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 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.
On certain vehicles, inconsistent application of grease during the manufacturing process could cause the driver's side power window master switch to stick or become inoperative due to electrical contact point wear. This could cause debris to accumulate between the contact points, potentially resulting in an electrical short circuit. If a short circuit occurs, the switch assembly may overheat, produce smoke, melt and/or potentially lead to a fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will inspect the driver's power window master switch and apply a specialized grease that inhibits heat build-up, or replace the power window master switch circuit board, as necessary. Note: This is an expansion of recall 2012-338.
On certain vehicles, the circuit board for the electric power steering electronic control unit may be damaged. A damaged circuit board could result in sudden loss of steering power assist and would trigger a warning lamp to illuminate. A vehicle experiencing a loss of steering power assist would revert to a manual steering mode which would require greater driver effort, especially at low vehicle speeds. A loss of steering power assist could ultimately result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace inspect the electric power steering electronic control unit and, if affected, replace the electronic control unit with a new one.
Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 - Occupant Protection. A defect in the programming of the occupant classification system could limit the seat belt loading to the front passenger seat occupant in a crash, which could result in non-compliance to the standard and increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the occupant classification module.
On certain vehicles, a control board for the Intelligent Power Module (IPM), part of the hybrid system inverter assembly, could fail while the vehicle is underway. This could cause various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator lamp, brake system warning lamp, and master warning lamp, to illuminate on the instrument panel. If this occurred, in most cases, the vehicle would enter fail-safe driving mode, resulting in reduced motive power in which the vehicle could still be driven for short distances. In some instances, the fuse of the power supply circuit could blow, causing the hybrid system to stop functioning. The resultant loss of vehicle propulsion, in conjunction with traffic and road conditions, and the driver's reactions, could increase the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the Intelligent Power Module.
On certain vehicles, due to improperly applied grease, the driver's side power window master switch could stick or become inoperative. If attempts are made to lubricate the switch, the switch assembly could overheat and melt. A melting switch may produce smoke and potentially lead to a fire causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect the driver's power window master switch and apply a specialized grease that inhibits heat build-up, or replace the power window master switch circuit board, as necessary.
On certain vehicles, the roll angle sensors in the airbag sensor assembly could fail. If one of the roll angle sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning lamp will illuminate, the roll detection system will be suspended, and the curtain shield airbag will not deploy during a roll-over crash (where deployment is warranted), thereby increasing the risk of personal injuries to the seat occupant. The airbag system, however, will continue to detect frontal and lateral impacts and, in those instances, will function as designed. If both roll angle sensors fail nearly simultaneously after starting the vehicle, the curtain shield airbag and the seatbelt pretensioner could inadvertently deploy. Inadvertent curtain shield airbag deployment in a non-impact situation may cause damage to the surrounding vehicle environment and create expensive vehicle repair, including replacement of the curtain shield airbag module and the airbag electronic control unit. In some instances, inadvertent deployment could cause minor injuries to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will replace the airbag sensor assembly.
On certain vehicles, if the Toyota optional accessory "tray-type" floor mat is not secured by the retaining hooks, or if it is placed on top of an existing floor mat, the "tray-type" floor mat could move forward and interfere with the accelerator pedal. This could result in a crash causing property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: The manufacturer will notify owners to remove the "tray-type" floor mat and provide instructions on how to obtain a reimbursement.
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