Toyota to recall 1.7m vehicles worldwide

• Source: Global Times
• [08:27 January 27 2011]
• Comments

Customers look at a Toyota's "Isis" minivan Wednesday at the company's showroom in Tokyo. Toyota said it will recall 1.7 million vehicles worldwide, including the Isis, over concerns about possible fuel leakages. Photo: AFP

Toyota Motor Co said Wednesday that it would recall 1.7 million vehicles worldwide over concerns about possible fuel leakages, in the latest setback for the troubled Japanese auto giant.

The move will see the world's largest automaker pull 1.28 million vehicles in Japan and 421,000 overseas, Toyota and the Japanese transport ministry said.

Analysts say the carmaker now faces further pressure in its battle to regain consumer trust overseas after a crisis involving millions of recalls, a wave of lawsuits and record fines. Its shares tumbled 1.87 percent in Tokyo Wednesday.

Defective parts prompting the latest recalls include engine fuel pipes that may crack and leak, as well as faulty pressure sensors connected to gasoline delivery pipes.

"Slight cracks may appear on the engine fuel pipes. If it continues to be used, the crack may be widened, and there may be risks of fuel leakage," Japan's transport ministry said.

Toyota China spokesman Liu Peng told the Global Times the recall wouldn't influence China, as cars on the market do not use the faulty parts involved.

The recalls include around 245,000 of Toyota's luxury Lexus vehicles in the United States, including Lexus GS 300 and 350 models, as well as the IS250 and IS350 vehicles, Toyota said.

The car giant will pull 74,590 Lexus, Crown and other cars in Japan over similar leakage fears, and around 10,000 Lexus units in Europe.

Domestically, 19 models, such as Noah, Voxy, Caldina and Isis, produced between 2000 and 2009, will be affected.

No accidents have been reported out of more than 140 cases, it said.

Toyota said it would begin fixing defective parts for free today in Japan and would follow recall regulations overseas. "We sincerely apologize to our customers for causing a lot of trouble," the company said in a statement.

In 2008, Toyota ended General Motors' 77-year reign as the world's largest automaker, but the road has been a bumpy one for the Japanese giant, facing the impact of the economic crisis, recalls and recently a strong yen.

Previously lauded for its vehicle safety and reliability, a US recall of around 4 million vehicles in late 2009 swelled to nearly 9 million units by February due to brake and accelerator defects being linked to some driver fatalities.

Agencies - Global Times