Japanese car manufacturer Toyota announced on Wednesday (October 10) a global recall of 7.43 million of their vehicles, of which 20,945 cars will be collected next month in Portugal, due to a dangerous electrical problem detected in the brand’s car models Yaris, Corolla, Auris and RAV4.
Toyota, Japan’s largest automaker, ordered the recall because of a fault found in the electric windows of the four car brands produced between 2005 and 2010. A Tokyo-based company spokeswoman told press: “There is a defect in the driver’s side power-window switch, which can cause earlier wear in the switch and lead to it malfunctioning and catching fire.
“There is another concern that a commercially-offered lubricant used to smooth the switch’s movement can cause it to erode,” she added.
Toyota claim that they have known about the problem since 2008 but were unable to determine the cause until now. They are allegedly collecting all possibly affected vehicles as a protective measure, rather than in response to any reported accidents.
About 2.47 million vehicles will be recalled from the United States, another 2.8 million from Europe and China, while the remainder will be pulled in from around the world including Japan, Canada, Australia and the Middle East.
