Toyota and Lexus recall cars for replacing engines

More than 44,000 cars and SUVs from the 2019 and 2020 model years are going to be recalled due to possible issues with overheating, stalling, or even catching fire.

Affected vehicles consists of 2020 Toyota Camry, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Avalon Hybrid, and Lexus ES300h sedans, and 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid SUVs.

The recall is being made because of an issue with the engine block, where combustion takes place. Due to a manufacturing error, the engine block could leak coolant or oil, which may result in stalling or fire while the engine is being used. Drivers may first observe warning lights and chimes, increased engine noise, and/or engine smoke.

In a written statement, Toyota declared that about 250 out of the 44,191 recalled vehicles will actually require their engine replaced, but dealers will have to verify the serial numbers on the engine blocks in recalled vehicles to figure out whether they were part of the defective batch.

The problem started in September 2019 at a Toyota-owned plant located in Tennessee that manufactures engine blocks for Toyota and Lexus automobiles. According to a statement from the automaker, a water flow meter at the factory failed where as some engine blocks were being cast. As a result, these blocks did not cool sufficiently, which caused cracks to develop.

Toyota stated it discovered the problem when it observed vehicles with coolant leaks during inspections of recent vehicles at factories and dealers. Although the most of affected vehicles have already been sold to customers, some are still on dealer lots and cannot be sold until they have been fixed.

Toyota said that recall is probably set to start from April 6, 2020. Concerned owners can contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.