Issue:
This recall is for certain block heater kits installed on certain vehicles or sold as accessories at Toyota or Lexus dealerships.
On certain vehicles, the engine block heater cable may not have enough heat protection and could be damaged by high temperatures. If this happens, the cable could short circuit while plugged in, and cause the wiring to overheat or melt.
Note: This recall only affects the following block heater/cord part numbers:
C014003034 PK5A408J09 PU14000904
C014003151 PK5A408J13 PU14000905
C014000885 PK5A489J11 PU14000907
C014000888 PK5A489J22 PU14000909
C014000907 PK5A410H00 PU14000911
C014100904 PU14000900 PU14000913
C014100907 PU14000901 PU14003571
C014100911 PU14000902
PK5A408J05 PU14000903
Safety Risk:
Engine block heater wiring that overheats or melts could create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Toyota recommends that you should stop using the engine block heater immediately. Toyota will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to disable the engine block heater. For some vehicles, the corrective actions for this recall are under development. For others, a new engine block heater cannot be installed, and the owner will receive a refund of the purchase price of the engine block heater.
On certain vehicles, the airbag system pressure sensors and/or acceleration sensors used to detect vehicle impact may contain manufacturing defects. As a result, the airbag warning light may illuminate and the side/curtain shield airbags and/or front airbags may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. Correction: Dealers will inspect and replace the defective sensors as necessary. Note: This will not affect the front airbags of the Prius model.
On certain vehicles, the electrical power cords of some dealer installed block heaters may have been improperly manufactured, causing the wires to contact each other, resulting in a short circuit. A short circuit could lead to a fire which would increase the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: For vehicles where the subject block heater was approved for installation, the dealer will replace the block heater assembly with a new one of an improved design. For vehicles where the subject block heater was not approved for installation, dealers will remove the block heater assembly. In the interim, until the remedy can be performed, dealers will cut the plug end from the block heater cord to disable the block heater's operation.
Certain vehicles may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 302 - Flammability. Some of the materials used in the construction of the seat upholstery may not meet the requirements of the standard when tested individually. The seat does meet the requirements of the standard when tested as an assembly. Correction: A production change has been undertaken to remedy this non-compliance condition. No corrective recall action is required as the non-compliance condition is deemed to be non-safety related.
On certain vehicles, the driver’s knee airbag inflator may have been assembled with an improperly located weld seam. If this condition is present, the weld could be insufficient or be damaged during the clinching process after the inflator was filled with gas, which could cause the stored gas to leak. Leakage of the stored gas could affect the performance of the knee airbag. Failure of the airbag to fully deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the knee airbag assembly.
On certain vehicles, the accelerator pedal may become stuck in the wide open position due to an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat. A fully depressed accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to slow or stop the vehicle. This could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will modify or replace the accelerator pedal.
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