Taken from motorista.com.ph... with apologies to the author

I wish Isuzu had the same concern for the products they sell.


Toyota recalls 725,000 vehicles due to steering wheel defect

TOKYO -- Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor said Tuesday it will recall nearly 725,000 vehicles due to a defect that could render the steering wheel useless if turned too often while the vehicle is still.

Toyota said it would recall a total of 724,419 vehicles from nine models made from March 1995 to February 1999, including its Crown, Crown Patrol Car, Mark 2, Cresta and Chaser.

Some 500 of the vehicles were exported to Thailand, Taiwan and some other Asian countries.

Repeated turning of the steering wheel while the vehicle is still could result in damage to the welding on a bracket on the gear box, gradually decreasing the wheel's sensitivity. The company did not give an estimate of the cost of the recall.

Toyota said earlier it would also recall all six of the fuel-cell cars it leased last December to the Japanese government and a US university after discovering a hydrogen leak in one of them. -- AFP