Toyota recalls spread to Europe, global tally tops 2009 sales

NEW YORK, Jan. 30 Kyodo -
The number of automobiles subject to recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. over
problems with gas pedals or floor mats has reached more than 7 million
worldwide, topping its global sales last year, as recalls spilled over to
Europe on Friday from North America and China.
Toyota announced the recall of up to 1.8 million units in Europe due to faulty
gas pedals, receiving another blow as it attempts to return to the black after
logging its first group operating loss in 71 years in fiscal 2008 to last March
due to the global slump in auto sales.
Toyota has already announced the recalls of 2.3 million vehicles in the United
States, 270,000 in Canada and 75,000 in China over faulty gas pedals. The
latest step in Europe brings the total number of Toyota vehicles subject to
recalls over faulty gas pedals to nearly 4.5 million units.
The automaker, meanwhile, is recalling some 5.55 million vehicles in the United
States and Canada to reduce the risk of gas pedals getting stuck under loose
floor mats and causing sudden acceleration.
The total number of vehicles subject to recalls for problems with gas pedals or
floor mats totals almost 10 million. But a large proportion of the 2.57 million
recalls in the United States and Canada over faulty gas pedals are believed to
overlap with those for the floor mat problem.
As a result, the actual number of vehicles subject to recalls for the gas pedal
or floor mat problem is estimated at more than 7 million, which tops Toyota's
global sales of 6.98 million units for 2009.
According to Toyota Motor Europe, eights models, including the Yaris, the
carmaker's best-selling car in Europe, produced between November 2005 and
September 2009, are subject to its recall, which also covers Russia, Turkey and
Israel in addition to European countries.
The seven other models being recalled for free repairs are the AYGO made
between February 2005 and August 2009, iQ made between November 2008 and
November 2009, Auris made between October 2006 and January 2010, Corolla made
between October 2006 and December 2009, Verso made between February 2009 and
January 2010, Avensis made between November 2008 and December 2009 and the RAV4
made between November 2005 and November 2009.
No Lexus and other Toyota models are affected, the company said.
As Toyota has suspended sales of the vehicle models subject to the recalls in
the United States and Canada, it suspended production of the models at five
North American plants Friday night. The output suspension is expected to last
for at least one week.
In Washington, the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform said Friday it will hold a hearing on Feb. 10 on the Toyota
recall issue, inviting Toyota North America President Yoshimi Inaba and
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and National Highway Traffic and Safety
Administration Administrator David Strickland.
''There appears growing public confusion regarding which (Toyota) vehicles may
be affected and how people should respond,'' said Edolphus Towns, a Democrat
from the state of New York, who chairs the committee. ''In short, the public is
unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their
cars, or what they should do about it.''
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce also said Thursday it will hold a
hearing Feb. 25 on Toyota's massive recalls of vehicles.
==Kyodo