Toyota fault causes fires: 6.5 million cars recalled worldwide over window power switch

Toyota announced on Wednesday (21 October) it is planning to recall 6.5 million cars that have faulty power window switches installed. The window switches could potentially short circuit and cause fires in the vehicle.

The car manufacturer said that so far it has only heard about one case of a US customer being burnt by the faulty device. In eleven cases, the switch or part of the door trim was burnt. "To date, Toyota is not aware of any crashes caused by this condition," the manufacturer said.

2.7 million cars in North America are estimated to be recalled. Across Europe, 1.2 million Toyota cars will be recalled, and in Japan, around 600,000 customers are expected to receive a recall letter soon. The other 2 million cars are spread across other countries.

Toyota has called on its dealers to inspect the window switches and said that the possible effects might be prevented if dealers apply heat-resisting grease to the switch. The firm will replace the circuit board of faulty switches after recalling the cars.

The Toyota Matrix, RAV4, Tundra, Highlander, Scion xB, and Sequoia models are among those being recalled the firm has said. All models that are being recalled have been produced between 2005 and 2010.

In Japan, an estimated 140,000 Toyota Crown and Crown Majesta vehicles are being recalled because of a different error, which causes the hood of the models to open at random times.

Toyota has a famous history of recalls, with millions of cars being recalled between 2009 and 2010 as a result of an unprecedented acceleration problem. 21 deaths have been reported as result of the acceleration faults and the firm received dozens of serious complaints.

The recall comes as the car manufacturer is hosting its annual Toyota Motors show in Tokyo, Japan, where it is displaying 'back to the future' style vehicles. Meanwhile, rival Volkswagen is recalling millions of cars worldwide because of its diesel emission software scandal.