(August 29, 2009) TORRANCE, Calif. — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., will launch a voluntary Safety Recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) involving approximately 95,700 Toyota and Scion vehicles sold in the United States. About 10,000 Pontiac Vibe models will also be affected.

Some of the vehicles, including the Pontiac Vibe, were built at New United Motors Incorporated, the plant in California that Toyota will close next March. The Vibe models ceased production there earlier this month. Other models were built at Toyota City in Japan and Cambridge, Canada.

On certain 2009 and 2010 model year Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, and 2008 and 2009 Scion xD vehicles all equipped with 1.8 liter engines, Toyota has determined that if the vehicle is operated in extremely low ambient temperatures, there is a possibility that condensed moisture from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) port may seep into the brake system vacuum port and freeze.

Should this condition continue, ice may slowly accumulate at the brake system vacuum port and in the extreme case, ultimately plug the vacuum port. As a result of the accumulation of ice, power assist to the brakes would gradually decrease and lead to lengthened vehicle stopping distances.

Since this condition only manifests in extremely low ambient temperatures, vehicle owners from 19 affected states will begin receiving a Safety Recall Notification via first class mail in early September, 2009. Those states are Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Toyota dealers will install a newly designed intake air connector which relocates the brake system vacuum port. The repair will take approximately one hour, depending on the dealers work schedule, at no charge to the vehicle owner.

No other Lexus, Toyota, or Scion vehicles are involved.

Customers with questions or concerns should contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or the Scion Customer Experience at 1-866-70SCION(707-2466).