2013-’15 Toyota Avalon, Lexus ES 350 Recalled for Unexpected Braking

TORRANCE, California – Toyota is recalling approximately 31,000 2013-’15 Toyota Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Lexus ES 350 and ES 300h sedans in the U.S. for unexpected braking, the automaker said on Tuesday.

“Under certain situations, the pre-collision system (PCS) could interpret a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object that triggers PCS activation,” Toyota said in a statement. “If this occurs, the PCS warning buzzer sounds and the system may apply the service brake automatically.

“Unexpected braking could increase the risk of a crash.”

Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight told Edmunds there have been two accident reports from the U.S. market.

“There are two alleged injuries involving two separate incidents,” Knight said. “One of the two injuries is related to one of the reported accidents. The second alleged injury is related to the retraction of the seatbelt and was not a result of an accident. We are not aware of any fatalities.”

Toyota dealers will disable the pre-collision system function as an interim remedy. As a permanent remedy, Toyota dealers will replace the PCS components with improved ones.

Preliminary notification of owners begins this month. Owners can contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987.

No information about the recall has been posted on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees vehicle safety in the U.S.

Edmunds says: Owners of these cars should stay in touch with their Toyota dealers for the latest information on this recall.