Lexus Recall Issued for 138,000 Luxury Cars Over Engine Problems

Toyota Motor Co. has announced that it is recalling about 138,000 luxury Lexus models that contain defective parts that may cause the engine to fail while driving. 

The Lexus recall was announced on July 5, and includes a number of 2006-2008 GS, IS, and LS Lexus vehicles sold in the United States. Some of the vehicles have been found to have a faulty engine valve spring that can fail after a few years of operation. This may cause the engine to die while the vehicle is in use, potentially leading to an automobile accident.

Globally, 270,000 Toyota and Lexus cars will be affected by the recall, including 90,000 Lexus and Toyota Crown sedans in the company’s native Japan. There have been no injuries or accidents reported in connection to the defective engine valve springs.

The recalled Lexus vehicles include the following models: the 2007 and 2008 GS 350, 2007 and 2008 GS 450h, 2008 GS 460, 2006-2008 IS 350, 2007 and 2008 LS 460 and LS 460 L, and the 2008 LS 600h L. All of the affected vehicles in the U.S. are run by 4.6 or 5.0 liter V8 or 3.5 liter V6 engines.

Registered owners affected by the Lexus recall will be contacted by mail, officials for the auto maker said. Vehicles with defective engine valve springs may have abnormal engine noise or idling, and there is a small chance the engine will fail while in operation. The company says that owners can continue to drive their vehicles while waiting for the problem to be fixed, but should bring the vehicle to a dealer if they begin to experience uncharacteristic engine noise. Any Lexus owners with questions can go to www.lexus.com/recall.

Toyota told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it has received reports about the problem from Japan since at least 2007.

The admission comes at a time when the auto maker is already under fire for what some NHTSA officials claim is foot dragging on other recalls. Last month, the agency announced that it was launching a criminal probe over the company’s recall of Toyota trucks and SUVs in 2005 due to steering problems. Documents have come to light that indicate that the company was aware of the problem for 11 years before taking action.

The probe and latest admission comes as Toyota is still reeling from the recall of millions of vehicles due to problems with sudden acceleration, which also involved allegations that the auto maker delayed acting on safety concerns. As a result of the recent recalls, Toyota faces a criminal probe, has received hefty government fines and dozens of new Toyota lawsuits over injuries and deaths have been filed.

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