TORRANCE, Calif. -

Toyota Motor Sales revealed Wednesday that a pair of its hybrid crossover models are part of a voluntary safety recall in the U.S.

The recall of approximately 45,500 Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h vehicles from the 2006 and 2007 model years is connected with the Intelligent Power Module.

The company explained the IPM is located inside the Hybrid System Inverter and contains a control board with transistors. Toyota thinks certain transistors on the control boards in some of the subject vehicles were inadequately soldered and could be damaged from heat caused by a large current flow during high-load driving.

If this were to occur, Toyota insists various warning lamps will illuminate on the instrument panel.  In most cases, the OEM said the vehicle will enter a fail-safe driving mode, resulting in reduced power in which the vehicle can still be driven for short distances.

In limited instances, the automaker acknowledged the power supply circuit fuse could blow when the transistor is damaged.  If the fuse blows, Toyota indicated the hybrid system will stop, and the vehicle will coast to a stop.

Toyota is currently working on obtaining the necessary replacement parts. Once the replacement parts are available, the company plans to notify owners.

In the interim, Toyota said owners of the involved vehicles will be notified of the recall by first class mail in mid July. 

“Once the replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities, Toyota will send a second owner notification by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota dealer to have the IPM inspected and, if necessary, replaced at no charge,” company officials explained.

The automaker went on to note that more detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center at (800) 331-4331 or www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus Customer Satisfaction at (800) 255-3987.

More Winners Announced for Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program

In other company news that came out Wednesday, Toyota revealed the second set of 25 winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program, which awards 100 vehicles during the course of 100 days to 100 deserving non-profits.

Officials explained winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program are determined based on voting from the public. Each day, five organizations are profiled on Toyota’s Facebook page where the public is invited to show their support by voting to determine the winning nonprofit organization.

Each daily winner will be awarded a new Toyota vehicle to help the organizations continue to do "good" in their local communities. The remaining finalists will each receive a $1000 grant from Toyota.

The OEM highlighted the second set of 25 winners spanned several categories including animal welfare, health and safety, human services and support for veterans.

“From helping those living with disabilities achieve a greater level of independence to providing support for women who are pregnant and homeless, a variety of worthy causes were shared on the finalists’ profiles and selected by the public to receive a new vehicle to further support their missions,” Toyota declared.

The second 25 winners in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program were:

—Big Cat Rescue, Tampa, Fla., on June 3.
—Anderson Humane Society, Lawrenceburg, Ky., on June 4.
—Summit Assistance Dogs, Anacortes, Wash., on June 5.
—Senior Citizen Services of Metropolitan Atlanta, Atlanta on June 6.
—City Rescue Mission of Saginaw, Saginaw, Mich., on June 7.
—Humane Society of Concord & Greater Cabarrus County, Concord, N.C., on June 8.
—Vets4Vets, Greensburg, Pa., on June 9.
—Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, Golden, Colo., on June 10.
—Project HOPEFUL, Joliet, Ill., on June 11.
—Alaska Assistance Dogs, Wasilla, Alaska, on June 12.
—SPCA Tampa Bay, Largo, Fla., on June 13
—For the Love of Dogs, Sale Creek, Tenn., on June 14.
—Aleethia Foundation, Washington, D.C., on June 15.
—Cascades Humane Society, Jackson, Mich., on June 16.
—My Angel With Paws, Deland, Fla., on June 17.
—Lincoln County Council on Aging, Troy, Mo., on June 18.
—Jewish Family Service, West Bloomfield, Mich., on June 19.
—Redwood, Fort Mitchell, Ky., on June 20.
—Hope House, Kingsport, Tenn., on June 21.
—Anderson Animal Shelter, South Elgin, Ill., on June 22.
—PC Pound Puppies, Mt. Vernon, Ind., on June 23.
—SPCA of Winchester, Frederick and Clarke Counties, Winchester Va., on June 24.
—Golden Harvest Food Bank, August, Ga., on June 25.
—Operation UNITE, Somerset, Ky., on June 26.
—Arcadia Humane Society, Sunset, La., on June 27.

Toyota reiterated that public voting for the 100 Cars for Good program opened May 9 and will continue through Aug.16. Voters may place one vote per day, each day, over the course of the program.

The company noted that each day, the previous day’s winner will be announced, and five new nonprofit organizations will be featured for voting.

Winning organizations can choose from the following vehicles: Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander Hybrid, Sienna or Sienna Mobility.

With each vehicle, Toyota Financial Services will provide a six-year, 100,000-mile Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement to provide extended protection beyond the vehicle warranty. 

The 500 finalists, from which the 100 winners are ultimately selected, were chosen by an independent panel of judges who are experts in the fields of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility.

“It gives us great pride to announce the second set of 25 winners in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program,” stated Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales.

“The selected winners not only provide significant services, but also inspire by showing what is possible when we put others’ needs before our own,” Lentz continued. “We congratulate our second set of 25 winners and wish the remaining finalists the best of luck.”

Previously, Toyota revealed the first set of 25 award winners. That group included:

—Indiana SADD, Terre Haute, Ind., on May 9.
—Owensboro Area Shelter & Information Services, Owensboro, Ky., on May 10.
—North Mecklenburg Animal Services, Old Fort, N.C., on May 11.
—Lighthouse, Lincoln, Neb., on May 12.
—St. Louis Area Foodbank, Bridgeton, Mo., on May 13.
—Farmworker Association of Florida, Apopka, Fla., on May 14.
—Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Grove City, Ohio, on May 15.
—Project Avary, Novato, Calif., on May 16.
—Freedom Bound Center, Sacramento, Calif., on May 17.
—Mission St. Louis, St. Louis, on May 18.
—City Gospel Mission, Cincinnati, on May 19.
—Alaska Christian College, Soldotna, Alaska, on May 20.
—PAWS: Placing Animals Within Society, Bryson City, N.C., on May 21.
—Disabled Sports USA Far West, Citrus Heights, Calif., on May 22.
—Cindys Hope Chest, Indian Trail, N.C., on May 23.
—The Gentle Barn, Santa Clarita, Calif., on May 24.
—New Hampshire Food Bank, Manchester, N.H., on May 25.
—Children’s Specialized Hospital, Mountainside, N.J., on May 26.
—House of Bread and Peace, Evansville, Ind., on May 27.
—Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center, Morristown, N.J., on May 28.
—Camp Casey, Royal Oak, Mich., on May 29.
—Housing for All, Hyannis, Mass., on May 30.
—The Healing Place, Louisville, Ky., on May 31
—Comfort Zone Camp, Richmond, Va., on June 1.
—Laura Recovery Center for Missing Children, Friendswood, Texas, on June 2

“The program was created to provide vehicles to deserving non-profit organizations that are doing good things in their communities,” Lentz emphasized.

“Each of the selected winners is a testament to the outstanding missions of their respective organizations. We congratulate our first 25 winners and wish the remaining finalists in the running the best of luck,” he concluded.