Toyota to recall 7 Lexus models in Japan

Toyota Motor Corp. will recall Lexus cars with faulty engines that could stall while in motion, the company said in Japan on Friday.

The recall will involve about 90,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicles in that country, said Toyota spokesman Mike Michels. Approximately 137,000 Lexus cars with the same engine problem were sold in the U.S. It’s not been determined if they will also be recalled, Michels said.

“Each country has different regulatory processes and timetables, so it has yet to be determined whether or not there will be a recall in the U.S. or any country outside of Japan,” he said.

“This is really an engine durability issue, and we’ve yet to determine by U.S. standards whether or not this is a safety issue or merely a warranty issue.”

Toyota has received no reports of accidents related to the engine problems, he said. In all, 270,000 cars sold worldwide could be affected.

The models involved are seven high-end Lexus sedans and one Toyota model sold only in Asia. All the vehicles were equipped with either 4.6-liter eight-cylinder engines or 3.5-liter six-cylinder engines.

The Lexus models to be recalled in Japan are the GS 350, GS 450h, GS 460, IS 350, LS 460, LS 600h and LS 600h L. All of these models were also sold in the U.S.

Michels said he did not have information about the model years of the cars that are affected. The company will file its recall documents with Japanese transportation officials on Monday.

Over the last year, Toyota has recalled about 8 million vehicles worldwide because of claims of sudden, unintended acceleration or other problems.

nathan.olivarezgiles@latimes.com