complaints about problematic steering since 2007, there have been no reports of accidents or injuries connected to the issue.

Although other recall regions include Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, the bulk of vehicles being in the United States is unlikely to help Toyota in its efforts to rebuild an already tarnished reputation stateside.

In 2010, the car manufacturer recalled some seven million vehicles in the United States, 2.3 million of which were with regard to a problem with sticking accelerators and sudden bursts of speed.

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