Toyota recalls 1 million cars globally
Tuesday 30 May 2006, 9:38am EST

TOKYO, May 30 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp., the world's second-largest auto maker, said on Tuesday it would recall a total of about 1 million vehicles globally to replace faulty intermediate shafts and sliding yokes.

In a filing with Japan's Transport Ministry, the company said it would recall a total of 565,756 vehicles in Japan, including Wish, Isis, Prius and other cars built between September 2002 and November 2005.

A Toyota spokesman said the recall would also cover about 400,000 units overseas.

The company said it had received no reports of accidents from the defects.

Toyota as a matter of policy does not disclose the cost of recalls.

Toyota recalls more than 565,000 cars
Defective parts could cause drivers to lose control of steering wheel

AP
Updated: 6:31 a.m. MT May 30, 2006

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it is recalling more than 565,000 vehicles across nine models, including its popular Prius hybrid car, to replace faulty parts that could cause drivers to lose control of the steering wheel.

Subject to the recall are a total of 565,756 vehicles manufactured under the Wish, Isis, Prius, Corolla, Corolla Runx, Corolla Fielder, Corolla Spacio, Allex and Ractis brands between September 2002 and November 2005, according to the statement.

The number included more than 300,000 Wish cars and more than 113,000 Prius cars.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the recall affected cars sold outside Japan. Toyota officials couldn’t be reached for comment late Tuesday.

The intermediate shafts and sliding yokes in the recalled cars lack the necessary strength and could distort or crack under strong pressure, causing drivers to lose control of the steering wheel, the Japanese automaker said in a statement.

The recall follows more than 30 complaints filed with Toyota since March 2004, the carmaker said. The company wasn’t aware of any accidents attributed to the faulty parts, it added.