Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling more than a million of its Prius and C-HR compact crossover vehicles globally due to the risk of fire.
Of the 1.03 million affected vehicles, 554,000 will be called back in Japan and 192,000 in the U.S., according to Jean-Yves Jault, a company spokesman. There has been one reported case of a vehicle emitting smoke, but no injuries were reported, he said Wednesday.
An engine wire harness connected to the power control unit is at risk of wear over time, potentially leading to a short circuit or even a fire, the company said in a statement. The recall affects every one of the current-generation Prius, including a plug-in variant, and the hybrid version of the C-HR made until May of this year. The latest Prius began production in 2015 and the C-HR debuted in December 2016.
It’s one of the largest recalls for Toyota unrelated to Takata Corp. airbags or 2009’s unintended acceleration crisis. In 2016, Toyota also recalled some 2.87 million cars including the Prius for leaky fuel tanks, and a further 1.43 million mainly Prius vehicles for non-Takata air bags.
By Kevin Buckland and Masatsugu Horie
