Toyota Recalls 2.77M Vehicles, Including Prius Hybrids
TOKYO (CBSMiami) – More trouble for Toyota which announced Wednesday it would recall around 2.77 million vehicles worldwide, including certain models of the Prius. The recall was prompted by problems with the vehicle's steering shaft and electric-powered motor pumps. This is Toyota's second major recall in as many months.
Toyota is recalling 1.5 million vehicles in Japan, 670,000 vehicles in the United States and 496,000 vehicles in Europe over a problem in the steering intermediate extension shafts, which could be damaged at slow speed, according to a spokesman.
The spokesman added that the problem, seen in cars such as the second-generation Prius and certain Corolla models, could be fixed in about 50 minutes.
No accidents have been reported related to these two problems announced Wednesday, according to Toyota.
Separately, the Japanese carmaker is also recalling 630,000 vehicles worldwide, including 350,000 in the United States and 175,000 in Japan, to fix water pumps in hybrid vehicles.
Some vehicles are target of both recalls, making the total number of vehicles to be recalled at 2.77 million.
In October, Toyota said it was pulling back more than 7.4 million vehicles worldwide to fix faulty power window switches, the industry's biggest single recall since Ford Motor Co. took 8 million vehicles off the road in 1996.
A series of Toyota recalls involving more than 10 million vehicles between 2009 and 2011 damaged the firm's image, but it recovered and earlier this month raised its full-year net profit forecast to $9.7 billion, citing solid sales.
The automaker plans to notify affected owners by mail starting in December.
