Photo: Toyota
So you thought that the days when cars were being recalled for potentially setting themselves on fire were gone, right? Well, it turns out Toyota wants to keep that candle lit (pun absolutely intended). The company has just announced that it will recall around 2 million vehicles for an issue related to the driver’s power window master switch.
According to them, this electronic device can develop a short circuit that can cause the entire assembly inside the door to overheat and melt. There’s little room left from there on to a fiery death incident, as previous experiences have shown, and if you’re a Toyota owner, you’d better be careful when using your electric windows.
That’s because the short circuit is caused by a fault in the manufacturing process of the ensemble. Because of it, the part has been shipped with insufficient lubricant grease and that’s the reason why the melting of the switch can “produce smoke and potentially lead to a fire.” That’s not something you want to read in an official press release from the manufacturer of your car.
The cars affected are very popular too. The list includes 2007 to 2009 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid models, 2009 to 2011 Corollas, 2008 to 2011 Highlander and Highlander hybrid, 2009 to 2011 Matrix, 2006 to 2011 RAV4, 2009-2011 Sequoia and Tundra, 2006 - 2010 Yaris and 2009 - 2011 Scion xB and xD.
As it turns out, Toyota already had a recall for the same issue a while back, but it seems like not every possibly affected model was covered. This is for the cars that have been left out initially and were considered safe.
What surprised us the most, though, was the fact that instead of replacing the entire unit, Toyota decided to go another route to fix the problem. According to a press release, “Toyota dealers will inspect the switch and apply heat-resistant grease. If the switch is not operating normally, an internal circuit board will be replaced.”
Maybe that’s not the way to go. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer it if the whole thing was replaced and not fixed in a hurry by some dealership in my vicinity.
That’s because the short circuit is caused by a fault in the manufacturing process of the ensemble. Because of it, the part has been shipped with insufficient lubricant grease and that’s the reason why the melting of the switch can “produce smoke and potentially lead to a fire.” That’s not something you want to read in an official press release from the manufacturer of your car.
The cars affected are very popular too. The list includes 2007 to 2009 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid models, 2009 to 2011 Corollas, 2008 to 2011 Highlander and Highlander hybrid, 2009 to 2011 Matrix, 2006 to 2011 RAV4, 2009-2011 Sequoia and Tundra, 2006 - 2010 Yaris and 2009 - 2011 Scion xB and xD.
As it turns out, Toyota already had a recall for the same issue a while back, but it seems like not every possibly affected model was covered. This is for the cars that have been left out initially and were considered safe.
What surprised us the most, though, was the fact that instead of replacing the entire unit, Toyota decided to go another route to fix the problem. According to a press release, “Toyota dealers will inspect the switch and apply heat-resistant grease. If the switch is not operating normally, an internal circuit board will be replaced.”
Maybe that’s not the way to go. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer it if the whole thing was replaced and not fixed in a hurry by some dealership in my vicinity.
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