Toyota recalls 6.4 million vehicles

Toyota is recalling 6.4 million vehicles globally due to five separate issues.

The recall covers models of the Yaris subcompact and Urban Cruiser SUVs assembled between January 2005 and August 2010 as well as RAV4 SUVs and Hilux compact pickups made between June 2004 and December 2010, Toyota said in the statement.

Overall, the five issues affect 27 models.

It said 825,000 of the affected vehicles were in Europe but that it was not aware of any accidents related to these faults.

Some 3.5 million vehicles are being recalled to replace a spiral cable attached to the driver's side airbag.

It may be damaged when the steering wheel is turned and result in the airbag not being deployed in a crash.

Other issues include problems with seat rails, steering columns, windscreen wipers and a glitch with the engine starters that poses a fire risk.

Toyota said it was not aware of any vehicle crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by these conditions.

However, it said it had received two reports of fires due to the engine starter problem.

The carmaker said that due to inefficiencies in the design of the starter motor relays, metallic particles might accumulate on the contacts within the relay.

It said that if the relays continue to be used the particles could come off and enter the relay's circuitry and in the "worst case, this could lead to the starter relays catching fire".