Toyota said today it will recall about 550,000 vehicles worldwide — mostly in the United States — for problems that could make it harder to steer.
The Associated Press reports that the recall affects 447,000 vehicles in North America, as well as 38,000 in Japan and another 25,000 in Australia and New Zealand, citingToyota spokesman Dion Corbett. In Europe some 14,000 vehicles are being recalled along with 10,000 in the Middle East and 14,000 in Asia outside Japan.
Toyota took 79 reports about the defect dating back to 2007, said Corbett. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries stemming from the problems, he said.
In the U.S., the recall affects the 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna and Solara, the 2004 Avalon and the 2006 Highlander HV and 137,000 Lexus vehicles including the 2004 and 2005 ES330 and RX330 and 2006 RX400h.
Toyota will mail owners a notification to make an appointment with an authorized dealer to have their car inspected once replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities.
Toyota has recalled some 14 million vehicles since 2009 for problems such as acceleration and braking flaws. It has received a great deal of criticism for allegedly not being forthcoming enough about its problems.
The company has said that it has been trying to communicate better with customers and empower regional operations outside Japan to make safety decisions.
On Tuesday, Toyota said its earnings fell by 19 percent, to $1 billion, in the third quarter, as it continues to deal with difficulties from Japan's earthquake and tsunami.
No comments:
Post a Comment