Toyota Announces Voluntary Recalls of Camry, Venza and Tacoma

In the first of two recalls Toyota issued today, the automaker is voluntarily recalling approximately 70,500 model-year 2009 Camry sedans and 116,000 model-year 2009-2011 Venza crossovers to replace a faulty stop lamp switch. A total of 186,500 units are affected.  During the manufacturing process, grease may have pervaded the inside of the switch mechanism, increasing electrical resistance. According to a statement from Toyota, "If this occurs, warning lamps on the instrument panel may be illuminated, the vehicle may not start, or the shift lever may not shift from the Park position. In some cases, the vehicle stop lamps may become inoperative." Toyota is in the process of securing the parts needed to fix the stop lamp switch issue and will begin owner notification shortly. Dealers will be able to replace the affected part for free in around 30 minutes, according to Toyota. The second recall affects 495,000 model-year 2005-2009 Tacoma pickups. Toyota is recalling them to replace a faulty steering-wheel spiral assembly. Due to a design flaw, friction could develop between spiral cable and the retainer in the steering-wheel assembly. This could lead to a loss of connectivity with the driver's airbag and cause the airbag not to deploy in a crash. Toyota will begin notifying owners in early April. As with the first recall, dealers will also be able to replace the affected part for free in around 30 minutes. Owners interested in receiving more information about both recalls can go to www.toyota.com/recall or call Toyota's Customer Experience Center at 800-331-4331. from KickingTires http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/

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