The Toyota Camry is part of a 6.5-millin vehicle recall resulting from a faulty window switch that could lead to a fire.
The era of the massive recall rolls on as Toyota announced it’s recalling 6.5 million vehicles worldwide, including 2.7 million in North America, due to a problem with a power window switch in a variety of models.
The Japanese automaker revealed the modules in the power master switches may have been lubricated inconsistently when built. Wear at the electrical contact points can cause debris to collect there and cause a short circuit of the switch.
The switch can overheat, melt and potentially cause a vehicle a fire. The recall includes the Yaris, Corolla and Camry as well as are the Matrix, RAV4, Highlander, Tundra, Sequoia and Scion xB. The vehicles were produced between January 2005 and December 2010, Toyota said.
Toyota received a complaint from a customer in the U.S. after he was burned on the hand. The maker also received 11 reports of the switch and door trim being burnt, Bloomberg reported.
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The company said its dealers will examine the switch and apply heat-resistant grease, a 45-minute process. The internal circuit board will then reportedly be replaced if the switch does not operate properly, the carmaker said.
In addition to the more than 2 million vehicles in the U.S., Toyota is recalling 1.2 million vehicles in Europe and another 600,000 in Japan. Toyota noted it was unaware of any crashes caused by the problem.
The automaker is no stranger to large recalls as it, along with several others, is still dealing with the impact of the Takata airbag recall. The company has as many as 13 million vehicles impacted by the faulty airbags.
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After trying to work with Takata to secure replacement kits, Toyota is turning to an alternative supplier for as many as 13 million of the explosive devices, according to a report by the Reuters news service which described it as “the most proactive yet” to ensure it can make necessary repairs.
Takata airbag inflators have been linked to at least eight deaths and over 100 injuries in older vehicles produced by at least 11 manufacturers, including Toyota, Honda, General Motors and BMW. The explosive squibs are used to inflate an airbag when triggered by a crash, but some used in older vehicles have been over-inflating, sending plastic and metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
The move by Toyota would cover a significant expansion of the Takata recall, with supplier Nippon Kayaku Co. asked to provide up to 13 million of the devices starting next July and running through 2020, according to the Reuters report. The deal, the news service estimated, could be worth as much as $150 million.
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The Japanese automaker was fined repeatedly by NHTSA for mishandling a series of issues, including so-called unintended acceleration, at the beginning of the decade. It later paid more than $1 billion to settle an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, also agreeing to enhance its safety efforts – something reflected by the proactive contract with Nippon Kayaku.