toyota recall models affected

Toyota's Recall Spreads To China, 75,552 SUVs Affected

Toyota Motor Corp.'s (TM) quality concerns in the U.S. have spread to the China, with a potential accelerator pedal flaw prompting the recall of 75,552 RAV4 sport-utility vehicles sold in the East Asian nation.

The recall will likely tarnish the Japanese auto maker's image in a country that auto makers have come to rely on for growth, and which last year overtook the U.S. to be the world's largest car market.

Earlier this week, Toyota halted sales of most of its popular models in the U.S. on safety concerns. It had recalled millions of vehicles in the U.S. last week following growing reports of unintended acceleration.

The recall in China is due to the same accelerator pad problem affecting the U.S. vehicles, China-based spokesman Niu Yu said Thursday. The company has not received any complaints or reports of injuries related to the flaw here, he said.

He declined to comment on how the recall would affect the company's profitability in China.

Toyota is a significant player in China's passenger vehicle market, with sales rising 21% in 2009 from a year earlier to 709,000 units. The RAV4, along with the Corolla and Camry sedans, helped to drive sales, it said in an earlier statement.

The RAV4 vehicles were made at Toyota's joint venture with China FAW Group Corp. between March 19, 2009, and Jan. 25, the company said. The Chinese company could not be immediately reached for comment. The recall is effective Feb. 28.

Toyota's global recall affects eight models, including Corollas and Camrys. However, the auto maker does not expect to recall other models in China for this flaw, Niu said, as the problematic part was only used in RAV4s.

Thursday's announcement compounds Toyota's public relations woes in China. It follows a massive recall in August, when Toyota recalled nearly 700,000 cars here because of faulty window-control systems. It has also had to recall in China Camry sedans for a brake problem.

Though Toyota has a respectable share of China's market, its sales last year lagged those of its rivals.

General Motor Co.'s sales soared 67% to 1.83 million units in 2009. Sales in China's overall auto market rose 46% to 13.6 million units, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.