Toyota Recall - Crown, Mark X, Lexus GS, Lexus IS

Toyota is recalling 264,000 cars to repair faulty fuel pipes - its second product call-back in just over a month.

The Japanese car giant said the latest recall concerned Crown, Mark X and Lexus models made over the two years until December 2005.

While most of the recalled vehicles are in Japan, some 49,000 affected Lexus GS and IS models were sold abroad, mainly in the US, UK and Canada.

In mid-October, Toyota recalled more than 470,000 cars in Japan.

That call-back was due to problems with fuel and steering systems.

The new fault relates to fuel pipes that were improperly bent, and as a result could develop tiny cracks, and, in the worst case scenario, fuel leaks.

Toyota said 39 defects had been reported by drivers, but that there had been no accidents.

Earlier this year, Toyota overtook General Motors as the world's largest carmaker by volumes sold.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7117465.stm