Toyota announced on Tuesday that it would recall about 34,000 Lexus GX 460 and Land Cruiser Prado sport utility vehicles worldwide because of problems with the automobiles' stability-control systems.
The company will recall about 1,000 of the Lexus 2010-model SUVs and 4,000 left-hand-drive versions of the Land Cruiser Prado in Russia, it said in a statement.
"In circumstances in which advanced driving skills are required … the vehicle could slide sideways, due to the insufficient activation of the [vehicle stability-control system]," the statement said.
The problem may be caused by certain components, such as the fuel tank, which are located on the side of the vehicle and make it heavier on one side, Toyota said.
To reduce the risk of sliding, Toyota will enhance the system software.
A total of 9,400 Lexus GX 460 vehicles are being recalled in the United States. Sales of this model were suspended last week after Consumer Reports, a U.S. nonprofit magazine, gave the car a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" rating.
Recently, Toyota has been beset by claims that its cars are defective. The company had to recall 4.2 million units in the United States in September 2009 and an additional 2.3 million in January because of accelerator problems on several models.
The automaker also has announced a recall on all Prius vehicles produced this year — 223,000 in the United States and more than 200,000 in other countries — because of problems with the brakes.
Toyota said Monday that it had agreed to pay $16.4 million in fines in the United States for delays in informing the government about defects.
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