Toyota to recall 41,000 Etios

Car maker reaches out to replace cracking hose-pipe leading into fuel tank.

Toyota Kirloskar Motors is reaching out to its entire 41,000 customer base who have bought its latest new models — Etios sedan and Etios Liva hatchback — since January this year till early October, so as to replace a hose pipe leading into the fuel tank.

According to Sandeep Singh, Deputy MD (marketing), the company has identified some surface scratch on the hose pipe, which may lead into deep cracks in the long run. “We are reaching out through a service camp to replace the pipes,” Singh said. “There is no immediate danger for the vehicles. As a precautionary measure, we are reaching out to customers to replace this.”

 

Toyota started selling its Etios sedan early this year. It is understood to have sold around 30,000 from the newly launched model. The rest is from the hatchback model introduced during late June. According to Singh, the petrol version is currently available without much waiting period, while there are booking backlogs of around 15,000 diesel versions.

Toyota, which was in the premium sedan and SUV segments before getting into the entry-level sedan and hatchback segments, has so far had a good run in terms of demand. These two models were launched after years of research and with as much as 70 per cent localisation. Until July, the Etios sedan had a waiting period of as much as six-eight months, and the company had actively worked on this issue by increasing the shifts to reduce the wait.