The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·10V499000·Announced 2010-10-21

Toyota Recalls 2004-2006 Models for Brake Master Cylinder Seal Defect

Toyota is recalling 728,544 vehicles due to a brake master cylinder seal that may leak fluid, potentially degrading braking performance.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect in the braking system that explicitly increases the risk of a crash, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor North America, Inc. is recalling certain 2004-2006 Toyota Highlander, 2004-2006 Lexus RX, 2005-2006 Toyota Avalon, and 2006 Lexus GS and IS vehicles. The recall involves a defect in the brake master cylinder where the rubber seal may dry out and curl if replacement brake fluid lacking specific polymer lubricants is used.

This defect can cause brake fluid to slowly leak into the brake booster, leading to a change in brake pedal feel and a gradual degradation in braking performance, which increases the risk of a crash. The safety recall began on November 15, 2010.

Dealers will replace the seal with a newly designed one free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987 for more information. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
TOYOTA, LEXUS HIGHLANDER, RX, AVALON, GS
Brand
TOYOTA
Affected units
728,544

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (5)

  • HIGHLANDER
  • RX
  • AVALON
  • GS
  • IS

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.