In its second recall announced today (29 July), Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) said Lexus is to voluntary recall around 39,000 2003-2007 Model Year LX 470 vehicles to address a steering shaft condition.
Lexus said the construction of the steering shaft on involved LX 470s is such that the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle experiences an unusually severe impact to the front wheels, such as striking a deep pothole.
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If the snap ring becomes disengaged and the steering wheel is then repeatedly turned to the full locked position, the steering shaft may disengage over time.
Lexus said it was not aware of any accidents related to the condition.
“At Lexus, we are committed to setting a new standard for quality customer care and aggressive attention to the safety of our drivers.
“Our engineers have thoroughly investigated this issue and have identified a robust and durable remedy that will help prevent this condition from affecting drivers in the future,” said Lexus group vice president and general manager Mark Templin.
The remedy involves replacing the snap ring with a newly designed one and the installation of an additional component to prevent separation of the steering shaft.
Lexus will begin sending out notification to owners of involved vehicles by mid-August advising them to bring their vehicles to their local Lexus dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge.
The LX470 is based on parent Toyota’s Land Cruiser model. The current version is the LX570.
