Toyota forced to recall 780,000 cars for a second round of repairs

Toyota is recalling approximately 780,000 vehicles for a second time after repairs to correct a handling problem failed.

The automaker announced on Friday that roughly 18,000 2010 Lexus HS 250h autos, a hybrid model, and 2006 - 2011 Toyota RAV4 sport utility vehicles come under the recall parameters. According to a report published over the weekend by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the failure of a rear tire rod on the suspension is to blame, and loose parts could cause a loss of driving control.

This is the second time that the car models have been recalled for repairs. An investigation conducted by the NHTSA following customer complaints forced Toyota to originally recall the cars in August 2012, but now some dealers have reported the same safety issues.

The automaker will attempt a different repair on the cars, according to letters sent to dealers (.pdf).

"Upon investigation, it was discovered that some inspections were not adequate and portions of the repair procedure may not have been performed correctly," the letter says. "Toyota will be re-notifying all owners covered by Safety Recall C0J. The notification will apologize to customers and inform them that their vehicles may not have been inspected or repaired correctly. The letter will request the customer to return to the dealership for a revised inspection and remedy procedure."

Owners of affected vehicles will not be charged for repairs.

Via: New York Times

Image credit: Toyota

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com