Toyota recalls LS, other models for valve spring replacement
06-30-10, 02:42 PM
#1
Toyota recalls LS, other models for valve spring replacement
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100630/us_nm/us_toyota
DETROIT (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp is considering recall of one of its top-of-the-line sedans, Lexus LS460, owing to concerns that its engines may stall, the Nikkei business daily reported.
Tens of thousands of vehicles will likely be recalled worldwide, the daily said without naming sources.
The Nikkei said the 4.6-liter engine of the sedan, launched in 2006 and partly remodeled last year, is said to stall while the vehicle is in motion and may not start again.
Lexus U.S. officials said the carmaker is investigating the issue but did not say whether the luxury sedan would be recalled.
If the LS460 is recalled, it would be the latest in a string of recalls for Toyota since last fall. Since last September, Toyota has recalled more than 10 million vehicles worldwide, most for the potential of unintended acceleration.
Just last Friday, Lexus told U.S. safety regulators it was halting sales and recalling about 17,000 Lexus HS250h gasoline-electric hybrid sedans due to a potential fuel leak. Toyota acted after a U.S. government crash test that showed fuel leaking after an HS250h was struck from the rear by a car traveling about 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour).
About 13,000 model year 2010 HS250h vehicles were sold in the United States, and about 17,000 have been built to sell in the U.S. market, Toyota told its U.S. Lexus dealers in a letter last Friday.
Toyota's own crash test did not show the fuel leak problem. The automaker, in the letter to U.S. Lexus dealers, said it was trying to understand why the government tests showed the fuel leakage problem while the company's own crash tests did not.
The automaker told dealers it has not received any reports of injuries or accidents linked to the potential problem with the HS250h sedan. And Nikkei reported that Toyota said there were no reported accidents related to the 460LS issue, either.
Toyota is investigating the cause and would likely need to replace engine-related parts or upgrade control software, the daily said.
Lexus sold 4,863 of the 460LS sedans in the first five months of this year in the United States, up from 3,925 units in the same period in 2009.
Lexus through May had sold 5,889 of the HS250h in the United States. The model had yet to be introduced by May last year.
(Reporting by Koustav Samanta in Bangalore and Bernie Woodall in Detroit; Editing by Don Sebastian and Steve Orlofsky)
Tens of thousands of vehicles will likely be recalled worldwide, the daily said without naming sources.
The Nikkei said the 4.6-liter engine of the sedan, launched in 2006 and partly remodeled last year, is said to stall while the vehicle is in motion and may not start again.
Lexus U.S. officials said the carmaker is investigating the issue but did not say whether the luxury sedan would be recalled.
If the LS460 is recalled, it would be the latest in a string of recalls for Toyota since last fall. Since last September, Toyota has recalled more than 10 million vehicles worldwide, most for the potential of unintended acceleration.
Just last Friday, Lexus told U.S. safety regulators it was halting sales and recalling about 17,000 Lexus HS250h gasoline-electric hybrid sedans due to a potential fuel leak. Toyota acted after a U.S. government crash test that showed fuel leaking after an HS250h was struck from the rear by a car traveling about 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour).
About 13,000 model year 2010 HS250h vehicles were sold in the United States, and about 17,000 have been built to sell in the U.S. market, Toyota told its U.S. Lexus dealers in a letter last Friday.
Toyota's own crash test did not show the fuel leak problem. The automaker, in the letter to U.S. Lexus dealers, said it was trying to understand why the government tests showed the fuel leakage problem while the company's own crash tests did not.
The automaker told dealers it has not received any reports of injuries or accidents linked to the potential problem with the HS250h sedan. And Nikkei reported that Toyota said there were no reported accidents related to the 460LS issue, either.
Toyota is investigating the cause and would likely need to replace engine-related parts or upgrade control software, the daily said.
Lexus sold 4,863 of the 460LS sedans in the first five months of this year in the United States, up from 3,925 units in the same period in 2009.
Lexus through May had sold 5,889 of the HS250h in the United States. The model had yet to be introduced by May last year.
(Reporting by Koustav Samanta in Bangalore and Bernie Woodall in Detroit; Editing by Don Sebastian and Steve Orlofsky)
06-30-10, 10:47 PM
#4
Apparently a familiar issue which we've discussed (if as previously mentioned, it is likely a defective valve spring that exhibits higher than expected wear):
This valve spring issue sounds familiar to longtime LS forum members, we've had 2 threads on LS owners dealing with it, plus a third reference:
Mike_TX's LS 460 (broken valve spring, shut down engine)
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-hospital.html
dk0515's LS 460 (broken valve spring, shut down engine)
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-start-up.html
Both stemmed from this issue, which is what I extrapolate the recall is about. If as expected, it goes to show the valuable resource forums have in elucidating these issues--there was also a thread on the VGRS steering behavior a few months before the LS was recalled to reprogram that software too.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...-update1-.html
The models with engines that may stall are the Lexus GS 350, GS 450h, GS 460, IS 350, LS 460, LS 600h and LS 600hL, and the Toyota Crown, the company said today. About 90,000 vehicles may be affected in Japan, Takeuchi said.
Some models with 4.6-liter and 3.5-liter engines have a problem with valve springs that may, in the worst case, cause the engine to stall, Takeuchi said.
The models with engines that may stall are the Lexus GS 350, GS 450h, GS 460, IS 350, LS 460, LS 600h and LS 600hL, and the Toyota Crown, the company said today. About 90,000 vehicles may be affected in Japan, Takeuchi said.
Some models with 4.6-liter and 3.5-liter engines have a problem with valve springs that may, in the worst case, cause the engine to stall, Takeuchi said.
According to them, there is a set of robots that assemble these engines. In late 2007/early 2008, one of the robots was found to be out of adjustment, such that when it installed the spring, it scraped it and caused a "score" mark on it. That small score mark created a weak point that can cause a failure of the spring after thousands of cycles.
By the time they discovered the adjustment problem, a large number of engines had been assembled and put into cars, which had been shipped out over the world. It was not known if it would be a problem or not, nor when it might result in a failure, so Lexus had to deal with it when/if a spring failed. IOW, on a case-by-case basis. It wasn't practical to recall a ton of engines just because a spring "might" someday fail.
By the time they discovered the adjustment problem, a large number of engines had been assembled and put into cars, which had been shipped out over the world. It was not known if it would be a problem or not, nor when it might result in a failure, so Lexus had to deal with it when/if a spring failed. IOW, on a case-by-case basis. It wasn't practical to recall a ton of engines just because a spring "might" someday fail.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-hospital.html
dk0515's LS 460 (broken valve spring, shut down engine)
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...-start-up.html
Both stemmed from this issue, which is what I extrapolate the recall is about. If as expected, it goes to show the valuable resource forums have in elucidating these issues--there was also a thread on the VGRS steering behavior a few months before the LS was recalled to reprogram that software too.
06-30-10, 11:32 PM
#5
Lexus NZ is the first to confirm that the recall is for valve spring replacement:
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/lexus...models/5/53823
This further supports the earlier inference that the defective factory robot is to blame for this recall.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/lexus...models/5/53823
Lexus To Replace Valve Springs In Premium Vehicle Models
Thursday, 1 July, 2010 - 17:36
Lexus New Zealand is to assure trouble-free motoring for 185 owners of its premium V8 and GS450 hybrid vehicles by replacing their engine valve springs.
Routine long-term reliability tests in Japan have discovered a manufacturing flaw in some springs, which could cause abnormal engine noise or unstable idling.
Debbie Pattullo, National Manager for Lexus New Zealand, says the springs will be replaced over the next few months, purely to remove the possibility of future problems.
"Lexus is committed to ensuring its customers have an exemplary experience with their vehicles, and that includes ensuring all future owners also receive the highest possible care.
"While no problems have been reported, and the chances of an incident are remote, Lexus wants to replace the springs so it can be confident no future problems will occur."
The work will be completed at Lexus dealers free of charge, and the affected drivers will have the use of a premium Lexus car while their vehicle is being serviced.
Thursday, 1 July, 2010 - 17:36
Lexus New Zealand is to assure trouble-free motoring for 185 owners of its premium V8 and GS450 hybrid vehicles by replacing their engine valve springs.
Routine long-term reliability tests in Japan have discovered a manufacturing flaw in some springs, which could cause abnormal engine noise or unstable idling.
Debbie Pattullo, National Manager for Lexus New Zealand, says the springs will be replaced over the next few months, purely to remove the possibility of future problems.
"Lexus is committed to ensuring its customers have an exemplary experience with their vehicles, and that includes ensuring all future owners also receive the highest possible care.
"While no problems have been reported, and the chances of an incident are remote, Lexus wants to replace the springs so it can be confident no future problems will occur."
The work will be completed at Lexus dealers free of charge, and the affected drivers will have the use of a premium Lexus car while their vehicle is being serviced.
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07-01-10, 06:24 AM
#9
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According to them, there is a set of robots that assemble these engines. In late 2007/early 2008, one of the robots was found to be out of adjustment, such that when it installed the spring, it scraped it and caused a "score" mark on it. That small score mark created a weak point that can cause a failure of the spring after thousands of cycles.
By the time they discovered the adjustment problem, a large number of engines had been assembled and put into cars, which had been shipped out over the world. It was not known if it would be a problem or not, nor when it might result in a failure, so Lexus had to deal with it when/if a spring failed. IOW, on a case-by-case basis. It wasn't practical to recall a ton of engines just because a spring "might" someday fail.
By the time they discovered the adjustment problem, a large number of engines had been assembled and put into cars, which had been shipped out over the world. It was not known if it would be a problem or not, nor when it might result in a failure, so Lexus had to deal with it when/if a spring failed. IOW, on a case-by-case basis. It wasn't practical to recall a ton of engines just because a spring "might" someday fail.
07-01-10, 08:03 AM
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This problem rears it's ugly head yet again. I had a thread on here from May of 07 when my parents
were driving home with the car when it blew it's engine due to the valve spring as they had literally just signed the papers at
the dealership. After two attempts to replace the engine and over a month worth of waiting they (Lexus) replaced the car.
were driving home with the car when it blew it's engine due to the valve spring as they had literally just signed the papers at
the dealership. After two attempts to replace the engine and over a month worth of waiting they (Lexus) replaced the car.
07-01-10, 09:22 AM
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Really bad, I was going to look for a LS 460 this weekend to replace my trusty 04' A6. I have a 10' RX350 so far has not had many problems. I think I just don't trust Toyota any more.