When it comes to car recalls, many consumers tend to ignore the risks because they are not entirely aware of how to avoid them. Too often, consumers believe their recalled vehicles are not not dangerous since many recalls are launched over minor equipment problems that don’t pose a severe, immediate risk.
As major automakers launch recalls promptly when they learn their vehicles expose thousands if not millions of consumers to serious risks, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s reports show that many other companies only launch recalls after people are seriously injured.
Toyota Motor Corp. has recently announced that it’s recalling 6.5 million vehicles worldwide over issues with the power window switches. These devices may overheat, causing them to melt and increase the risk of fires.
This recall was launched after Toyota learned that one person suffered a burn on the hand due to the defective power window switches.
Other 11 reports of incidents were also registered with the company. Seven of these incidents happened in North America, two in Japan and two in other regions. In all cases, the switch or part of the car door burned.
At least 2.7 million vehicles in North America have been impacted while 1.2 million were impacted in Europe and 600,000 were impacted in Japan. In the United States alone, 2 million vehicles were affected.
Consumers in America with the following vehicles were affected: 2007 and 2009 Camry; the 2009 through 2011 Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, Tundra, and Scion xB; the 2006 trough 2011 RAV4; the 2008 through 2011 Highlander; the 2006 through 2010 Yaris and the 2009 and 2010 Scion xD.
The issue’s origin may be linked to improperly sprayed grease. The issue may have happened during the manufacturing of electrical contact modules. Since debris and moisture may enter the module, the device may experience a short circuit.
All impacted vehicles should have their internal circuit board replaced if the switches are not working normally.
Toyota’s last major recall resulted in a big scandal in 2009. At the time, recalled vehicles had been associated with a series of problems that included faulty floor mats, sticky gas pedals, and defective brakes. The Japanese company had to pay fines to the US authorities over delays in launching the recalls. Several people were involved in accidents.
So far, over 40 million cars and trucks have been recalled in the United States in 2015.
As the number of recalls increases, more and more vehicle owners will be driving the roads of the country with potentially defective—and dangerous—cars. To learn more about Toyota’s latest recall, follow this link.
