Toyota to recall 2,700,000 more cars worldwide

The reputation of Japan's largest automaker has declined noticeably in recent years. Toyota announced that it would recall 2 million 700,000 vehicles worldwide because of problems with the steering column and the cooling system pump.

Nine models will be affected, including the Toyota Corolla and the second-generation Prius. It has only been four weeks since the decision was made to recall more than seven million vehicles worldwide, including Corolla and Camry models due to a faulty window elevator switch.

Toyota spokesman Yoha Tahikawa told the BBC that the steering problem is due to "insufficient rigidity of the steering shaft. He explained that the steering column shaft can become deformed if "the steering wheel is turned frequently and forcefully to extreme positions at low speeds. "This can lead to increased backlash and wear on the steering mechanisms and, over time, loss of control of the vehicle," he added. Nevertheless, Mr. Tahikawa said, no accidents have yet been reported for this reason.

Toyota is recalling more than 10 million vehicles this year - about the same number were recalled in 2009 and 2010 because of flooring and accelerator pedal defects. Toyota's image, at the time, was badly damaged, mainly because of fatal accidents.
The Japanese company is still trying to rebuild its reputation and regain customers' trust after this fiasco, which even led the head of the firm to apologize to car owners. "No one is perfect.

Vehicles are becoming more and more complex these days," said Koichi Sugimoto, an auto analyst at BNP Paribas in Tokyo. "The company is taking all necessary measures to fix the problems, so I don't think this will cause much damage to Toyota's reputation."