Toyota recalls Highlander hybrid, Lexus RX 400h

Toyota is recalling about 82,000 hybrid vehicles in the United States to fix a flawed control board inside the powertrain.

The recall covers about 45,000 Toyota Highlander hybrids and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h hybrids from the 2006 and 2007 model years.

Toyota says some of the transistors on the control board might have been improperly soldered and could be damaged from large current flow during high-load driving.

If the control board is damaged, Toyota says warning lamps on the instrument panel will illuminate. The vehicle could enter a low-power driving mode, or the power-supply-circuit fuse could blow and the hybrid system will stop working.

Visit www.toyota.com/recall for more information.

Full Toyota press release below:

Toyota Announces Voluntary Safety Recall of Certain 2006 and 2007 Model Year Highlander Hybrid and RX 400h Vehicles

TORRANCE, Calif., June 29, 2011 – Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS), today announced that it will conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 45,500 Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h vehicles sold in the U.S. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved.

The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the Hybrid System Inverter contains a control board with transistors. Certain transistors on the control boards in some of the subject vehicles were inadequately soldered and could be damaged from heat caused by a large current flow during high-load driving.

If this were to occur, various warning lamps will illuminate on the instrument panel. In most cases the vehicle will enter a fail-safe driving mode, resulting in reduced power in which the vehicle can still be driven for short distances. In limited instances, the power supply circuit fuse could blow when the transistor is damaged. If the fuse blows, the hybrid system will stop and the vehicle will coast to a stop.

Toyota is currently working on obtaining the necessary replacement parts. Once the replacement parts are available, we will notify owners. In the Interim, owners of the involved vehicles will be notified of the recall by first class mail in mid-July, 2011.

Once the replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities, Toyota will send a second owner notification by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota dealer to have the IPM inspected and if necessary replaced at no charge.

Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center (1 800-331-4331) or www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus Customer Satisfaction (1 800-255-3987).

By Dale Jewett