- toyota is recalling 227,490 u.s.-market camry sedans from the 2018 and 2019 model years over a problem that could cause sudden loss of brake assistance.
- the vane cap inside the car's vacuum pump can wear out prematurely, break, and cause pump failure, which in turn could affect power-braking assistance.
- the problem does not affect the camry hybrid, which toyota said in its filing does not have the vacuum pump.
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) has posted a recall notice for more than 200,000 toyota camry cars over a problem that could lead to the sudden loss of braking assist. the problem involves a defective cap on the rotating vane in the mechanical vacuum pump. toyota said that premature wear, particularly when the vehicle experiences "frequent braking and/or long periods of idling," can cause the cap to get stuck between the vane and the pump housing and break, at which point the pump would no longer supply vacuum to the brake booster. the brakes will continue to work, but without continued vacuum the power assist could "be suddenly reduced" without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
the recall includes toyota camry models built between january 16, 2017, and september 13, 2018.
dealers will repair or replace the vacuum pump at no charge. notifications will start going out to owners of the affected camrys in mid-december. meanwhile, owners of 2018 or 2019 camrys can visit the nhtsa recalls site to get further information or find out if their car is included in the recall.