Toyota announced the recall of nearly 250,000 vehicles worldwide today. The recall — which involves cars in both Japan and the U.S. — is due to potential cracks in the fuel pipes. The recall covers 215,020 cars in Japan — including Crown, Mark X and several Lexus models built between December 2003 and December 2005 — and 34,400 U.S.-spec 2006 Lexus GS 300, IS 250 and IS 350 models.
Although no accidents have been linked to the defect, the recall adds to Toyota’s mounting quality woes as it ascends to the world’s number one automaker. In the past year, Toyota has recalled over 2 million vehicles — the most in the industry.
Toyota claims the recalls are a non-issue and that they are being taken care of. “It’s really not a long-term reliability issue, and it has and will continue to be addressed,” said Jim Lentz, head of Toyota’s U.S. division.
