Recall affecting approx. 75,000 UK vehicles
Toyota’s commitment to ensuring its vehicles meet the highest safety and quality standards includes detailed monitoring of vehicle performance.
This applies to new vehicles, and to those that have been in use for some time. This rigorous process is successful in alerting us to circumstances where vehicle components or systems do not meet strict standards and allows corrective measures to be taken.
Today (14 November), Toyota GB will register recalls for certain Toyota Avensis and Toyota Corolla models (July 2001 to March 2009) and for Toyota Prius (July 2003 to April 2009) with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). The models included in this action are not new models currently on sale.
To check whether your car is affected by any recall, please visit the VIN check-up on the Toyota website.
What are the issues?
On certain Toyota Avensis, Corolla and Prius models (July 2001 to April 2009) there is a possibility of an issue with a component in the steering system – prompting a knocking or rattling and possibly a reduction in steering response. In such circumstances, the vehicle will remain safe to drive. There have been nine reported cases of this issue in Europe and no reports of any associated accidents.
Also, on Toyota Prius models there is a possibility the water pump in the hybrid system may fail. Should this happen it will be indicated by a warning light being illuminated on the dashboard. There have been three reported cases in Europe. There are no reported accidents related to this issue.
What will be done?
Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to Toyota. Consequently, Toyota has decided to conduct recall activity to replace the hybrid system water pump and check steering shaft performance on the affected cars.
In full compliance with VOSA requirements, Toyota GB will contact the owners of all affected vehicles, asking them to make an appointment to bring their car to their nearest Toyota dealer. It is possible that some Prius will require attention for both issues.
According to model, the dealer will replace the hybrid system water pump and/or inspect the steering shaft. If the steering shaft does not meet Toyota inspection criteria, it will be repaired.
The water pump replacement should take no more than an hour and a half. If required, the steering shaft repair should be completed in an hour. This work will be carried out free of charge.
There is a registration look-up function on the Toyota website (www.toyota.co.uk) where owners can check if their vehicle is within the affected range of production.
If owners require additional information they should contact Customer Relations on 0344 701 6202.
Notes:
(1): Due to insufficient hardness treatment of some of the extension shafts, the splines that connect the extension shaft to the steering gearbox may deform if the steering wheel is frequently and forcefully turned to the full left or full right position while driving at slow speeds. This deformation may create increased internal clearance and the splines may eventually, over time, wear out. Toyota dealers will inspect the extension shaft to determine if it needs to be replaced and, if confirmed, will replace it. The inspection and repair will take approximately one hour.
(2): There is an electrically driven water pump that circulates coolant through the hybrid components. There is a possibility that the electric motor installed in the water pump may stop functioning, leading to illumination of various warning lights in the instrument panel. In limited instances, the water pump electric power supply circuit fuse may open, causing the hybrid system to stop while the vehicle is being driven.
This is a disgrace, i have had my corolla for ten years from new and only done 42000 miles plus. Took the car into my local dealer ( LINDOPS) who were very helpful but could’nt do anything as the recall did’nt include my car.Contacted Toyota who said they were very sorry they but they absolved themselfs from any responsibility as my car was not one of the 2-77 million vehicles with a steering shaft defect.I don’t think so and i want Toyota to do something about it.
Hello Phil
Thanks for your post. Sorry to hear about the problem you have experienced with your car.
Not sure if you are aware but we do have a recall checker facility on our website. If it helps the attached link will take you straight there. http://www.toyota.co.uk/owners-info/recall-checker
When a recall is issued we can be very specific regarding the chassis numbers of the vehicles affected as we can identify what parts have been used and for what period of time. If a car is not included in a recall then we know that it will not have been fitted with specific parts likely to cause the recall failure. Your Toyota dealer can advise regarding the cause of the current issue and the details regarding the recall are described on this post. As a company if we become aware of an issue we do not compromise on safety and if a failure meets the recall criteria set by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency then we will take this course of action even if it means recalling 10 year old cars. However there is always the possibility that a part can fail and if this does not fall within a recall campaign and the vehicle is outside of the manufacturer warranty period then the cost of repair would need to be met by the vehicle owner.
If you do need any further clarification regarding the above then our customer relations team are best placed to advise.
hi, I have an avensis 2009 2.2d tr and have for the last two months since I purchased it, noticed a rattle coming from the steering column and to me, sounds like there is play in the universal joints or within the splines, further down.
I had heard that some models have been subject to a recall on this matter but cant seem to get any info on this.
Please help.
Hi there,
We would advise contacting customer relations. They will be able to inform you in more detail about the issue/query you have. You can contact customer relations here:https://www.toyota.co.uk/contact-us/email-us ORvia telephone: 0344 701 6202. Hope this helps!
Hi again, I have tried the recall checker but keeps informing me of an error
Hi there,
Please see our reply to your previous comment! 🙂
I have a 2009 Avensis T-Spirit estate. I have just had warning lights come on for “Check Parking Brake System,” “oil light” and “VSC.” the car has 70,000 miles on it and has just been recently serviced. Can you helkp?
Hi Dave,
Thanks for getting in touch with us. It would be very difficult for us to diagnose the issue so our advice would be to contact your nearest dealer as soon as possible. You can find your local dealer here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/find-your-dealer.json. Hope this helps!
Hi Ella. I’ve just got a 51 Avensis 2.0 VVT-I D4 Automatic. Obviously well put of warranty. It has a very low tick over, especially when the gearbox is engaged. It also has high fuel consumption and a flat spot when accelerating under certain conditions. After much Googling alot I’ve discovered that this is a common problem. I’ve not got any fault codes. Can you tell me if there has been anything discovered about these problems please? Cheers. Dave
Hi Dave,
Thanks for getting in touch with us. We have forwarded your query on to our technical team and they have advised that the correct idling speed for this engine (according to the repair manual) is 675 ± 50 rpm. This is with the engine fully warmed up and the cooling fan OFF.
With regards to the symptoms you are experiencing, we are unable to make any comments. It would be very hard to make any assumptions; therefore, we believe the safest option would be to have the vehicle diagnosed by a Toyota Centre.
We hope this helps.
I have completed the recall checker – We have identified that your Toyota is subject to a voluntary customer service campaign or outstanding safety recall. – But there is no further information on what specifically the recall is for?
Called a toyota main dealer with regards to the recall and they said that it was just the passenger air bags to be checked. I asked about the steering fault as mentioned in this article and they said “no just air bags”.
Can you clarify? Toyota Avensis 2006.
Hi Teva,
Thanks for getting in touch. Please could you provide your VIN number and let us know which Toyota Dealer you contacted. Many thanks.