This is bad news because it's not only that you can't see anything – other than a blank screen – you can't control the things that are only accessible/operable via tap/swiping the touchscreen. When the screen goes dark, so do the tap-swipe controls and since there are often not back-up ways of controlling some of these things, you may no longer have control over such things as the AC/heat controls and the audio system controls.

This is one of the risks you buy into when you buy a vehicle that has a touchscreen display. The display, like most electronic things, works until one day it doesn't. When that day comes, you may no longer know how fast you're driving – because the LCD speed display went dark and now you can't change the radio station, either, because the controls were on the screen that just went dark.

Affected models are basically all the models Toyota (and Lexus) sell since they all now have touchscreens in lieu of instrument clusters, which are becoming a relic of the rapidly receding world of about 15 minutes ago.

Or so it feels.

It was only about 15 years ago that most new vehicles still had instrument clusters with gauges rather than LCD displays because in those days, LCD displays were still pretty new and so still pretty expensive and that's why you found them almost exclusively in luxury-brand vehicles back then. Now you find them in everything, including mass-market models such as the Camry and RAV4, two of Toyota's best-selling models, which attained that honor in part because so many buyers believe these are among Toyota's most reliable.

Well, they were.

Both of them are now recalled, if they are equipped with the glitchy 12.3 inch touchscreen. Also afflicted are the new Crown and Crown Signia wagon, the 4Runner SUV and Tacoma pickup and Highlander/Grand Highlander. Most affected, perhaps, will be Toyota – as these recalls are beginning to mar Toyota's rep for being the reliable brand. Which it was and Lexus even more so (probably because most Lexus models are still made in Japan).

These LCD screens are going to end that – and not just the Toyotas so equipped. LCD touchscreens are all likely to prove unreliable en mass because for one thing, they're all sourced from Chyna, where they are expert at making things cheap and quickly and in quantity. LCD screens are the one thing that almost anyone can still afford. Enter the humblest single wide in Arkansas and likelier than not, you will find a 70-inch LCD display TeeVee within. Pick one up today on sale at Best Buy for $399.