Toyota Motor Sale USA Inc. announced on Wednesday that it is recalling almost 700,000 vehicles in the United States, citing various mechanical problems as the reason.
The company said the recalls include approximately 495,000 Tacoma trucks from the 2005 through 2009 model years, about 70,500 Camry sedans made during the 2009 model year, and about 116,000 Venza crossovers made during the 2009 through 2011 model years.
The Tacoma trucks need to have their steering wheel spiral cable assemblies replaced. Toyota said that there is a possibility of friction between the assembly’s spiral cable and the retainer in these models. Over time this could cut the connection to the airbag on the driver’s side, which would prevent it from deploying during a crash.
The Camry sedans and Venza crossovers are being recalled because there is a possibility that silicon grease may have reached the inside of the stop lamp switches during their installation on one of the North American assembly lines. This could cause an increase in electrical resistance, which could cause warning lights to illuminate, keep the vehicle from starting or prevent it from shifting out of “park,” according to the company.
Toyota said that it is not aware of any accidents or injuries from these problems, and that it is in the process of obtaining the replacement parts need. When the parts arrive the company will notify the affected owners and replace the parts for free.
With Associated Press