3.5 million cars built from April of 2004 to December of 2010 are being recalled to replace a spiral cable that can get damaged as the steering wheel is turned and eventually break. The driver’s airbag will not deploy in a crash if the cable is ruptured, though a warning light will come on to warn the driver of the issue. Toyota says that 1.67 million affected cars are located in the United States and Canada but it has not yet specified precisely which models are affected.
2.32 million two-door cars manufactured between January of 2005 and August of 2010 are being recalled to fix faulty seat rails that can cause the seat to slide forward in the event of a crash. 670,000 of the affected cars are in the United States, but a full list of affected models has not been published yet.
The remaining three recalls respectively cover the starter motor, the windshield wiper motor and a bracket that holds the steering column. All of the affected cars are located either in Europe or in Asia.
Toyota stresses that it found out about the bulk of the issues by looking at warranty claims and that no crashes or injuries have been linked to the defects. However, at least two engine fires have been reported as a result of the starter motor issue.
The list of U.S.-spec cars affected by at least one recall includes the RAV4, the Corolla, the Yaris, the Highlander, the Camry, the Tacoma, the Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe.
Stay tuned for more on this developing story over the course of the day.
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