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Toyota recall: Toyota Nigeria to fix customers’ vehicles

By BusinessNews Staff on April 20, 2014

There is reprieve for users of Toyota vehicles in Nigeria, who may be affected by some defects that necessitated the recent recall of 6.5 million vehicles by Toyota Motors Corporation (TMC), following a resolve by Toyota Nigeria Limited (TNL) to identify and repair any of these vehicles that may have been sold in the country.

Executive Director, TNL, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, who made this known in Lagos, at the weekend, said there are two models that are involved in the defect known as the spiral cable condition; “we have the Hilux model, which were produced between 2005 and 2010 and the Rave 4 model that was produced between 2006 and 2008 for Nigeria.”

Also, to be brought in for checks are the Yaris model produced between 2006 and 2008 for the Nigerian market with defects in the driver and front passenger’s seat track. The defect, he said makes the seats to either get stuck or to move uncontrollably. “When the seats are moved back and forth frequently, there is a possibility for the seat rail to become stuck and you will not be able to move your seat forward or backward and there is even the possibility of it moving unnecessarily such that during driving when you apply your brake you can be moved either backward and when there is a collusion, the injury may be more than necessary.

He said some vehicles would be brought in to the company for necessary checks to confirm if they have any defects that would require them to be changed.

Ade-Ojo said, “We were informed late last week and since then we have began the process of identifying and understanding what the issues are.”

He said as far as Nigeriawas concerned, there are two issues that have to be looked into, explaining that the first one “is called the spiral cable, which is located in the steering wheel that has different controls like the horn, airbags sensors and other systems. There is a spiral cable assembly, which connects the steering wheel that handles the distribution of electrical signals to the airbag, horns, controls of the steering such that during constant turning of the steering wheel, there is a possibility for the cable to wear and deactivate the airbag system and when this happens, the airbag light comes on on the dash board.

He said, “We are currently trying to collate the number of vehicles that are affected; the chasis numbers and, once we have the final figures, we will be advertising in the press the ranges of the vehicles that are affected with the spiral cables.”

Dealers of Toyota Nigeria Limited, he said were aware of the condition, following a meeting they held with them recently and that the dealers were being prepared to enable them handle the customers.

“All that needs to be done is to disassemble the steering wheel, remove the cable and attach a new cable. If you want to find out if there are other cars affected by the spiral cable for Nigeria, the answer is no.

We have different manufacturers producing different parts for different vehicles. So, the one in question is the one produced for the Hilux, the Rave 4 for Nigeria. We have also begun the process of ordering parts and we should be receiving the parts for these vehicles in the next 3-4 weeks and once we have these parts we would be calling our customers to come in for necessary checks to replace, if necessary the spiral cables of their vehicles.”

He said reports from TMC indicated that there have been “no report of accidents on account of the condition and the repair for the spiral cable will take about an hour of the customer’s time. If we have any customer who has an issue or experience the airbag light icon illuminated on the dash board should please come to our accredited dealers.”

The Toyota vehicles that TNL is aware of, he said are those they brought into Nigeria, saying “priority for checks or replacement will be given to the vehicles that were brought in especially for the Nigerian market. However, as Toyota distributors, there are times that we will be advised by TMC that there are some vehicles that have come into your market that have similar condition and we will request you to please take care of them. Other than that, we will not be able to determine if vehicles not meant for this market are involved in the campaign. Labour and parts are free.”

[This Day]

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