Mitsubishi to recall cars due to faulty wheels

Japan's fourth-largest car maker, Mitsubishi Motors, is to recall thousands of cars because of faulty wheels.

It said in a statement it is recalling 81,531 small passenger cars of the following makes: Toppo BJ, Minica, eK-Sport, eK-Wagon and eK-Classy, built between September, 2001, and February, 2004.

The company said the wheels of these models may come off due to design errors in their rear accelerator shafts and loose lock nuts, which were supposed to secure brake drums to the shafts.

The company said there were three cases in Japan in which wheels had come off the vehicles, but added that no-one was injured.

The news today follows last month's announcement that Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp were to recall 112,000 vehicles over problems with faulty wheel hubs that led to a fatal accident.