Around 50,000 examples of a popular Toyota are to be recalled over fears that their braking systems may develop a sudden fault.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced North American owners of a Corolla Cross Hybrid made between June 2022 and September 2024 will need to return their car to the dealership.
The NHTSA highlighted that the fault could make it harder for drivers to press the brake pedal whilst cornering.
They explained: “In certain situations, during brake application when turning a corner, a driver may temporarily experience a hard brake pedal that can cause the stopping distance to be more than expected.
“This can increase the risk of a crash.”
Whilst the recall does not affect drivers in the UK, where the Corolla Cross is not officially sold, the announcement will affect 41,000 owners in America and a further 9,000 drivers in Canada.
According to the NHTSA, if the fault occurs, drivers will find that they need to apply much more force in order to brake effectively.
This in turn means that drivers will most likely need much more space to stop their vehicle, increasing the likelihood of causing accidents.
Toyota reassured that owners of affected examples of the Corolla Cross Hybrid will be contacted directly before the end of November 2024.
They added: “For all involved vehicles, Toyota dealers will update the programming of the skid control ECU [Electronic Control Unit] software for the brake actuator, free of charge.
“Owners of involved vehicles will be notified by late November 2024.”
In the UK, owners of vehicles that are to be recalled will be reached by the manufacturer, either via an email, phone call, or a letter.
Drivers are also able to look up if their vehicle has any outstanding recalls via the Government’s website.
Users will need to state the make, model, and year their vehicle was manufactured, and will receive a list of each fault that may affect their vehice.