Toyota Recalls 2.77M Vehicles

Toyota Motors announced a recall of 2.77 million vehicles worldwide Wednesday due to a water pump problem and a steering shaft defect.

The recall included 670,000 Priuses in the United States from model years 2004 and 2009.

No accidents related to these two problems have been reported, according to Toyota.

The company announced that the main problem is with the steering intermediate extension shaft.  If the wheel is turned

forcefully to the right or left when driving slowly, the shaft can become deformed.  If this occurs frequently, the shaft may wear out which would cause faulty steering.

Overseas, some 1.51 million vehicles are being recalled for the steering defect in Japan and 1.25 million other vehicles are being recalled across the globe.  Cars affected abroad include the Prius hybrid, Corolla, Wish and other models produced from 2000 to 2011 in Japan.

Toyota has been trying to fix its reputation after multiple recalls over the last several years.  Faulty floor mats, braking and gas pedals have previously forced the company to recall 14 million vehicles in the U.S.

Just last month, Toyota recalled 7.43 million Priuses for a faulty power-window switch that could cause fires.

Toyota executives have acknowledged that  the recent boost in recalls partially correlate with the company's overly ambitious growth goals.

Owners of the affected cars in this latest recall will receive notification letters in December telling them to schedule appointments with their Toyota Dealers for a free-of-charge fix.