U.S. regulators also said they are reviewing dozens of complaints about potential steering problems in newer Toyota Corollas.
News of the recalls, the latest in a string of embarrassing Toyota product problems that have affected more than 8.5 million vehicles globally, came as a U.S. congressional committee postponed a hearing scheduled for today to examine the recalls and Toyota’s response to reports of safety problems with top-selling cars.
In a document sent to U.S. dealers yesterday and obtained by Reuters, Toyota said the 2010 Camrys equipped with a 4-cylinder engine might have a shorter-than-required power steering pressure hose in the engine compartment. That could deplete the brake fluid, increasing the brake pedal stroke and making it more difficult and requiring more time to stop the vehicle, Toyota said.
Toyota notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration yesterday of its intention to conduct a voluntary safety recall, the document showed.
Toyota ended days of speculation on Tuesday and recalled more than 400,000 hybrid models, including the latest version of its iconic Prius, to rectify a problem with the regenerative brakes that help charge the cars’ electric batteries.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda said he may travel to the United States next week to tackle criticism that his company moved too slowly on earlier recalls.
