Tokyo, Japan — October, 29 2015 — More than 6 million vehicles are part of a new worldwide Toyota recall over faulty power window switches. According to the Wall Street Journal, North America will see closer to 2.7 million vehicles recalled, as the manufacturer addresses cars produced over a five year period, beginning in January 2005. No serious fatalities and one minor injury has been attributed to these conditions, though there have been more than 11 cases documented in which fires affected the vehicles.

In affected vehicles, fires could break out because of too-little grease on driver’s side windows. Components inside the car could melt, leaving drivers and passengers both at risk. Over time, the electrics can wear down and spark a fire, destroying or damaging sections of the auto, like the switch assembly. Vehicle models involved in this recall include RAV4s, Corollas and Camrys. In addition to these numbers, more than 1 million cars will recalled in Europe.

The company has acknowledged that the fault could lead to a potential fire in target vehicles, and is not related to the Takata recalls that have affected millions of Toyota vehicles. The supplier in this case is Tokai Rika Co., a representative of which defended the car company’s actions.

“We have been taking various measures to prevent problems from recurring,” this person said, as the Wall Street Journal notes. “But the recalled vehicles carry older components.”

USA Today notes that Toyota has issued a similar recall in the past, centering around 150,000 vehicles from between 2007 and 2009. The company will administer a free remedy in response to the recall.

San Antonio, TX — October 26, 2015 — In a new voluntary recall action, Toyota will address airbag bolt problems in more than 300 2016 Tacoma vehicles. On October 13, the same day in which it announced that the truck had been honored by the Texas Auto Writers Association, the company released a statement detailing the issue, which involves faulty bolts used to hold a knee air bag module in place within the vehicle.

As part of a more comprehensive injury reduction technique during a crash, knee airbags are meant to spread out the cushioning and protect drivers. Their use stems from increased government interest, including the New Car Assessment Program, as reported by Edmunds.

Another manufacturer employing knee air bags in new vehicles is Ford, which has incorporated them into the passenger side of its 2015 Mustang. In contrast, driver-side knee air bags inflate under the steering apparatus.

The manufacturer explained the problems associated with the recall-worthy issue and tied the problem to operations at a specific factory. To remedy this issue, dealers will replace all four of the module’s bolts in affected vehicles at a yet-undisclosed date.

“There is a possibility that incorrect bolts were installed during vehicle assembly at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California plant,” the statement reads. “This could result in the bolts loosening over time. A loosened bolt could affect the performance of the knee air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.”

Last September, Toyota also issued a recall for Tacoma vehicles, albeit one that applied to 690,000 units associated with a fragile rear suspension leaf spring system.

Jacksonville, FL — September 9, 2015 — Several thousand Toyota 4Runner vehicles with production years between 2010 and 2015 are part of a new recall based on possible burn risk for consumers. According to the Part 573 Safety Recall Report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,530 vehicles are potentially affected and all 100 percent of these are estimated to have the defect.

In the targeted 4Runners, the exhaust tips may burn anyone reaching for it while standing behind the vehicle. This is because these tips are meant to be out of reach for people, even though they are recessed behind the bumper, as it should be.

The recall officially comes from Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC, which is responding to reports of a burn traced back to this fault earlier this summer. The report details the remedy this action requires, as well as the qualities that will separate the replacement parts from the exhaust tip currently used in these vehicles.

“The exhaust tip will be replaced with a new, re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is recessed a greater distance behind the bumper,” the source says. “The new exhaust tip is smaller in diameter and will be recessed a greater distance behind the bumper.”

As the report document, dated August 17, describes, the planned dealer notification date was schedule for some time between August 11 and 12, while the owner notification will happen on September 21. The manufacturer is also encouraging owners to respond to its recall communications by calling its customer service line.

Tokyo, Japan — July 16, 2015 — Toyota Motor Corporation is reportedly recalling 625,000 Prius hybrids throughout the world, and in a statement released through the company’s official website, it specified that the action concerns ECU controls within the affected vehicles.

According to Reuters, most of the Priuses being recalled are in Japan, and 120,000 of those vehicles are in the United States. The affected model is the Prius V, which is also known by other names, possibly adding to the inherent confusion of such a large recall effort. Model years for the defective vehicles range between 2012 and 2014.

The statement says that dealers will attend to the risks by updating the software in the ECU’s. The issue poses a possible danger for transistors in these Priuses, due to overly high levels of “thermal stress” within the system. No injuries have been linked to this problem yet, but it does follow on a larger recall issued last year for more than 1 million Priuses.

“If this happens, various warning lights will illuminate and the vehicle can enter a failsafe mode,” the statement says, referring to the aftereffects of the Prius faults. “In rare circumstances, the hybrid system might shut down while the vehicle is being driven, resulting in the loss of power and the vehicle coming to a stop.”

The context of recall actions of this nature matters for the fixes to be applied effectively, and proper awareness and response campaigns will communicate the severity of an issue in a way that leads to real improvement and prevention. In such cases, it may be necessary to know some history of a vehicle defect in addition to the immediate dangers that a threat poses.