Toyota has just announced plans to recall 7.4 million vehicles globally in order to fix an electrical issue that can potentially cause a fire.
The Japanese carmaker will recall 1.40 million vehicles in China, 2.47 million vehicles in the United States and 1.39 million vehicles in Europe. The voluntary move is the biggest single recall since Ford pulled 8 million vehicles off the road in 1996 to replace defective ignition switches that could have caused engine fires.
The affected models include the Camry (built between 2007 and 2009), Scion xA (built between 2008 and 2009), Corolla, Yaris, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, Highlander, Tundra and Scion xD.
In a statement, a Toyota spokeswoman explained that the power window master switch of the aforementioned cars can become sticky over time. To fix the issue, owners have a tendency to apply commercially-available lubricants which can cause the switch to melt, smoke, or in some situations catch on fire. About 200 switch-related problems have been reported in the United States but the issue has not caused any crashes or injuries.
Owners will be notified by mail starting later this month. Dealers will inspect the cars and replace the power window switch free of charge if it is deemed necessary.
