Toyota Motors recalls 2.77 mn vehicles over steering mechanism, water pump problems

Japanese car maker Toyota Motors is recalling around 2.77 million vehicles worldwide over problems with the steering mechanism and hybrid system water pump, its third multi-million recall within two months.

In October, Toyota recalled  more than 7.4 million vehicles worldwide to fix faulty power window switches, (See: Toyota to recall 7.4 million vehicles worldwide over faulty window switch) 
and in November issued a recall for about 550,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the US, Canada and other countries over faulty crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine.  (See: Toyota recalls 550,000 vehicles over faulty crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine)

Toyota yesterday said that it is  recalling 1.5 million vehicles in Japan, 670,000 vehicles in the US, and 496,000 vehicles in Europe over a problem in the steering intermediate extension shafts, which could be damaged at slow speed.

The problem affects its  second-generation Prius and certain Corolla.

Toyota said it had not received any reports of crashes and injuries resulting from the faults. It said the steering problem was caused by "insufficient hardness" of the steering shaft, which could deform if the wheel is turned forcefully at slow speed.

Toyota, which has been plagued with recalls since 2009, is also recalling 630,000 vehicles worldwide, including 350,000 in the US and 175,000 in Japan, to fix water pumps in hybrid vehicles.

Since some vehicles have problems of both the steering and water pump, the total number of vehicles to be recalled is 2.77 million.

The latest recall comes after Toyota underwent a recall crisis last year, when it recalled nearly 14 million vehicles worldwide between late 2009 and February 2010 due to brake and accelerator defects.