Toyota recalling another 1.53 million cars globally

Once viewed as a high quality car manufacturer, ever since entering NASCAR it's been all downhill for Toyota. Similarly Sprint has lost customers by the millions each year since sponsoring NASCAR's top series. Is it just bad timing, or is the dumbed-down NASCAR approach not in vogue anymore?

Toyota is recalling another 1.53 million Lexus, Avalon and other models, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, for brake fluid and fuel pump problems, the latest in a string of quality problems for the world's No. 1 automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will call back for repairs about 740,000 cars in the U.S. and 599,000 in Japan. The remainder are in Europe and other markets around the world.

Over the past year, Toyota has recalled more than 10 million cars and trucks worldwide for a variety of problems, from faulty gas pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerators, to braking problems in its Prius hybrid. In August, Toyota called back 1.33 million Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada because their engines may stall.