Toyota recalls cars with design fault

Toyota is recalling 397,263 vehicles, including its high selling Yaris, because of improperly designed brake pipes.

The faulty design of the rear brake pipe may cause brake oil to leak when driving in snow, spokeswoman Shino Yamada said.

The Japanese company has received no reports of related accidents, Yamada said.

Vehicles are being recalled in Europe, the US and Japan.

The recall affects 165,897 Yaris models, manufactured from October 2000 to April this year and exported to European markets.

Toyota is also recalling Will Vi, Funcargo, and bB cars, all produced from October 2000 to April this year.

The company has also recalled 24,279 trucks, produced between September 1999 and June this year and sold domestically, because of a faulty steering wheel.