Toyota recalls 1.75 million vehicles to repair flaws

Toyota Motor Corp, the automaker under supervision in the U.S. by an independent safety monitor, has recalled 1.75 million vehicles worldwide to fix flaws including defective brakes. The Lexus LS full-size luxury sedan and Toyota Auris compact hatchback are among the vehicles called back in Japan, according to the nation’s Transport Ministry. More than half of the affected cars were sold in the United States. The automaker is not aware of any fires, crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by this condition, the company said in an e-mailed statement. The safety campaign is Toyota’s fourth this year involving at least 1 million vehicles as the auto industry responds to scrutiny over tardy recalls. Toyota has dealt with renewed attention to safety after recalling more than 10 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 for defects related to unintended acceleration.

Toyota is not aware of any fires, crashes, injuries, or fatalities [linked to the problems].

An email statement from Toyota

The latest in a series of recalls by the world’s biggest carmaker affects some Toyota Crown, Noah, Auris as well as more than a dozen Lexus models. The automaker has recalled almost 11 million vehicles since the start of the year, dealing another blow to its once-stellar reputation for quality and safety. For example, Toyota in June expanded a 14-month-old recall of more than 2 million vehicles for faulty air bags after supplier Takata Corp told customers further fixes may be needed. The carmaker added about 650,000 vehicles in Japan including Corolla cars to the safety campaign. Toyota has sought to repair its reputation for quality after the recalls contributed to the company losing its title as the world’s top-selling automaker in 2011 to GM.

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