Toyota, Honda, and Subaru Recalls
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling more than 200,000 Sienna minivans, currently the top-selling minivan in the U.S. market, because the vehicle's tire and load information placard is incorrect.
The issue involves 2011 and 2012 models, and could lead to tire overloading and possibly tire failure that would increase the risk of a crash.
Brian Lyons, a spokesman with Toyota, confirmed there is not an issue with the parts of the vehicle itself, just the sticker.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration informed Toyota of the issue in early November, Lyons said, but it did not issue a recall until now because it had to reconfirm the evaluation.
Lyons said it will mail the proper placards to the affected vehicle owners.
Toyota sold 99,865 Siennas through November, an 11.6 percent gain and No. 1 in the U.S. minivan market during the 11-month period. It maintains an 882-vehicle lead over the Dodge Caravan over that period.
In other recall news, Subaru dealers are suddenly being left without many new cars to sell because of a recall -- and stop-sale order -- involving 2012 Impreza, Legacy and Outback vehicles. The problem is too much brake pedal travel. Dealers are now awaiting new master cylinders to fix the problem, says Subaru spokesman Michael McHale.
For cars sold already, the recall applies to only about 3,000 cars, he says. Because Subaru already has been short of cars because of strong sales and supply problems arising from March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, there aren't many new models sitting around dealers' lots that need repair.
McHale said the new master cylinders are on the way and repairs should be completed within a couple of weeks.
The faulty master cylinders made their way into cars made at Subaru's plants both in Japan and Lafayette, Ind. The publication reported that The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had received about 130 complaints about the problem.
Honda announced that it is expanding, for the fourth time, an air bag recall because of too-powerful air bag inflators that could hurt or kill drivers by, in effect, blowing shrapnel into their chests.
The initial recall was announced in the U.S. in November 2008. The recent action involves about 873,000 vehicles and makes five total recalls for the problem. Honda spokesman Chris Martin says the automaker now has recalled about 2.8 million vehicles worldwide for the air bag issue, 2.5 million of them in the U.S.
The five recalls include certain 2001-2002 Accord, 2001-2003 Civic, 2001-2003 Odyssey, 2002-2003 CR-V, 2003 Pilot, 2002-2003 Acura 3.2 TL and 2003 Acura 3.2 CL vehicles.
The problem is blamed for two previously disclosed deaths in 2009 and another 18 injuries.
The latest injury happened in Florida on Aug. 1, and that prompted Honda -- which thought the four previous recalls had covered all suspect vehicles -- to announce the latest expansion.
The danger comes from air bag inflators made by longtime Honda supplier Takata. The inflators were manufactured improperly and are too powerful. When they are triggered in a crash, the air bag system can't handle the extra pressure and parts explode, blasting the driver with bits of metal and plastic.
Eventually, Honda "went really deep into Takata's information, and now we're recalling all that could be affected," he says, and Honda expects the latest announcement to be the last.
For more information about the air bag recall, Honda owners can go to www.recalls.honda.com or call 800-999-1009 and select option 4. Acura owners can go to www.recalls.acura.com or call 800-382-2238 and select option 4.
