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1.3 million cars recalled for foam fire fears

Car-maker Toyota will recall close to 1.3 million vehicles worldwide after finding a defect that could cause a foam pad near the seat belt to ignite if there was a collision, according to the Associated Press.

The recall includes 134,900 model-year 2006 and 2007 Yaris subcompacts that were sold in the US, said the Japanese automaker.

Toyota spokesman Brian R Lyons said the mechanism that tightens the vehicle’s seat belt expels a gas that could cause a sound-insulating foam pad nearby to ignite, during in “severe front-end collisions,” the Associates Press reported.

At the worst, the problem could cause a fire, however no reports of injuries or instances of fire have been heard.

It is not clear if the problem was caused by faulty foam pads or a fault on the assembly-line.

It is also not clear how many possibly-affected cars were sold in Australia, but Toyota Motor Sales USA said it would contact customers individually and organise a mutually-convenient time to have the problem fixed, which should take no more than an hour at a Toyota dealer.

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