Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 7.43 million vehicles in the U.S., Japan, Europe and elsewhere around the world for a faulty power-window switch — the latest, massive quality woes for Japan’s top automaker.

The recall announced Wednesday affects more than a dozen models produced from 2005 through 2010. The power-window switch on the driver’s side didn’t have grease applied evenly during production, causing friction in the switch and sometimes smoke, according to Toyota.

No crashes or injuries have been reported related to the defect. But more than 200 problems were reported in U.S. and a fewer number of problems were reported elsewhere, including 39 cases in Japan, Toyota spokesman Joichi Tachikawa said.

Recalled in North America are the Yaris, Corolla, Matrix, Camry, RAV4, Highlander, Tundra, Sequoia and Scion models xB and xD, spanning 2.47 million vehicles.

(Source: Washington Post)