Toyota to 'voluntarily' repair over 22,000 compact cars

TOKYO: Toyota said Thursday it would "voluntarily" repair 22,300 compact cars due to a risk of engine failure, in the latest blow to the Japanese auto giant's reputation.

The firm said the free-of-charge repair would cover the new Passo compact hatchback launched only in Japan in February, as the engine may stall at a slow speed. It did not issue an official recall for the vehicle.

The automaker has decided on the voluntary repair instead of a recall because the problem is not viewed as a potential cause for an accident, a company spokesman said.

On Wednesday, Toyota announced a plan to recall 11,500 Lexus vehicles worldwide because of a steering system defect after receiving a dozen reports of electrical problems.

Toyota has pulled around 10 million vehicles worldwide since late last year for safety issues and has paid a record 16.4-million-dollar fine to settle claims it hid gas pedal defects blamed for more than 50 US deaths.

The beleaguered auto giant also faces a host of lawsuits over "unintended acceleration" issues that prompted the majority of the recalls.