Source: Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post ( Free Registration )

Toyota Corp. said Thursday that it is recalling 412,000 Avalons and Lexuses for steering problems, bringing the number of cars recalled around the world since October to nearly 9 million.

The 373,000 recalled Avalons, dating from between 2000 and 2004, have improperly cast steering lock bars that appear to have been a factor in three accidents that have been reported to the company. This problem can cause what Toyota described as a “minute” crack to develop on the surface. The crack, in turn, can break the bar and lock the steering wheel, increasing the risk of a crash.

Read Full Article: Toyota recalls 412,000 cars in U.S.