Toyota Recalling 1.5 Million Vehicles

Toyota said it is recalling 1.53 million vehicles, including Avalons and models from its Lexus luxury brand, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, because of problems with brake fluid and fuel pumps.

The recall will affect nearly 740,000 cars in the U.S. and 599,000 in Japan, Toyota said, with the remainder being in Europe and other markets.

Toyota has had to recall more than 10 million cars and trucks worldwide over the past year for numerous issues, including faulty gas pedals, floor mats that can trap accelerators and brake defects in its Prius hybrid. In August, Toyota recalled 1.33 million Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada because of a problem with engines stalling.

Toyota said most vehicles this time need to be fixed for a problem with the brake master cylinder, which could lead to weaker braking power.

The models affected by the latest recall include the 2005 and 2006 Avalon, 2004 through 2006 non-hybrid Highlander and Lexus RX330, and 2006 Lexus GS300, IS250, and IS350 vehicles, the company said.