TOYOTA stops production in USA (Recall)

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http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...0706-zxx4.html

Lexus begins recall of $250,000 flagship
TOBY HAGON
July 6, 2010 - 8:58AM

The latest recall by automotive giant Toyota includes 1120 luxury Lexus models sold in Australia.

Owners of the most expensive Lexus on the market could be without their cars for three days as the Toyota luxury brand addresses another safety recall.

Lexus is in the process of contacting owners of its most expensive models - including two hybrid cars - to fix a safety problem that could lead to engines cutting out.

Part of a global campaign to address potentially faulty valve springs in the engine, the recall affects 1120 vehicles sold in Australia.

Models affected include the GS450h, GS460, LS460 and LS600hL with engines produced between February 2007 and August 2008; that could include cars produced after August.

The repair involves replacing the valve springs in the V6 and V8 engines, a process that takes one day in the V6 and three days in the V8.

"In rare circumstances there's a chance the engine may stall due to the valve springs breaking," says Toyota spokesman Glenn Campbell, who also says "there is a small possibility that abnormal engine noise of unstable idling may occur".

Toyota says there have been no reports of engines failing in Australia but that there had been reports of an engine misfire.

The LS600hL is the flagship of the Lexus range, selling from $243,900 plus on-road costs. It is the most powerful and most expensive hybrid vehicle on sale in Australia, teaming a V8 engine with an electric motor to give V12-like performance.

The LS460 is a similar vehicle but powered only by a V8 engine, while the GS460 and GS450h are smaller luxury sedans that still sell for upwards of $125,000.

Lexus is planning to give owners a loan car to "minimise inconvenience" for the latest in a string of high profile recalls for Toyota and its luxury offshoot.

It is the second recall for the flagship LS models - a limousine that competes with top end Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar models - with Toyota announcing a fix for the steering control unit earlier this year.

Since the beginning of the year Toyota has recalled some 10 million vehicles, mainly for throttle issues.
Until recently the global recalls only affected 2378 Prius models in Australia, which were brought back to dealerships to address brake feel problems.

More recently a handful of LandCruisers were recalled to fix potentially faulty seatbelt buckles, while Toyota has also tweaked the tuning of its electronic stability control systems on some vehicles sold overseas after reports the systems did not adequately control the car in an emergency situation.

In announcing a $107.9 million loss for the year ended March 31, Toyota Australia CEO Max Yasuda said yesterday the brand was more committed than ever to quality, which helped grow what is now the world's largest car maker.

"Toyota Motor Corporation has formed a Special Committee for Global Quality and Toyota Australia's manufacturing plant at Altona plays a role in this activity," said Yasuda. "We will continue to challenge ourselves to ensure we deliver the highest-quality cars to our customers."

He said the recalls would lead to better Toyota and Lexus vehicles in future and faster response to any problems.

"Having participated in this recall activity, we have responded by undertaking new activities to ensure high quality standards are achieved. This includes further developing our capability for early detection of quality issues and rectification."

The latest recall comes just as Lexus is reinforcing its domination of hybrid sales in the luxury segment.
The brand has embarked on a marketing campaign to reinforce it is the global luxury hybrid leader. Lexus began selling hybrids in Australia in 2006.

Lexus is planning on selling its most affordable hybrid model - the CT200h hatchback - in Australia from next year. It gets a 1.8-litre four-cylinder teamed with an electric motor.