Toyota Recalls Over 565,000 Cars

Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday that it is recalling more than 565,000 vehicles across nine models, including its popular Prius hybrid car, to replace faulty parts that could cause drivers to lose control of the steering wheel.

Subject to the recall are a total of 565,756 vehicles manufactured under the Wish, Isis, Prius, Corolla, Corolla Runx, Corolla Fielder, Corolla Spacio, Allex and Ractis brands between September 2002 and November 2005, according to the statement.

The number included more than 300,000 Wish cars and more than 113,000 Prius cars.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the recall affected cars sold outside Japan. Toyota officials couldn't be reached for comment late Tuesday.

The intermediate shafts and sliding yokes in the recalled cars lack the necessary strength and could distort or crack under strong pressure, causing drivers to lose control of the steering wheel, the Japanese automaker said in a statement.

The recall follows more than 30 complaints filed with Toyota since March 2004, the carmaker said. The company wasn't aware of any accidents attributed to the faulty parts, it added.