Toyota to Recall 6.5 Million Vehicles Globally

TOKYO— Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 6.5 million vehicles world-wide over power-window switches at risk of fire, the auto maker said Wednesday, the latest in a series of similar recalls involving around 14 million cars.

This is the fourth time since 2009 that Toyota is recalling vehicles due to faulty power-window switches, it said. All the problematic switches have been supplied to Toyota by Tokai Rika Co., the two companies said.

The number of recalls has been growing, in part because some auto makers are more proactive in recalling vehicles following a series of industrywide scandals, and partly because companies use more common components among models. That can lead auto makers to recall a relatively big number of vehicles when problems are found in a part.

In the vehicles recalled Wednesday, a component inside the power-window switch on the driver’s side didn’t have enough grease applied to it. That could result in the switch overheating and melting, possibly leading to fire, Toyota said.

The recalled vehicles were produced between 2005 and 2006, and between 2008 and 2010, Toyota said. In North America, Toyota will recall around 2.7 million vehicles, it said. Models to be recalled outside Japan include certain Corolla compacts and the Camry sedan.

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