Toyota recalls cars in Korea for the first time

Toyota will recall around 1,000 vehicles sold in Korea - including its Camry model, Camry hybrids and Lexus ES350s - according to sources at the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, and the local unit of the Japanese carmaker yesterday.

Sources at Toyota Korea and the ministry, who wished to remain anonymous, said that a floor mat installed in Toyota vehicles sold here was found to slip forward and snag the gas pedal. That could cause sudden acceleration, they said.

The recall, decided by Toyota voluntarily, will start tomorrow.

It will mark the first recall of Toyota cars in Korea. In September, Toyota recalled millions of vehicles in the United States for floor-mat problems, but later admitted the gas pedals were faulty. The company said the faulty cars were made in the U.S. and that Japanese-made cars, like the ones sold in Korea, don’t have problems.

In September 2007, Toyota recalled around 24,000 vehicles for the same floor-mat problem in the United States.

Toyota Korea said it will hold a press conference today on the issue.

By Kim Tae-jin, Lee Jong-chan [joe@joongang.co.kr]