Lexus RX350, Toyota Alphard, and others recalled

MANILA: Lexus might be one of the better luxury car makers in the automobile space, but that doesn't guarantee its vehicles to be fault-proof, right? The Japanese automaker, or shall we say the luxurious arm of Toyota had already seen its RX350 being recalled due to faulty passenger airbag and airbag sensor assemblies. And. now, another 149 units of the Lexus RX350 have been recalled for the reprogramming of their engine control units (ECU). Lexus has mentioned that the owners of the luxury SUV may feel a jerk while shifting to the "Drive" mode.

The affected Lexus RX350 models are said to be manufactured between December 4, 2017, and December 25, 2018. Moreover, Lexus will soon contact the customers and ask them to visit an authorised Lexus dealership in order to get the reprogramming done for free. Moving on, another vehicle that has been recalled is the Toyota Alphard, which may be carrying wrongly fitted seatbelts. According to Toyota, one of the two locking mechanisms present on the Alphard may not work as it is intended to, and may lead to serious injuries in the event of an accident.

"The subject vehicles are equipped with seat belt assemblies that have two types of locking mechanisms. One of the locking mechanisms in certain seat belts may not have been assembled correctly. This can cause an occupant to not be restrained properly in certain crashes, increasing the risk of injury", said Toyota. As for the Alphard, the affected units were built between August 20, 2019, and September 6, 2019. Toyota will notify the affected customers and ask them to visit the dealerships for checking the seatbelt. If needed, the part will be replaced.

This isn't for the first time that Toyota has recalled the Alphard. The Japanese automaker has previously recalled the MPV over anti-lock braking system (ABS) actuator inspection, electric parking brake ECU program update, crankshaft pulley inspection/replacement, front passenger airbag inflator replacement, and brake master cylinder cup replacement.

Alongside the Lexus RX350 and the Toyota Alphard, some units of the Vellfire and Coaster have also been recalled. Toyota aims at completing the recall process by December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2020, for the Lexus RX350 and the Alphard, respectively.

Also Read: Revised Toyota Alphard and Vellfire revealed, bookings now open