Toyota Recalls MY 2006 and 2007 Highlander Hybrid and RX 400h Vehicles

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS) announced that it would conduct a voluntary safety recall of more than 110,000 hybrid vehicles in the United States, Japan and Europe over faulty transistors in electrical power control boards. The US market is the most affected, with the Japanese auto giant recalling 45,500 units of its Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h vehicles which is because their hybrid system’s Intelligent Power Module may not have been put together properly. This most recent recall affects certain vehicles from MY 2006 and 2007. Roughly 3,000 of the same vehicles are also being recalled in Canada, according to a Toyota spokesperson. Toyota is also recalling 11,164 vehicles of the same model in Japan for the same defect. According to a Toyota spokesperson, the recall will cover roughly 15,000 vehicles in Europe.
This voluntary safety recall is over the issues related to:

• The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the Hybrid System Inverter which contains a control board with transistors
• Certain transistors on the control boards in some of the subject vehicles which were inadequately soldered
• Certain transistors which could be damaged from heat caused by large current spikes during high-load driving

If this were to occur:

• Various warning lamps illuminate on the instrument panel
• In most cases the vehicle will enter a fail-safe driving mode, resulting in reduced power
• As a result of reduced power, the vehicle can be driven for short distances only
• In limited instances, the power supply circuit fuse could blow if the transistor is damaged
• In the worst case, the hybrid system will stop and the vehicle will coast to a stop if the fuse blows

Toyota is currently working on procuring the necessary parts for replacement. Toyota doesn’t have the parts it needs to fix its latest problem, but once it does, it will notify individual owners of the recall, most likely in mid-July for free inspections and repairs. In the Interim, owners of the involved vehicles will be notified of the recall by first class mail in mid-July, 2011. Once the sufficient replacement parts are procured, Toyota will send a second owner notification by first class mail. It will advise owners of the affected vehicles as to which authorized Toyota dealer has to be contacted to have the IPM inspected and get it replaced if necessary, at no cost to the owner.
Earlier this month, more hybrid car buyers were hit with bad news. More than 100,000 Priuses are being recalled worldwide over a steering problem. Meanwhile owners of the hybrid cars should check Toyota’s database with their vehicle identification number (VIN) for information if their cars are among those being recalled.
Toyota recalled about 14 million vehicles since 2009

According to the New York Times:

• By 2011 February, Toyota had recalled a total of about 14 million vehicles since 2009, largely over the issues of accelerator pedal
• In April, Toyota recalled 214,000 RAV4s and 94,000 Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles for airbag sensor problems
• Toyota recalled 51,000 of its Tundra trucks to inspect their rear drive shafts
• Some Toyota hybrids could stop in their tracks because of an electrical problem leading to a blown fuse

The latest global recall is yet another blow for the company struggling to restore its reputation. It has recalled millions of vehicles since 2009 over safety defects and paid the US authorities nearly 50 million USDs in penalties. Earlier this month Toyota recalled around 139,000 vehicles globally, including 106,000 first-generation Prius hybrid vehicles, over a problem with their steering system.
Information given above is not intended as legal advice. You may continue your lemon law claim or any other contention with your automobiles by contacting Illinois lemon law attorneys of Krohn & Moss Ltd., or Call 1-800 US LEMON® (800-875-3666) toll free, to reach Krohn & Moss for your FREE initial consultation.

The Illinois Lemon Law – The Used Car Buyer Protection

A car is one of the most common consumer buys. Purchasing a car is one of the most expensive propositions most of us make after a house. Even if we buy a car almost every five or ten years, we cannot boast that we know everything about the car we purchase. As the years are passing, an average car is becoming increasingly complex due to the technology growth that is occurring in the auto industry by leaps and bounds and we are at a loss with so many systems and processes to comprehend. And the models of the cars available in the market today are mind boggling, to start with. This puts us all in a state that we come to heavily rely on the advice and mercy of a car salesperson. That is why we need the intervention of lemon laws, in case we are taken out on a long ride over a lemon car.
If you are living in the state of Illinois and has bought yourself a car in the state of Illinois, there are two principal laws the protect you with your investment in the car.

The Illinois lemon law

• The Illinois New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act, commonly known as the Illinois lemon law protects consumers who buy or lease new cars, pickup trucks, and vans in Illinois
• The Illinois lemon law deals with the warranties manufacturers and dealers provide
• The Illinois lemon law offers consumers a remedy if a dealer or manufacturer fails to honor its written warranties

The Illinois lemon law – Cars eligible for protection

The Illinois lemon law covers:

• New cars, pickup trucks, vans under 8,000 pounds and recreational vehicles purchased in Illinois
• A new vehicle if it is leased for at least four months
• The vehicles which are used at least 40 percent of the time for personal, family, or household use

The Illinois lemon law – How long is your car protected?

If the warranty on your new or used car has already expired, the Illinois lemon law DOES NOT apply.

• The Illinois lemon law applies to any written express warranty on the vehicle for one year or 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first
• The manufacturer or dealer must repair a vehicle in accordance with the warranty if the defect or problem is covered by the warranty
• The manufacturer or dealer must repair a vehicle in accordance with the warranty if the owner reports it within the warranty period or 12 months after delivery of the vehicle, whichever comes first
• As long as the problem is reported within the warranty period, the manufacturer or dealer must make repairs, even if the warranty subsequently runs out

The Illinois lemon law – Special provisions for cars with serious problems

The Illinois lemon law has special provisions for vehicles with serious problems i.e., the real lemons, as the following:

• If the dealer or manufacturer is unable to repair a vehicle’s problem after a reasonable number of attempts, the buyer or person leasing the vehicle has a right to go to the manufacturer’s arbitration program or to court and seek a replacement vehicle or a full refund of the purchase or lease price

What constitutes a reasonable number of attempts at repairs depends on the problem

A reasonable number of attempts at repairs is:

• Four or more unsuccessful attempts to correct the same problem
• More than one unsuccessful attempt to correct a problem that causes a complete failure of the steering or braking system and the defect is likely to cause serious injuries or death
• Any attempts at warranty repairs that cause the vehicle to be out of service for repairs for 30 or more business days

The Illinois lemon law – When is your car not eligible

• The Illinois lemon law does not apply to problems that do not substantially impair either the use or market value of the car
• The law does not cover problems resulting from abuse, neglect, or unauthorized alterations to the car

The Illinois Used Car Warranty Law

• The Illinois Used Car Warranty law covers the power train of used vehicles
• The Illinois Used Car Warranty law covers the power train including the engine block, engine head, internal engine parts, oil pan, gaskets, water pump, intake manifold, transmission and internal transmission parts, torque converter drive shaft, U-joints, rear axle and its internal parts and rear wheel bearings
• According to the Illinois Used Car Warranty law, a retail automobile dealer in Illinois is liable for a portion of the cost of repairs on power train components for 30 days from the date of delivery
• According to the Illinois Used Car Warranty law for cars up to two years, the dealer is liable for 50 percent of the cost of repairs
• Cars which are over two years, but not three years yet, carry a 25 percent liability to the dealer
• Cars between three and four years old require 10 percent coverage by the dealer
• The Illinois Used Car Warranty law does not cover cars older than four years

The Federal Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule – The Federal Used Car Rule

There is a Federal Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule that requires a dealer to properly represent the:

• Condition of a used vehicle
• Terms of the warranty offered, if any

The warranty applies only if the consumer buys from a used car dealer

• Any used car business person selling more than five used cars a year is considered a dealer and is required to get a license from the State of Illinois
• A person who sells more than five used cars a year without a license from the State of Illinois is still a dealer

The Illinois Used cars marked ‘as is’ and No Warranty

Any vehicle offered for sale by a dealer must be clearly marked “as is – no warranty”, if no warranty is offered. The dealer must also disclose the history of the vehicle if it affects the buyer’s decision to buy it.
The directives given above are not intended as legal advice. You may pursue your lemon law claim or any other dispute with your automobiles by being in communication with Illinois Lemon Law Attorneys of Krohn & Moss Ltd., or Call 1-800 US LEMON® (800-875-3666) toll free, to reach Krohn & Moss for your FREE initial consultation.