Toyota to recall 17,000 Lexus cars in UK due to brake and fuel problems

TOYOTA is recalling more than 17,000 cars in the UK, because of brake fluid and fuel pump faults with its luxury Lexus brand.

The problems, which affect its IS, GS and RX models, have not been known to cause accidents, the company claimed.

It is more bad news for the Toyota group, which has been hit by massive recalls this year, hitting sales. The car manufacturing giant is now recalling 1.53 million cars worldwide - mostly in Japan and the US - because of problems with Lexus, Avalon and other brands.

A spokesman said it was working with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Vosa) to contact registered UK owners and keepers by letter to advise them of the procedure for taking their vehicle to a Lexus centre or an official Lexus service outlet for repair work.

The first recall concerns the brake master cylinder fitted to IS, GS and RX models built between February 2003 and November 2005.

The spokesman added: "Lexus is aware that the seal between the brake master cylinder and the brake booster may turn in its seat, causing brake fluid to leak into the brake booster.

• Toyota recalls: running totals

• Big rise in UK car production

"In the very unlikely event that this happens, the driver will be alerted to the problem by the low brake fluid warning light. The brakes will continue to function normally for a significant time - over 200 miles of regular driving.

"Lexus knows of no accidents caused by this issue."

The repair involves the replacement of a small seal and a check for any fluid contamination in the brake booster.

If any contamination is found, the brake booster will be replaced. The job will take approximately two hours to complete, at no cost to the customer. Approximately 15,400 UK registered vehicles are affected by this recall.

The second problem concerns the fuel pump on GS 300 models built between September 2004 and February 2006. Expansion and contraction of the fuel tank may stretch the fuel pump's electrical harness. This may lead to a break in the circuit, causing the fuel pump, and so the engine, to stop without warning.

The repair involves replacement of the fuel pump wiring harness, a job that takes about three hours. The work will be done at no cost to the customer. The recall affects 2,081 UK-registered cars.

Belinda Poole, Lexus director, said: "We apologise for any inconvenience or concern these recalls may cause our customers. Our Lexus centres will be liaising with our customers to carry out the recall repair procedures as promptly as possible, with all work undertaken by expertly trained Lexus service personnel."

The global recall affects about 740,000 cars in the US and 599,000 in Japan.The remainder are in Europe and other markets around the world.

Over the past year, the world's biggest car maker has recalled more than ten million cars and trucks worldwide for a variety of problems, including sticky accelerator pedals, dealing a major blow to its reputation.

The majority of vehicles need to be fixed for a problem with the brake master cylinder, which could lead to weaker braking power, said spokesman Paul Nolasco in Tokyo.

No accidents have been reported from the two problems, he said.