The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·11V539000·Announced 2011-11-09

Toyota and Lexus Recall for Crankshaft Pulley Adhesive Defect

Toyota is recalling certain 2004-2006 vehicles due to a crankshaft pulley adhesive defect that may cause loss of power steering.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (crankshaft pulley) that can lead to loss of power steering, which the source text explicitly states increases the risk of a crash.

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling certain model year 2004 Avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 Camry, Camry Solara, Highlander, and Sienna vehicles; 2006 Highlander Hybrid; 2004 and 2005 Lexus ES330 and RX330; and 2006 Lexus RX400H vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured from June 1, 2004, through March 31, 2005, and are equipped with the 1MZ-FE or 3MZ-FE engine.

The recall addresses a defect where the amount of adhesive agent applied between the outer ring and the torsional rubber damper (inner ring) in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate. If the adhesive is insufficient, the outer ring may become misaligned and not properly rotate with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the battery discharge indicator light. In some cases, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley, which could result in a loss of power steering and a sudden increase in steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the U.S. supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during early January 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
TOYOTA, LEXUS CAMRY SOLARA, CAMRY, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, RX330
Brand
TOYOTA
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Category
Vehicle — Engine Component
Hazard
Affected units
420,326

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 (9)

  • CAMRY SOLARA
  • CAMRY
  • HIGHLANDER HYBRID
  • RX330
  • ES330
  • SIENNA
  • HIGHLANDER
  • RX HYBRID
  • AVALON

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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