Toyota hit by new setback as Lexus models suffer engine fault

By
Ray Massey
Last updated at 4:36 AM on 2nd July 2010

Toyota was at the centre of a new safety scare yesterday when it warned that the engines of 270,000 of its cars could cut out while the vehicle is moving. The worldwide total includes more than 3,200 of its luxury Lexus models sold in the UK. The Japanese car giant said the cars whose engines could stall have not yet been recalled but that has not been ruled out.
Abnormal engine noise: The Toyota Lexus GS 450h is one of the models sold in the UK that could be affectedToyota has issued a string of apologies and endured months of controversy following a spate of safety scares. 
A spokesman for Lexus in the UK said: ‘Improperly functioning valve
springs have been found in some Lexus engines and there is a small
possibility that abnormal engine noise or unstable idling may occur. JAPANESE CARS 'THE MOST RELIABLEJapanese cars are still the most reliable, despite recent safety scares involving Toyota and Lexus models, a new survey reveals.For the fifth year running, Honda topped the rankings as the most trustworthy car manufacturer in an annual study from What Car? magazine and insurance company Warranty Direct. Far East companies dominated the most-reliable top 10, with Subaru second, followed by Mitsubishi, Lexus, Toyota, Mazda and Nissan, in seventh place. They were followed by Skoda in eighth place, Korea's Kia in ninth and Britain's MINI in 10th.Of the 32 companies studied, Land Rover proved the least reliable company - 53per cent of its cars suffered a fault - followed by  Alfa Romeo, Renault, Saab,  MG, Vauxhall, Peugeot,  Audi, Rover, BMW.The most expensive make of car to repair was Porsche, at an average cost of £717.36 followed by Mazda  at £481.26. Lowest average repair costs was Renault, at £226.54.The study was using data from Warranty Direct's 50,000 live policies on cars aged three to 10 years.What Car? editor Steve Fowler said: 'This year's survey produced some interesting results. Several prestige manufacturers have suffered embarrassing failure rates, while brands that buyers may not associate with reliability have shown a marked improvement.'

‘In very rare instances, there is a chance that the engine may stop.
There have been no reported accidents related to this issue. 
‘Vehicles sold in the UK that may be affected include the Lexus GS 450h, GS 460, LS 460 and LS 600h models.’ 
He said no vehicles sold under the Toyota brand in the UK are
affected and that Lexus would ‘do whatever it can’ to ensure that
customers’ inconvenience is minimised. 
Since last September, Toyota has recalled more than ten million
vehicles worldwide for problems related to unintended acceleration. 
The problems have been linked to at least five fatal crashes in the
U.S. since 2007, and have damaged Toyota’s reputation for quality. 
More than 200 law suits are pending in the U.S. Toyota recalled
1.7million cars across Europe, including 280,000 in the UK because of a
problem with a ‘sticky’ accelerator. 
In the UK it affected the Auris, Avensis, IQ, Verso, Yaris and Aygo
models, but not the Rav 4 off-roader. Toyota also recalled 50,000 Prius
hybrids, including 8,000 in the UK because of an issue with the
anti-lock brakes.
Toyota has already paid a record of $16.4million (£10.8million) in the U.S. for
failing to act swiftly enough on a recall for acceleration problems.
But the safety scares appear to have done little to dent Toyota's
sales. Latest figures show Toyota's June sales were up 26.7 per cent
compared to a year ago.
However, concerns about further damage to its reputation and the costs of
a potential recall pushed Toyota shares down by more than 2 per cent yesterday
Lexus said customers who have concerns should contact their local
Lexus centre or  the Lexus Customer Relations team on 01737367601 for
assistance.Toyota’s new British-built petrol-electric hybrid the Auris was
yesterday named ‘green’ car of the year by WhatGreenCar magazine.

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