Toyota has announced a recall of approximately 280,000 pickup trucks and SUVs in the United States due to a transmission issue that could cause the vehicles to move forward while in neutral. The recall affects specific models from the 2022 and 2023 model years, including Toyota Tundra pickups, Lexus LX 600 SUVs, and Toyota Sequoia SUVs from 2023 and 2024.
The problem identified by Toyota involves certain components of the automatic transmissions that may not disengage immediately when the vehicle is shifted into neutral. This could result in some engine power being transferred to the wheels, causing the vehicles to creep forward at low speeds on level surfaces if the brakes are not applied. This unintended movement increases the risk of a potential crash.
As of now, Toyota has not disclosed whether any accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of this transmission issue. To address the problem, Toyota dealers will update the transmission software in the affected vehicles. Owners of the impacted models will receive notifications by late April informing them of the recall and the necessary steps to rectify the issue.