Toyota Recalling Vehicles Sold in Indiana Due to Stability Control Defect
Toyota Motor Manufacturing has announced a recall of approximately 460,000 vehicles due to a software error with the Vehicle Stability Control system.
What Does the Vehicle Stability Control System Do?
According to Olathe Toyota, a dealership in Olathe, Kansas:
VSC uses the vehicle's brakes to help steer the vehicle during times of slipping or possible spinout. Braking is applied to wheels individually to counter over or understeer. Most VSC systems also reduce engine power automatically during these operations to further improve traction.
What Happens When Vehicle Stability Control Stops Working?
When the system is off, it means the back of the vehicle could spin out of control in the event of a skid or sudden swerve by the driver as C! Magazine illustrates in the video below from their YouTube channel.
Which Toyota Vehicles are Impacted by the Recall?
According to a press release from the manufacturer, the software error "can cause the Vehicle Stability Control system (VSC) not to default to ON the next time the car is started under certain circumstances," and applies to the following vehicles sold at dealerships across the United States:
- Venza
- Mirai
- RAV4 Hybrid
- RAV4 Prime
- Sienna HV
- Highlander HV
- Lexus LS500h, LX600, NX350h and NX450h+
Toyota says owners of vehicles impacted by the recall will be notified by the middle of June 2022. If you receive a notification, you'll be instructed to take your vehicle to an authorized Toyota or Lexus dealer where they will perform a software update to fix the problem free of charge.
[Source: Toyota Motor Manufacturing / Olathe Toyota]