Toyota recalls 110,000 hybrid cars over circuit issues

The company revealed in a statement that the vehicles concerned could stop suddenly because of an electrical problem leading to a blown fuse. The company explained that it was "working on obtaining the necessary replacement parts" and would get in touch with customers to get their vehicles inspected soon.

"The recalls that we announced cover all known problems regarding the component concerned," a Toyota spokesperson was reported as saying. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers and hope to be able [to fix the problem] as soon as possible.”

While the recall is likely to raise further questions about Toyota's quality controls, analysts said the carmaker is trying to ensure that it nips the problem in the bud.

He said there had been instances in the past of Toyota saying there were no issues with its vehicles when customers and safety regulators were reporting faults, and that Toyota was being proactive in avoiding getting into a similar situation again.

Analysts also say the quest for rapid expansion had led to cracks appearing in the company's quality control system.

As Toyota grew from a Japanese brand to the biggest carmaker in the world, it needed to boost its production in order to meet the increased demand for its cars.

That resulted in the company setting up factories in various parts of the world to ramp up production - factories analysts say may not have been able to maintain Toyota's high standards.

As a result, its reputation for quality and reliability has taken a hit, especially in America where it was the only major carmaker to see sales fall in 2010.

The problems for Toyota have been compounded further by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.