Toyota yesterday issued a huge recall of 6.39 million vehicles worldwide for a range of issues, ranging from airbag glitches and weak seat rail springs to defective windscreen wipers.

IN AUSTRALIA, THE TOYOTA RECALL AFFECTS approximately 118,600 previous generation Yaris 3- and 5-door hatchbacks and Yaris sedan vehicles built between June 2005 and May 2010, and 179,000 current generation Hilux vehicles built between April 2004 and December 2009.

The recall, Toyota said in a press release, “is due to the possibility that if the seat is moved forwards and backwards frequently the spring locking the driver’s seat track in position may break. In the three-door Yaris this condition may also affect the passenger’s seat which is frequently moved to gain access to the rear seats.

“If the spring breaks within the seat track, the seat may not be able to be locked in position. In some cases, the broken spring may become stuck and the seat might appear to be locked in position.

“If the vehicle is driven with a broken seat track spring, the seat could move in the event of an accident and may increase the risk of injury.

“In Australia there have been no reports of any accidents or injuries as a result of this condition.

“This recall is a preventative measure only and it is not expected that all vehicles will experience this condition. Drivers can continue to drive their vehicle, however if they experience any difficulties locking the front seats into place, they should contact a Toyota dealer to have their vehicle inspected.

“The repair work for all vehicles will involve the driver’s seat being removed and the seat tracks replaced. For 3-door Yaris vehicles, the front passenger seat will also be removed and the seat tracks replaced. In most cases, this will take approximately 1.5 to 3 hours to carry out depending on the vehicle involved, and all repairs will be conducted free of charge to vehicle owners.

“Affected customers will be notified of the recall by mail at their last known address and asked to make an appointment at an authorised Toyota dealer to have the affected seat tracks replaced. It is expected that the mail out to affected customers will commence early in May once parts become available.

HILUX ALSO RECALLED

It’s not just the Toyota Yaris that’s being recalled, the Toyota HiLux is also approximately 179,000 current generation Hilux vehicles built between April 2004 and December 2009.

“The recall is due to the possibility that the spiral cable, which is part of the supplementary restraint system (SRS) located between the steering wheel and steering column, may become damaged when the steering wheel is repeatedly turned.

“If the spiral cable is damaged, the SRS airbag warning light will illuminate and the driver’s airbag may not deploy in the event of an accident, which may increase the risk of injury to the driver.

“There have been no reports of any accidents or injuries as the result of this condition.

“Drivers can continue to drive their vehicle, however if the SRS airbag warning light on their instrument panel illuminates they should contact a Toyota dealer to have their vehicle inspected.

For further information about this recall, customers can call the Toyota recall campaign helpline on 1800 643 242.