UMW Toyota has refused to provide an explanation about alleged steering rack defects in their Vios models, opting to adhere to company policy and respond to the complainant directly.

NONE According to a media relations officer who declined to be named, the company only knows of one complaint regarding problems with the steering racks.

“We will need to go through our files to see if other complaints exist,” he said.

He, however, did not rule out the possibility of a manufacturing defect, as they do not yet to have enough information.

Last week, the Consumers Association Penang (CAP) released a statement saying that it received two complaints of defects in the racks. 

The cars, which have covered close to 7000km each, sustained damage to their steering racks when the cars were in motion.

The steering rack is part of the mechanism which connects the steering wheel to the wheels of the car. A defect can cause the wheels to go badly out of alignment or come loose. 

According to CAP president SM Mohamed Idris, UMW, which is Toyota’s sole distributor in Malaysia, said that the damage was caused by strong external impact.

However, reports from the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) and Goodyear Marketing and Sales indicate there were no signs of impact on the two vehicles.

CAP has submitted both reports to UMW, but was met with silence.

Toyota is currently under fire for manufacturing defects found in seven models, including the Vios, resulting in cars being recalled worldwide. 

UMW has, however, maintained that all models distributed in Malaysia are free of such defects.