Lexus U.S. Says 137,000 Cars May have Faulty Engines in the States

Toyota's U.S. division has just issued a statement regarding potential engine faults on Lexus models sold in the States. The automaker said that around 137,000 vehicles could be affected in the U.S., including the IS 350, GS 350, GS 460, GS 450h, LS 460, LS 600hL, noting that current model years are not affected.

Earlier today, Toyota announced that approximately 270,000 vehicles (Lexus IS, GS and LS, and Toyota Crown) sold worldwide risk engine failure.

The Japanese automaker blames the problem on defective valve springs in some V8 and V6 engines. "Due to slight variations during the manufacturing process, some foreign material may have contaminated the valve springs resulting in potential breakage," Toyota said in a statement.

While Toyota claims it has not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to this issue, the company admits that "there is a remote possibility that abnormal engine noise or idling may occur" and that "in extremely rare instances, the engine may stop while the vehicle is in operation."

Toyota said it is still looking into the problem and will announce a fix soon.

"In the meantime, we sincerely apologize to our customers for any inconvenience and request that they contact their nearest Lexus dealer if they believe there is a problem with their vehicle," said Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager of the U.S. Lexus Division.