Toyota and Lexus have issued safety recalls affecting a total of 72,885 UK-registered Prius, Auris and Lexus CT 200h models.
The global recalls concern issues with the Fuel Emissions Control Unit (Canister) and Curtain Shield Airbag but there have so far been no reports of any related accidents or injuries.
The Canister issue specifically affects the Prius, Auris and Lexus CT 200h models which have the unit mounted in the fuel tank. There is a possibility that cracks could develop in the coating of the emissions channel due to improper shaping of portions of the channel. As a result of this condition, the cracks could expand over time and, eventually, fuel may leak from these cracks when the vehicle has a full tank of petrol.
Owners of vehicles subject to this recall (manufactured from April 2006 to August 2015) can have the canister replaced with an improved one free of charge by Toyota and Lexus dealers. The work will take approximately two to three hours.
Toyota and Lexus are also recalling 34,135 UK-registered Toyota Prius and Lexus CT200h models (manufactured from October 2008 to August 2012) equipped with curtain shield air bags (CSA) in the driver and passenger side roof rails that have air bag inflators composed of two chambers welded together.
Some inflators could have a small crack in the weld area joining the chambers, which could grow over time, and lead to the separation of the inflator chambers. This has been observed when the vehicle is parked and unoccupied for a period of time. If an inflator separates, the CSA could partially inflate, and, in limited circumstances, one or both sections of the inflator could enter the interior of the vehicle. If an occupant is present in the vehicle, there is an increased risk of injury.
To address the issue Toyota and Lexus dealers will install - free of charge – retention brackets on the curtain shield air bag inflators to serve as protectors to prevent the inflator chambers from entering the vehicle interior if separation occurs. The repair will take approximately two to four hours.
In accordance with DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, previously known as VOSA, Vehicle Operating Standards Authority) guidelines vehicle owners will be contacted by Toyota or Lexus within the coming weeks by post or telephone and asked to make an appointment to bring their car to their nearest dealer.
Owners can check whether their vehicle is affected using a registration look-up function in the owners section of the main website www.toyota.co.uk or www.lexus.co.uk – or for additional information they can contact the Recall Helpline on 0344 7016202.