Toyota Motor North America, Inc.: Steering › Electric Power Assist System
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on May 21, 2010 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 3,800. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 LEXUS LS460 AND LS600 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 20, 2009 THROUGH MAY 13, 2010. A PROGRAMMING CHANGE OF THE STEERING CONTROL ECU FOR THE VARIABLE GEAR RATIO STEERING (VGRS) SYSTEM CAN CAUSE IMPROPER ACTIVATION OF THE STEERING SYSTEM PROTECTION LOGIC DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE SYSTEM WHEN LARGER THAN NORMAL STEERING INPUTS ARE APPLIED AT A FULLY TURNED POSITION.
The risk
IMPROPER ACTIVATION OF THE STEERING SYSTEM PROTECTION LOGIC CAN CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME OFF-CENTERED UP TO 90 DEGREES. THIS MAY OCCUR AFTER THE DRIVER HAS FULLY TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL IN ONE DIRECTION THEN QUICKLY ATTEMPTS TO TURN IT BACK TO THE CENTER POSITION. SHOULD THIS OCCUR WHILE DRIVING, THE RISK OF A CRASH IS INCREASED.
The remedy
TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND LEXUS DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING CONTROL ECU FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
6 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Lexus LS460 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2010 Lexus LS460L | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 Lexus LS600H | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 Lexus LS600HL | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 Lexus LS460 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 Lexus LS460L | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 10V218000.
Full record for the 2010 Lexus LS460 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →