Toyota Motor Corp. has announced the recall of 1.53 million Lexus, Avalon and other models for brake fluid and fuel pump problems with the U.S. and Japan seeing the most call backs.
Toyota, which is the largest automaker in the world, will recall about 740,000 cars in the U.S. and 599,000 in Japan with the rest coming from Europe and other markets. The company has recalled over 10 million cars and trucks since the last year, citing a number of problems, including flawed gas pedals and floor mats that hindered accelerators; Prius hybrid also had issues with braking.
The majority of vehicles this time around need to be fixed for a problem with the brake master cylinder, which could lead to weaker braking power, said spokesman Paul Nolasco in Tokyo.
There are also some reports of cars having electrical problem with the fuel pump that could result in an engine stall though Nolasco said that none of the cars in the U.S. have these issues. He added that the company has not received any reports of accidents because of these faults.
The company release said a minute amount of the brake fluid could leak from the brake master cylinder, albeit slowly, and that could result in illumination of the brake warning lamp.
Toyota came under fire in the U.S. earlier after reports of its slow response to technical faults in its products. The company was fined $16.4 million earlier this year from the American regulator for not promptly intimating the government about its car defects.
