Toyota recalling 2.8 million vehicles

Nearly 2.8 million Toyota vehicles will be recalled over concerns about steering wheel shaft and water-pump defects, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday. The huge recall includes 10 models shipped from August 2000 through December 2011, including the Corolla and Avensis, The Wall Street Journal reported. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. said in a release on its website the overall recalls include about 670,000 Prius cars in the United States that will be inspected to see if they need the "steering intermediate extension shaft" replaced. About 350,000 of the same Prius cars also are being recalled to replace the electric water pump for the hybrid system. Neither problem has been known to cause any crashes or injuries, Toyota said. The latest recall comes on the heels of Toyota's largest-ever recall last month, which involved 7.43 million vehicles worldwide, including 2.52 million in the United States, The Detroit News noted. That one involved power-window switches that were a risk to start fires. The Japanese automaker also called back a total of 12.4 million vehicles worldwide between 2009 and 2011 for a problem with unintended acceleration linked to floor mats, including 10.2 million in the United States, the News said.