Lemon Law News – Sensor Static Causes Stalls, Forces Toyota Recall
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing recalled more than 30,000 Tacoma trucks after discovering a problem causing engine stalling.
Toyota notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on June 1, 2017. The recall affects 31,824 2016-2017 Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks built between Sept. 17, 2015 and Oct. 28, 2016 with a V-6 engine.
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The company said the trucks have a crank position sensor that can malfunction, possibly causing an engine stall. The affected vehicles’ crank position sensors uses a magnetic resistance element to monitor the position of the rotor mounted to the engine crankshaft. Some of the aforementioned engines have crankshaft rotors with an anti-corrosion coating containing varying silica concentrations, increasing the coating’s thickness. The coating can interfere with the crank position sensor during normal vehicle operation.
Toyota said the interference could create a static charge, causing a crank sensor malfunction. At best it could only trigger the vehicle’s Malfunction Indicator Light. It could also cause a misfire, or possibly an engine stall. Engine stalls at high speeds can increase crash risk.
The manufacturer said they first discovered the problem in January 2016 after receiving field technical reports on a suspect engine stall. Further testing isolated the problem to the vehicle’s crank position sensor. Toyota determined coatings with higher silica concentrations combined with thermal expansion could cause the sensor malfunction.
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace the crank position sensor with an improved design free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 17, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota’s number for this recall is H0H. Toyota owners can also visit the NHTSA’s website and enter their VIN to see if their vehicle is included in any recalls.
Your vehicle’s manufacturer is legally required to fix any recalled problems for free. If the dealership refuses to fix the part or tries to charge you for the repair, contact the manufacturer immediately. The Highway Safety Act of 1970, which created the NHTSA, requires car manufacturers to pay for the recall and replacement of a defective part.
If the manufacturer fails to repair, replace, repurchase, or provide your recalled vehicle’s loss value, they are violating the warranty and a lawyer may be able to assist you. Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.