On Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 Toyota Motor Corp. issued a voluntary safety recall on 550,000 vehicles worldwide. Of the total number of cars being recalled, 420,000 vehicles were sold in the U.S. The reason for this current recall is being attributed to a power steering issue. According to a press release issued by Toyota, the cars impacted by the recall include the 2004 Toyota Avalon, 2004-05 Camry, 2004-05 Highlander, 2006 Highlander hybrid, 2004-05 Sienna, 2004 ES330, 2004-05 RX330 and 2006 RX400h. These Toyota and Lexus cars which are affected may need a replacement of a crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine because the crankshaft pulley could possibly be misaligned with the inner ring. If the suspected problem occurs, the power steering system could potentially fail and drivers may have a difficult time steering the vehicle. In the press release, Toyota had specified other Toyota or Lexus vehicles, or these Toyota models which were built with 4 cylinder engines, are not affected by the recall; the recall appears to be strictly limited to those above-mentioned V6 vehicles. The auto giant says car owners will be contacted by First Class mail in January once the necessary replacement parts are acquired “in sufficient quantities”. Toyota has said they will be fixing any defective cars free of charge. In the meantime, if any car owners notice their vehicles making any odd noises coming from the engine, the company has stated owners should make an appointment with their local dealer to have their car inspected. This massive recall comes during a time where Toyota has already faced major difficulties both before and after the massive devastation caused by the March earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Just prior to the earthquake that devastated Japan, in February Toyota had recalled 2.17 million cars for faulty gas pedals which could become stuck and result in a driver being unable to correctly use the pedals. In January the automaker had recalled 1.5 million cars. With this latest recall, this brings the total of recalled cars in the U.S. this year to approximately 3 million. At this time no injuries or accidents are being associated to the problematic crankshaft pulley. According to Toyota’s announcement, consumers can obtain additional information and answers to questions regarding this safety recall by visiting the company’s official websites located at www.toyota.com/recall and www.lexus.com/recall, or by calling the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or the Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-255-3987. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society