Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 1.36 million cars in Japan, the U.S. and elsewhere to fix defects that include faulty seat belts and exhaust systems.
In Japan, the action covers 525,898 Vitz, Belta and Ractis cars built between January 2005 and last April. In the U.S., Toyota is recalling 134,900 of its 2006 and 2007 Yaris subcompacts.
The recall is the biggest for Toyota since it vowed to reduce defects after a surge in recalls in 2006.
Akio Toyoda, set to take over as president of the company in June, said this month he will push for further improvements in quality to boost customer satisfaction.
About 830,000 of the Japan-built cars sold overseas have the seat-belt flaw, said Yasue Kato, a spokeswoman in Tokyo. The problem involves parts that begin tightening the belts to absorb forward momentum of a driver or front-seat passenger when a frontal impact is detected, according to the statement from Toyota's U.S. unit in California.
One fire related to the seat-belt defect was reported in Japan, with no injuries, Toyota said. No such incidents have been reported in other markets, Kato said.
Kato declined to disclose the estimated cost of the recall.
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