CHICAGO (Xinhua) — Toyota Motor Corp. said on Wednesday it is recalling about 550,000 vehicles worldwide, including 420,000 in the United States, for a potential steering problem.

In the United States, the automaker is recalling 283,200 Toyota brand cars, including the 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna and Solara, the 2004 Avalon and the 2006 Highlander HV. Its recall of 137,000 Lexus vehicles includes the 2004 and 2005 ES330 and RX330 and 2006 RX400h.

There is a possibility that the outer ring of the crankshaft pulley may become misaligned with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the discharge warning light, Toyota’s U.S. unit said of the problem in a release.

If this condition is not corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley and the driver may notice a sudden increase in steering effort, according to the company.

Toyota has received a total of 79 reports about the defect dating back to 2007, said company spokesman Dion Corbett. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem, he said.

The recall affects 447,000 vehicles in North America, as well as 38,000 in Japan and another 25,000 in Australia and New Zealand. In Europe some 14,000 vehicles are being recalled, in addition to 10,000 in the Middle East and 14,000 in Asia outside Japan.

In the United States, Toyota will send an owner notification, advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized dealer to have their cars inspected once replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities. If needed, parts will be replaced for no charge, the company’s American sales unit said.

In the meantime, if an abnormal noise is heard coming from the engine compartment, the owner is asked to make an appointment with any Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the vehicle inspected for this condition, the company said.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., today announced that Lexus intends to conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 39,000 2003-2007 Model Year LX 470 vehicles to address a steering shaft condition. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this safety recall.

This action follows an announcement made by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan on July 29, 2010.

Lexus has determined that the construction of the steering shaft on involved LX 470s is such that the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle experiences an unusually severe impact to the front wheels, such as striking a deep pothole. If the snap ring becomes disengaged and the steering wheel is then repeatedly turned to the full locked position, the steering shaft may disengage over time.

Lexus is not aware of any accidents related to this condition.

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Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., today announced that it intends to conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 373,000 2000-2004 Model Year Toyota Avalons sold in the United States to address the possibility that the vehicle’s steering lock bar could break under certain conditions. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this recall.

This action follows an announcement made by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan on July 29, 2010.

Because of improper casting of the steering lock bar, which is a component of the steering interlock system, there is a possibility that a minute crack may develop on the surface. Such a crack may expand over a long period of repeated lock and unlock operations, and eventually the lock bar could break. If this occurs, the interlock system may become difficult to unlock when stationary.

If the vehicle while being driven is steered to the right with sufficient lateral acceleration, a broken and loose lock bar may move toward the steering shaft. If the engagement hole in the shaft happens to line up at the specific time the broken lock bar has moved, this could cause the steering wheel lock bar to engage, locking the steering wheel, and increasing the risk of a crash.

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ATX Group, a leading provider of connected vehicle (telematics) services to global automobile manufacturers, announced today the launch this week of the new Toyota/Lexus Safety Connect program on select Model Year 2010 Toyota and Lexus models in the U.S. The program marks the introduction of location-based safety and security services to Toyota’s vehicle line and an enhanced suite of services for its premium Lexus line.

ATX will provide both Lexus and Toyota with GPS satellite, location-based Automatic Collision Notification (ACN), designated in-vehicle Emergency Assistance (SOS) button, Roadside Assistance and Stolen Vehicle Location service, each entailing a connection from Toyota and Lexus vehicles to ATX‘s specialized Response Center and between the ATX center and local 9-1-1 or emergency dispatch centers.

Toyota Safety Connect and Lexus Enform with Safety Connect will be delivered as embedded, factory-installed hardware with a complimentary one-year trial subscription included for new vehicle purchasers.

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