Toyota recalls over 7.4 million vehicles

Toyota is recalling 7.43 million vehicles worldwide following a potential fire risk caused by faulty electric window mechanisms, according to the Japanese firm.

Around 1.38 million cars in Europe are affected, with 138,000 of those in the UK. The UK Toyota models that are subject to the recall include the Yaris, Auris and Corolla hatchbacks – as well as the Rav 4 SUV – produced between September 2006 and December 2008.

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Toyota has said that, “uneven application of grease during the assembly process has caused a problem with some electric window switches.” The switch may become notchy over time, with continued use causing it to stick or become inoperable.

The firm stated that, “the switch is not designed to be lubricated with commercially available lubricants. Application of these lubricants could lead to overheating and/or melting of the switch assembly.”

The latest recall follows the damaging issue of certain Toyota vehicles suffering from accelerator and brake problems back in 2010. 180,000 cars in the UK had to be inspected after concerns the throttle pedal could potentially stick down causing unintended acceleration, while the braking system on certain Toyota Prius models was reported to fail at low speed.

The 2009 incident involved 12 million cars, with the company penalised $50 million and ordered to apologise publicly to its customers.

The Japanese firm is now voluntarily recalling vehicles potentially affected by the electric window problem and has stated that although there has only been one reported case in the UK, no accidents, injuries or deaths have occurred as a result of the issue.

Toyota will be contacting owners of affected cars in the coming weeks, asking them to bring their vehicle in for checks to ascertain whether there is a fault.

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