Toyota Issues Recall on Prius, Echo

Toyota Motor Corp. and the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. issue a voluntary recall to replace the crankshaft sensor on certain ’01 through early ’02 Echo and Prius vehicles.

Toyota says the recall involves approximately 34,700 vehicles (26,200 Echos and 8,500 units of the Prius) in the U.S.

In affected vehicles, the connector for the crankshaft position sensor may become disconnected. If that happens while the vehicle is being driven, the engine will stall and cannot be restarted, Toyota says.

There have been no reported cases of accidents or injuries related to the affected vehicles, and no cases of this condition have been reported in the U.S., Toyota says.

Toyota will notify owners of the involved vehicles by mail later this month.

The recall surfaces as Toyota prepares to address charges that it delayed, by eight years, a recall of more than 330,000 vehicles under its Hilux nameplate. The auto maker has scheduled a press conference for July 19 to explain its investigation of an alleged steering system defect.