Motor Image And UMW Toyota Announce Recalls On Subaru And Toyota Models

Following a little hubub on social media, both Motor Image and UMW Toyota have announced recalls regarding a number of components on their models. The common model between the two companies is of course the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86, which share a number of engine components.

The recall is related to a potential failure of the valvetrain system, specifically fracturing of the valve springs. While there may be loose associations to the Kobe Steel scandal that rocked Japan just a few months back, this particular incident hasn't become a widely reported case - perhaps the two brands are looking to get ahead of potential failures.

As Subaru uses the boxer engine in a number of their vehicles, the XV, Forester, and Outback are also affected by the recalls. For now, the recalls are limited to MY (Model Years) 2013 for the BRZ, 2013-2014 for the Outback, 2012-2014 for the Forester, and 2012-2014 for the XV, all of which came with the FA20 or FB20 engine.

Beyond this, each company also has specific recalls. Motor Image has issued a recall for the multi-information displays in the 2018 Outback, which is largely due to a programming issue that results in inaccuracies in readouts for fuel and range. Both the software updates and the valve component replacements will be done free of charge. 

UMW Toyota's recall is specifically for the MY 2012-2013 86. Around 120 units of this model were brought in by UMW Toyota, and it is the only model affected by this potential valve spring failure. As for their other ongoing recall, it regards the re-replacement of airbag inflators in the MY 2003 Vios, MY 2001-2003 Corolla Altis, and the MY 2002-2003 Camry.

If your vehicle is likely to be affected, both Motor Image and UMW Toyota will try to reach out to you - of course, there's difficulty if ownership changes hands and records are not updated.  Those with Toyotas can contact any authorised Toyota service centre or call the Toyota Freephone at 1800-8-TOYOTA (869682).

Toyota owners can also visit Toyota’s Special Service Campaign webpage through this link: toyota.com.my to check whether their vehicle is involved, through Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Checker. To those who have uploaded the Toyota Drive Apps, there is also a link to Toyota’s SSC page and the VIN Checker. Information on other vital SSCs is also available on the webpage.