Lexus, a division of Toyota, announced on Friday that it plans to recall certain models of Lexus cars to fix engine valve springs.
In a statement issued late Friday from Torrance near Los Angeles, Lexus said it has "discovered faulty valve springs in some V8 and V6 engines in certain Lexus models sold in the U.S."
"Due to slight variations during the manufacturing process, some foreign material may have contaminated the valve springs, resulting in potential breakage," the statement said.
The recall will involve about 138,000 vehicles with possible defects that could cause the engine to stall, the company said.
The cars on the recall list will include selected 2006, 2007 and 2008 GS, IS and LS models powered by 4.6- and 5.0-liter V8 and 3.5- liter V6 engines.
Officials with Lexus noted that the likelihood of problems developing in the vehicles was slight -- estimated at 0.2 percent.
There have been no reports of any accidents or injuries related to the problem, Lexus said.
The problem might create the possibility of abnormal engine noise or idling, or in rare cases, the engine could stall while the vehicle is moving, the statement said.
Affected owners will be contacted by mail. In the meantime, owners can continue driving their vehicles, the statement said. Toyota had previously announced the recall of about 90,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Japan for the same problem.
