Tokyo: A Toyota official said the company knew two years ago about the engine problem behind its latest Lexus recall, even changing the spring part to correct it, but did not think a recall was warranted until recently.
Read in-depth report on global car recalls
Toyota Motor Corp. started a global recall on Monday over engine defects in its Lexus luxury models sold around the world, moving to repair some 270,000 vehicles to replace valve springs - crucial engine components that are flawed and could cause vehicles to stall.
A total of 1,347 selected 2007 and 2008 model year Lexus LS 460s sold in the UAE will be affected by the recall.
On Tuesday, spokesman Hideaki Homma said Toyota changed that spring part in August 2008, making it thicker, to prevent the problem. That is why the latest recall does not affect vehicles produced after August 2008.
