Reuters Tokyo
TOYOTA would recall more than 7.4 million vehicles worldwide as a faulty power window switch was a potential fire hazard, Japan’s biggest car maker said yesterday. It is the latest in a series of setbacks that have dented Toyota’s reputation.
The voluntary move is the biggest single recall since Ford pulled 8 million vehicles off the road in 1996 to replace defective ignition switches that could have caused engine fires.
Toyota has battled its way back from multiple difficulties since 2008, including a series of recalls involving more than 10 million of its vehicles from 2009 to 2011, and crippled supply chains from last year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan and floods in Thailand. It posted its biggest quarterly operating profit in four years in the June quarter.
The firm regained its crown as the world’s best-selling car maker in the first half of this year and expects to sell 9.76 million cars and light trucks globally this year, including the Daihatsu and Hino brands.
The recall would include some Yaris and Corolla models, with repairs taking about 40 minutes, the company said.