Toyota recall

[Jim Goose]

7:46PM Wednesday Oct 10, 2012

Toyota recalls 300,000 cars

Matt Campbell
Motoring Writer


Toyota has announced a recall action on almost 300,000 vehicles in Australia – and 7.4 million cars worldwide – over a sticky power window switch.

According to the company, the recall is for a fix of the power window master switch on the driver’s arm-rest, which may not operate smoothly or become inoperative. Toyota says that in the worst case scenario, the switch assembly may overheat and melt.

The recall affects certain models built between 2006 and 2010, including the Yaris city car, Corolla small car, Camry and Aurion family sedans and RAV4 and Kluger SUVs. A total of 297,931 cars are affected here.

Toyota says that no injuries have been reported as a result of the issue, but there have been six reports of the sticky window switch found in Australia.
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Toyota Australia manager of public relations, Mike Breen, says the recall is "a precautionary measure" and that "there is no risk of any injury" as a result of the fault. He says the main concern is that owners may use the incorrect lubricant in the power window switch, which may cause it to overheat and possibly melt.

The company says it expects only a small number of vehicles will require the power window electrical circuit board to be replaced. If it does need to be changed, Toyota says the repair will take about an hour to complete, and the job will be performed at no cost.

The company says it will commence a mailout to owners from mid-November to remind them to schedule a repair with their dealer.

The Japanese company has experienced several high profile recalls in the past three years, including one in August that affected 750,000 SUVs – but that the local arm refused to perform a fix for.

Toyota is also currently under fire for apparent engine problems with its 86 sports car, which has been developed in conjunction with Subaru.

Since 2009, Toyota has recalled about 15 million cars, including numerous models in Australia, for potential faults including sticking accelerator pedals, floor mats that could trap the accelerator, braking problems, stalling engines, steering defects, fuel leakages, airbag non-deployment and malfunctioning seatbelt buckles.

Toyota is on track to become Australia's top-selling car brand for the tenth straight year in 2012, with the Japanese brand's Corolla, Camry, HiLux and RAV4 all ranking among the top performers for their respective sales segments.

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/t...010-27cz2.html

[Fiesta_Man69]

A sticky window switch? The horror!!!

[DJR-351]

Thumbs up to Toyota......

[P6LTD351]

I thought Toyotas were faultless?

[Bossxr8]

Haven't been for years. Quality issues have been growing for them over the past few years.

Also seems why this recall is a bit of a kneejerk reaction, they are getting very self conscious of their quality issues and are trying to repair their image (mostly applies to the US and not here).

I don't reckon many other manufacturers would have even bothered doing a recall for this, its so minor and may only be an issue if some backyard mechanic stuffs around with it and uses the wrong grease. Same could be said for any part on a car someone does the wrong thing with.

[big_landau]

who cares,not me i'll never own another toyota anyway.

[MAFIA]

Originally Posted by eb2monty

I thought Toyotas were faultless?

Pffttt!!! Since when has Toyota been faultless??? They have plenty of recalls last 5 years!!!

[Ford_The_Win]

If it was Holden or Ford they'd be telling customers "Nah mate that's just ya heated armrests"

[Kayos]

Camry killed the Falcon star.. And all I hear from people I know, arn't toyotas good and reliable, yep I know the wrong people

[2011G6E]

Is that why they all seem to have auto up and down electric windows all around...it's not a deign feature, it's a sticky switch!!

I'm still glad I live in a country where car makers are legally obliged to follow up on faults, report them and publicise the fact, and deal with it at their own expense instead of sweeping it under the carpet.

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by MAFIA

Pffttt!!! Since when has Toyota been faultless??? They have plenty of recalls last 5 years!!!

Yeah mate I know. I was being sarcastic lol.

[RSgerry]

so, if the brakes on your camry dont fail or the throttle doesnt stick open, the leccy window switch will ensure you burn. and this assumes the car hasnt bored you to death first.

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by RSgerry

so, if the brakes on your camry dont fail or the throttle doesnt stick open, the leccy window switch will ensure you burn. and this assumes the car hasnt bored you to death first.

gee i thought that most toyotas where boring!!! guess i was wrong

maybe thats how they'll make more exciting cars!!! thou its nice they recalled them thou. i will give toyota that much

[vztrt]

I guess it would have been the only time a toyota would do a 'burn out'.

[Falcon SXR8]

Ha ha reminds me of the shocking window switches in the au falcons I was pulling mine out and cleaning them so much I wish they would have caught on fire.

[2011G6E]

I thought the "stuck accelerator pedal" thing was long since busted, just being mostly caused by people just leaving the cruise control on or something?
"My car is speeding out of control and won't stop...but I've got time to call you on the phone!"..."Well if you're too stupid to just turn off the ignition, hit the brakes hard, pull the handbrake on, or knock it into neutral, see you in the next life..."

I'm still glad that car makers are quite willing to "over-react" like this just in case. I'm sure some of us must remember the bad old days where car makers pushed the vehicle out the factory gate with a one year warrantee and said "See you when you buy the next one and don't bother us until then"...

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I thought the "stuck accelerator pedal" thing was long since busted, just being mostly caused by people just leaving the cruise control on or something?
"My car is speeding out of control and won't stop...but I've got time to call you on the phone!"..."Well if you're too stupid to just turn off the ignition, hit the brakes hard, pull the handbrake on, or knock it into neutral, see you in the next life..."

I'm still glad that car makers are quite willing to "over-react" like this just in case. I'm sure some of us must remember the bad old days where car makers pushed the vehicle out the factory gate with a one year warrantee and said "See you when you buy the next one and don't bother us until then"...

Pretty sure most cases were related to the floor mats

[neptune blue]

I've dealt with Toyota for many years as a supplier and as we all know the Japaneese are very big on quality and quality assurance, its a cultural thing which is instilled through out the entire organisation globally

They hold monthy meetings with OEM's, buyers and production managers as well as an annual conference when they fly out big wigs from Japan to again discuss quality and of course price

just as a point of reference, back in 2004 Australian OEM's on average were suppling 1 faulty part per every 100 units delivered to Toyota here in Melbourne

In japan OEM's were supplying 1 faulty part in every 1000 units delivered to buld the same vehicle

yes they are boring cars and of course its a very different market to Ford and Holdens,....I might buy one when Im 80, but Im old enough to remember when if someting had "made in Japan" written on it it was classied as crap

How times have changed

[2011G6E]

I just had a thought about the electric window switches...

Aren't window switches pretty much all a similar design? I've pulled a few apart (on purpose and accidentally when one broke... ) over the years, and they're all pretty much the same...little brass contacts sliding across one another. I don't think I've seen any that were little flat "pressure" switches that look like a small rectangular or square black "flat bubble" on a circuit board.
I assume because Toyota mentions "lube" that it could well be the "brass contact" type ones.

Could this be something that could happen in any vehicle from any maker which was a similar design?

[bobthebilda]

Its probably going to be a win win for toyota regardless. Most likely the supplier of the switch is not within the toyota family, so it will be no cost to Toyota, and if the supplier also supplies other car manufacturers, then in the end the cost will probably be built into other manufacturers cars.

All people will think about in the future is that Toyota will do a recall for faulty window switch, but that other company (who ever they think of), want do a recall for so and so.

[Fiesta_Man69]

According to reports this morning, six cars in all of Australia have had the fault. And before the gloating becomes too great, I'd prefer my car to have a sticky window switch rather than a collapsing ball joint.....

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by vztrt

I guess it would have been the only time a toyota would do a 'burn out'.

haha!!! thou suprising i did get an old camry too smoke the tyres!!! was pretty easy too do. i was rather impressed!!! :o still would of looked better if it was the rear wheels spining and not the front!!!

[mik]

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

According to reports this morning, six cars in all of Australia have had the fault. And before the gloating becomes too great, I'd prefer my car to have a sticky window switch rather than a collapsing ball joint.....

did`nt realize they actually collapsed, i was under the impression they wore out over a period of time and started knocking, etc, did anyone actually have suspension and wheel fall off?

[mik]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I just had a thought about the electric window switches...

Aren't window switches pretty much all a similar design? I've pulled a few apart (on purpose and accidentally when one broke... ) over the years, and they're all pretty much the same...little brass contacts sliding across one another. I don't think I've seen any that were little flat "pressure" switches that look like a small rectangular or square black "flat bubble" on a circuit board.
I assume because Toyota mentions "lube" that it could well be the "brass contact" type ones.

Could this be something that could happen in any vehicle from any maker which was a similar design?

my guess is the worry for toyota is less about a sticking window and more about the wiring and the possibility of fire.

[2011G6E]

Well, cars these days, even the cheapest ones, are so full of wiring and electrics in all areas that I would wager electrical fires are far more common than they were in the old days.

[sbcb]

Toyota Recall? haven't seen it yet. Is this the old classic with Arnie or the new remake with Colin Farrell?

[GT2]

Maybe a ploy to get 300,000 customers back in the dealerships door.
Get the car serviced whilst there or even buy a new one.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by GT2

Maybe a ploy to get 300,000 customers back in the dealerships door.
Get the car serviced whilst there or even buy a new one.

They could use the slogan 'Come to the BLAND side'.

[Kayos]

Originally Posted by GT2

Maybe a ploy to get 300,000 customers back in the dealerships door.
Get the car serviced whilst there or even buy a new one.

Yeah nah, an inconvenience wouldn't make me want to happily buy another car while I'm waiting for the last fault to be fixed on my perfectly excellent boring last toyota..