Toyota recalls faulty cars worldwide

Toyota, the Japanese car manufacturer, has announced a massive recall to fix a steering shaft defect and water part problem on 2.77 million vehicles from around the world.

Some 1.51 million vehicles were recalled on Wednesday for the steering defect in Japan and 1.25 million vehicles abroad including 670,000 in the USA.

According to Toyota the cars the water pump problem and steering shaft defect may result in faulty steering.

The latest set back is a series of quality control problems for the car manufacturing giant.

Some 1.51 million vehicles are being recalled for the steering defect in Japan and 1.25 million vehicles abroad including 670,000 in the USA.

Affected models include the Prius hybrid, Corolla, Wish and other models produced from 2000 to 2011 in Japan, and from 2000 to 2009 overseas.

Of those vehicles, some 620,000 spanning five hybrid models, including the Prius, have a defective water pump in addition to the steering shaft defect.

Those vehicles were produced from 2001 to 2010 in Japan, and from 2003 to 2011 overseas. Another 10,000 vehicles with only a pump problem are also Being recalled.

The latest recalls affecting Toyota’s prized Prius hybrid, a symbol of its technological prowess come on top of a recall last month for 7.43 million vehicles for a faulty power-window switch that could cause fires.

Toyota has been trying to fix its reputation after a series of massive recalls of 14 million vehicles over the last several years, mostly in the US, affecting faulty floor mats, braking and gas pedals.

Toyota executives have acknowledged the escalating recalls were partly caused by the company’s overly ambitious growth goals.

Executives had shrugged off last month’s recalls as coming from products made before stricter quality controls kicked in following the soul-searching that came after the recall scandal in the USA.

But the latest recall underlines how quality problems continue to trouble Toyota, especially as it has gone back to pursuing aggressive growth.

Toyota is now headed to record vehicle sales around the world, offsetting a sales plunge in China with booming demand in emerging markets such as Indonesia, India and Thailand.