Toyota Motor Corp. will voluntarily repair a model of the new Passo compact hatchback due to a defect in its engine, with about 22,300 units subject to free repairs, officials of the automaker said Thursday.
Toyota's repairs will cover the redesigned Passo cars, which were launched in February, but the automaker will not file a recall with government authorities in view of the low possibility that the defect will cause accidents, the officials said.
The trouble occurs when a driver shifts from neutral to either forward or backward gears. The number of times the engine rotates decreases and this may cause the engine to stall.
The defect is likely to have been caused by settings fixed to have a lower rotation frequency for increased fuel efficiency.
Toyota will conduct repairs — which will involve rewriting the computer system that controls the engine — at sales outlets from Friday, officials said.
The Passo, priced from around ¥1 million, is one of Toyota's most popular cars, especially among women. It was developed in conjunction with Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co.
Daihatsu will also conduct repairs for the cars, which it sells under the name Boon.