Toyota recalls 139,000 Prius, iQ cars globally

OSAKA: Toyota Motor Corp, the world's largest automaker, said it will recall 139,420 Prius and iQ cars globally for defects in electric power-steering and brakes.

The automaker, based in Toyota City, Japan, will fix power-steering problems in 105,784 Prius gasoline-electric hybrids and brakes in 33,636 iQ compact cars, according to spokeswoman Shiori Hashimoto in Tokyo.

Toyota last year formed a global quality committee, headed by President Akio Toyoda, following record recalls for problems related to unintended acceleration. It has also established new technology centers around the world to gather information on suspected quality problems and quicken decision-making on recalls.

Toyota will recall 47,784 Prius vehicles in Japan and 58,000 overseas, of which 52,000 will be in the U.S., the automaker said. The company will also fix 21,636 iQ cars in Japan and 12,000 overseas, mainly in the U.K., it said. The Prius cars to be recalled were produced between October 1997 and May 2003, while the iQs were made between September 2008 and May 2010, the carmaker said.