Toyota recalls 116,507 four-wheel-drive HiLux vehicles in Australia

Toyota Motor Corporation today issued a safety recall of 116,507 four-wheel-drive HiLux vehicles across Australia, adding to the over 10 million vehicles already recalled globally by the Japanese carmaker this year.

The recall, the largest in Australia by Toyota, is to check support brackets for the petrol and turbo-diesel HiLux vehicles produced in Thailand between January 2005 and February 2010.

Toyota said that in rural areas, if the vehicle is frequently accelerated or decelerated quickly on rough roads hat feature extreme conditions, the rear tailshaft centre bearing support brackets may give way. These conditions include severe corrugations and high numbers of cattle grid crossings.

Toyota said that were 19 cases reported on the problem, with one case having a on-road breakdown and no injuries.

Toyota Australia will contact affected owners, advising them to make an appointment with their preferred Toyota dealer for a free reolacement of affected support brackets.

The recall comes within days of Toyota recalling 1.13 million Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles in the US and Canada over defects in the electronic control units of engines. (See: Toyota recalls 1.13 million Corollas over engine defect)

With its ongoing series of quality related issues mainly in the US, Toyota, the world's largest automaker has so far recalled more than 11 million vehicles globally, including this latest recall in Australia.