Toyota Motor has announced a recall of 1.03m hybrid vehicles in Japan, North America, Europe and other regions.
According to Reuters, there is an engine wire harness which can pose a fire risk.
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After Japan’s transport ministry publicised the recall, Toyota said the wire harness connected to the hybrid power control unit can come into contact with the covering at the connection point.
If dust accumulates on the wire harness or the cover, the insulation on the wires could wear down over time due to vehicle vibrations. This could cause an electrical short circuit which could generate heat and lead to a risk of fire, Toyota said, according to Reuters.
Vehicles produced in Japan between June 2015 and May 2018 are affected. They include the plug-in Prius and the hybrid C-HR compact crossover SUV sold in Japan, Europe, Australia and other countries.
Roughly half of the recalls would take place in Japan, Toyota spokesman Jean-Yves Jault told Reuters.
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By GlobalDataBut only the Prius would be recalled in the US where around 192,000 vehicles were affected, he added.
Jault told Reuters issue had led to one incident of short circuiting in Japan which produced smoke.
Toyota Australia has already announced its own local recall of 791 Prius vehicles produced [in Japan] from November 2015 to May 2018, adding there have been no incidents with the model ‘down under’. It does not sell the hybrid C-HR there.
