• Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, May 25, 2010 10:44 AM

Toyota won't sell its high-end 2009-10 Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h sedans until it develops a remedy for the electronics problem that can cause steering wheels to fall out of alignment, Nathan Olivarez-Giles reports. On Friday, the company recalled the nearly 4,000 vehicles in the U.S. that are already in customers' hands, and 7,500 elsewhere.

The steering wheel can get stuck in a turned orientation even though the car is going straight, says company spokesman Brian Lyons, although it can still be used to steer the car. There have been no reported accidents related to the issue in the U.S. or Japan, and Toyota believes the vehicles are safe to drive.

"This will hurt the perception of Lexus in terms of safety," says IHS Global Insight analyst Bruce Harrison. "But I think people are beginning to get numb to the idea that Toyota and Lexus cars can have problems and recalls, whether they associate the brands together or not."

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