NHTSA safety investigation
NHTSA Investigation PE11005
Preliminary Evaluation · Toyota Motor Corporation · HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER
An investigation is not a finding that a defect exists.
NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
What NHTSA is examining
The agency's own description of the inquiry, quoted as published
Hybrid inverter failure - vehicle stall
In a June 29, 2011 letter to NHTSA, Toyota submitted a Defect Information Report regarding a safety recall of certain Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX400h vehicles to address a defect condition with the hybrid inverter assembly (NHTSA Recall No. 11V-342).Toyota's letter identified a defect related to inadequately soldered transistors on the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) of some of the subject vehicles that could result in sudden loss of power while driving.Toyota's remedy procedure instructs dealers to inspect the hybrid inverter production number to determine if the inverter contains suspect transistors.If so, the dealer will replace the IPM.The recall covers approximately 45,528 model year (MY) 2006 and 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles manufactured from February 16, 2005 through August 29, 2006 and approximately 36,745 MY 2006 and 2007 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured from February 23, 2005 through August 30, 2006.This Preliminary Evaluation is closed.
An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.
Investigation details
Identifiers, dates and outcome as recorded by NHTSA
- Action number
- PE11005
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
- Status
- Closed
- Manufacturer
- Toyota Motor Corporation
- Component
- HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER
- Opened
- Feb 15, 2011
- Closed
- Jul 20, 2011
- Associated recall campaign
- 11V342000
Vehicles named in this investigation
4 model years across 2 models
Being named here means NHTSA included the vehicle in the scope of its inquiry. It is not a statement that these vehicles have a defect.