If you recently purchased a brand-new Lexus or Toyota, you may be driving a vehicle that could overheat, stall, or catch fire at any moment, placing your safety at grave risk. So far, more than 44,000 2019 and 2020 cars and SUVs have been recalled due to a defect in the engine block, according to Consumer Reports.

The affected vehicles include:

• 2020 Toyota Camry
• 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid
• 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
• 2020 Lexus ES300h Sedan
• 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid SUVs

“The recall is due to an issue with the engine block, where combustion takes place. Because of a manufacturing error, the engine block could leak coolant or oil, which may lead to a stall or fire while the engine is in use. Drivers may first notice warning lights and chimes, increased engine noise, and/or engine smoke,” according to Consumer Reports.

Tracing Back to the Cause of the Problem

When it comes to motor vehicle defects, it’s interesting to find out what exactly caused the issue because consumers can’t have a false sense of security about new vehicles. In this case, the problem was identified and traced back to a factory owned by Toyota located in Tennessee.

The Tennessee factory manufactures engine blocks for Toyota and Lexus and according to the automaker, there was a water flow meter at the factory that failed when the defective engine blocks were being cast.

As a result of the failure, the engine blocks did not cool as they were supposed to, which led to the development of cracks, which were not caught until later. When the new vehicles were being inspected at factories and dealerships, Toyota discovered the problem and unfortunately, thousands had already been sold to consumers and driven off the lots.

Toyota and Lexus dealers are checking the serial numbers on the engine block to identify the vehicles that came from the bad batch. If a vehicle is defective, the dealer will replace the engine for free. The recall is slated to begin on April 6, 2020.

Do you believe you have a lemon law claim? To explore your legal options under California’s lemon law, please contact Norman Taylor & Associates for a free consultation.