Toyota recalls one million cars over wiring problems

CAR manufacturer Toyota is recalling more than one million of its electric vehicles, including the Prius, due to a wiring malfunction.

The wiring problems present a fire hazard, said the Japanese firm, which will impact 554,000 cars in Japan, 219,000 in Europe and 217,000 in North America.

Toyota became aware of the risk in February following an incident involving one of the vehicles in Japan.

It said it will replace and put a protective sleeve over the engine wire harness to prevent further incidences at no cost to owners.

A spokesperson for Toyota said: “In terms of the UK market, the number of models affected is 32,393. It applies only to the Prius, Prius Plug-in and C-HR Hybrid models manufactured between October 2015 and May 2018.

“The recall will be carried out following DVSA guidelines, with owners being contacted directly to have their vehicle checked. There will be no charge or any remedial work required.”

He added: “The issue involves the engine wire harness, which is connected to the hybrid vehicle power control unit. A portion of the wire harness without a protector could contact the connector cover and wear over time, possibly causing an electrical short circuit. There have been no reports of any accidents or injuries relating to this issue.”

The recall is the biggest for Toyota since it issued a recall of 2.9m vehicles related to faulty Takata airbags in March 2017.