Toyota Recalls 7.4 Million Vehicles to Fix Window Switch

Toyota Motor plans to begin recalling more than 7.4 million vehicles from the 2007-2009 model years later this month to fix a faulty window switch that could result in smoke or fire.

The campaign involves 2.5 million vehicles in the U.S. and 1.4 million units each in China and Europe. The action also includes 490,000 vehicles in the Middle East, 459,300 units in Japan, 240,000 units in Canada and 650,000 units in Asia (excluding China and Japan).

The affected models include the Auris, Belta, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, Ractis, Scion xB and xD, Sequoia, Tundra, Vitz and Yaris.

The driver's side power window switch on those vehicles was improperly greased during manufacturing, according to Toyota. The sticky switch could melt if an owner tries to fix it by using a commercial lubricant.

Owners have filed more than 200 complaints about the problem in the U.S. and about 40 reports in Japan.

Toyota's reputation took a big hit when it recalled 19 million vehicles worldwide between late 2009 and early 2011. The U.S. fined the company $49 million (€38 million) for being to slow to notify regulators about safety problems.