By Jerry Hirsch | Toyota Motor Corp. issued yet another recall Wednesday, this time
announcing a program to upgrade the software in the vehicle stability
control system on about 50,000 early-2003 Toyota Sequoia sport utility
vehicles.

The electronic system is designed to prevent a loss of traction in turns
as a result of front or rear tire slippage during cornering.

Toyota said that vehicles without the upgrade could experience the stability control system briefly activating at low speeds — less than 10 mph — as the Sequoia accelerates from a stop. This could prevent the vehicle from accelerating as fast as the driver expects.

The automaker said there have been no reported injuries or accidents as a result of this condition.

Toyota actually learned of the problem seven years ago, and said its dealers have fixed the issue if individual owners complained about the problem.

Safety regulators began looking at the problem in late 2008 based on complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Toyota. NHTSA elevated its investigation to an engineering analysis in April 2009.

“Toyota is cooperating with NHTSA’s request to issue a safety recall of the 2003 Sequoia. Over the last 18 months, NHTSA has been investigating electronic stability control malfunctions which have turned up 163 safety-related failure incidents reported to Department of Transportation or Toyota,” said Julia Piscitelli, the agency’s spokeswoman.

Some customers apparently paid to have the problem fixed, and now Toyota is offering them a refund if they have a copy of their repair order. The automaker plans to send out letters to all owners of 2003 Sequoias next month informing them of the recall and refund program.

“Toyota is committed to investigating customer complaints more aggressively and to responding quickly to issues we identify in our vehicles. As a result, we are voluntarily launching this recall to ensure that as many 2003 Sequoias as possible are serviced to the full satisfaction of our customers,” said Steve St. Angelo, Toyota chief quality officer for North America.

Earlier this month Toyota said it would recall 9,400 Lexus GX 460 sport utility vehicles from the 2010 model year to correct a stability control system problem that could lead to a loss of control. This problem was first identified by Consumer Reports magazine, which issued a blanket warning urging shoppers not to purchase the vehicle.

And in another action this month, the automaker launched a voluntary recall involving about 600,000 Sienna minivans sold in the U.S. to address potential corrosion in the spare-tire carrier cable.

Toyota also agreed to pay a record $16.4-million fine to the federal government this month, for failing to promptly disclose that gas pedals in eight models could stick and cause sudden acceleration. It was the largest fine on an automaker ever levied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The automaker has issued roughly 10.5 million recall notices worldwide in the last seven months for a variety of problems that run from unintended acceleration issues to braking and corrosion problems.