On the day the influential US organisation Consumer Reports dropped some of its models sold there from its ‘recommended’ list, Toyota announced a recall of 470,000 vehicles in Japan to correct fuel system and steering problems.

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The Associated Press (AP) noted that this was the latest sign of growing quality problems as the giant automaker embarks on ambitious global growth.


The report said the recalls covered the 1999-2004 Crown sedan and several other models, which may have fuel leaks, a possible defective fuel pump in the 2003-2005 Vitz compact (exported as the Echo/Yaris) and other models, which could cause the engine to stall and fail to restart, and a loose steering system bolt in bB models sold from January last year until March this year, which could result in uncontrollable steering.


The Associated Press said none of the affected models had been exported, adding that Toyota has declined to say how much the recall would cost. There were no reports of accidents related to the defects, but more than 300 problems were reported, the automaker reportedly said.


The news agency noted that Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe has repeatedly cautioned about the need for more vigilance in product quality as his firm boosts production to meet demand.

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AP also noted that Toyota was investigated last year in Japan on suspicion of negligence in a faulty part that may have caused a 2004 head-on crash though the probe has not resulted in any charges.


But Watanabe has apologised for public fears about quality problems, the news agency added.


Toyota has faced an increasing numbers of recalls in recent years, partly due to its effort to cut costs by using the same parts across different models, the Associated Press said.


See also: US: Survey shows Toyota reliability slippage and Ford improvement