Toyota, Lexus recall 133,000 trucks and SUVs in two separate recalls
These recalls are unrelated to the Takata recall the automaker announced earlier Thursday.
Automakers occasionally announce a number of recalls at the same time. Earlier on Thursday, Toyota announced that it was speeding up a recall to replace Takata airbag inflators for good, and now, it announced two more unrelated recalls.
Recall the first: Land Cruiser, LX 570 sensors
The first recall covers approximately 89,700 examples of the 2008-2019 Toyota Land Cruiser and 2008-2019 Lexus LX 570. Yes, you read that right -- 12 model years' worth of vehicles are being recalled here.
The problem here comes from the airbag and its related systems. A seatbelt tension sensor might malfunction over time, and if that happens, it might cause a number of airbag warning lights to illuminate. It can also potentially deactivate the front passenger airbag, knee airbag and passenger side airbag, which increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Sadly, there is no remedy in place for this problem just yet, but Toyota said it's currently developing a fix. Owners should receive notifications via first-class mail by mid-February.
Recall the second: Tacoma brake master cylinders
The second recall covers approximately 44,000 examples of the 2018-2019 Tacoma midsize pickup truck.
The problematic part in this case is hiding in the brake master cylinder, which pushes the brake fluid used to engage the brakes at each wheel. An "improper manufacturing process by a part supplier" means that a seal in the master cylinder might begin leaking brake fluid. If this happens, the brake feel might change, and the front brakes may have reduced performance, leading to greater stopping distances and possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
Thankfully, Toyota has a solution in place for this one already. Upon taking a recalled vehicle to the dealership, technicians will replace the entire brake master cylinder with an updated version that doesn't contain a potentially leaky seal. Owners should start receiving notifications by late January.
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