TOYOTA CANADA ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL OF CERTAIN 2011 SIENNA VEHICLES TO REPLACE STOP LAMP SWITCH BRACKET

TORONTO, ON – December 13, 2010 – Toyota Canada announced that it will conduct a voluntary Safety Recall involving approximately 12,600 2011 Model Year Sienna vehicles produced before early November 2010 to replace the stop lamp (brake light) switch bracket.  When the parking brake is fully applied, the stop lamp switch bracket could, in limited circumstances, be deformed by the driver’s foot during parking brake operation due to the proximity of the stop lamp switch bracket to the parking brake pedal.

 

Depending on the amount of bracket deformation, this condition could cause the brake lights to remain on or, if the deformation is significant, the brakes could become partially engaged due to contact from the bracket, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light.  If this condition is not detected and the vehicle continues to be driven, braking effectiveness could be reduced.

 

No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this recall, and Toyota is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition.

 

The stop lamp switch bracket is welded on to the left side of the brake pedal support assembly.  The stop lamp switch provides a signal that indicates the brake pedal has been depressed and illuminates the brake lights. 

 

Owners of the involved vehicles will receive an interim notification advising them of this recall by first class mail in the near future, along with instructions for what to do if they experience this condition and how to minimize the possibility of inadvertently contacting the stop lamp switch bracket while operating the parking brake.  Toyota will also post this information on its website. 

 

Owners will receive a second notice by first class mail in early 2011, once replacement parts become available, and asked to make an appointment with a Toyota dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge. 

 

Toyota dealers will replace the brake pedal support assembly, which includes the stop lamp switch bracket, with a new one that has been redesigned to take into account the proximity of the component to the parking brake pedal. 

 

Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at the Toyota Customer Interaction Centre at 1-888-TOYOTA-8. Additional vehicle safety information is available at www.toyota.ca 

 

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About Toyota Canada Inc.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus cars, SUVs and trucks, and Toyota Industrial Equipment. TCI’s head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver.