Toyota will recall 7.4m vehicles over glitch with power window
TOYOTA Motors said yesterday it would recall more than 7.4m vehicles worldwide as a faulty power window switch was a potential fire hazard, the latest in a series of setbacks that have dented the reputation of Japan’s biggest carmaker.
The voluntary move is the biggest single recall since Ford pulled 8m 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 10m of its vehicles in 2009-11, 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 April-June.
The recall, intended to fix a malfunctioning power window switch on the driver’s side, primarily affects cars in the US, China and Europe, and will include some Yaris and Corolla models. Toyota declined to say how much the recall would cost, or what impact it may have on future earnings.